On the Classijication of Teleostean Fishes. 147 



S, capite cornu curvato, bifurcate, apicibus baud divergentibus, 

 arraato ; prothorace antice medio minute bituberculato ; pygidio 

 tumido, nitido, irregulariter puiictato. 



Long. 31 mm., lat. 18 mm. 



Hah. Brazil, Castro (Parana Prov.). 



A single male specimen in our collection and an almost 

 identical one in that of Mr. O. E. Janson were collected by 

 Mr. E. D. Jones. The species is similar to B. quadrimacu- 

 latus, Waterh.j in form and coloration, but the cephalic horn 

 is not perceptibly narrower at the base than at the apex, the 

 canthus is not produced forwards, but outwards, there is a 

 rudiment of a thoracic horn, and the thorax is uniformly dark 

 in colour. The disc is much more coarsely punctured than 

 in the other species, and the elytra do not show the thick 

 interstitial puucturation of that form. 



XVI IT. — Notes on the Classification of Teleostean Fishes. — 

 III. On the Systematic Position of the Genus Lampris, anJ 

 OH the Limits and Contents of the Suborder Catosteonii. By 

 G. A. BOULENGER, F.R.S. 



That extraordinary-looking pelagic fish, the Opah or King- 

 fish [Lampria luna), which, from its great size and brilliant 

 colours, always excites much curiosity when landed on our 

 coasts, has hitherto invariably been placed not far from the 

 Mackerels, Scombridre, or, at least, in the division Scombri- 

 formes. Although attention has repeatedly been drawn to 

 the many points in which this fish differs from all Scombri- 

 formes, even the most advanced of recent reformers of classi- 

 fication, whilst expressing their doubts as to the propriety of 

 maintaining it in that division, have not ventured to depart 

 from a tradition based solely upon resemblances of the most 

 superficial kind. 



An analysis of the characters of Lamp-is at once shows a 

 combination which should exclude it not only from the 

 Scombriformes, but also from the suborder to which that 

 division belongs. The fins are absolutely devoid of spines, 

 the ventrals are abdominal in position and formed of a great 

 number of rays — 15 to 17 *, — the mouth is bordered by the 

 maxillaries in addition to the pra^maxillaries, if not to a great 

 extent, at least quite as much as in the Scombresocida?, this 



* We have to look back to the Ganoids and the lowest Teleosteans 

 (Elopida; and Albulidaj) to meet with anything like so high a number. 



