146 BANDED DIACOPE. 



times the commencement of a fifth, where the 

 yellow begins to shade into the white. 



The D. macolor, described in Duperry's 

 Voyage, is one of the most remarkable for con- 

 trast of colouring ; the upper part of the body is 

 black, but relieved with large white spots, while 

 the sides and belly are of a silvery white, inter- 

 rupted by a black band. It is an inhabitant of 

 the New Guinea seas. 



D. sanguined, Ehrenb. is a species from the 

 Arabian Gulf, of a small size, and entirely of a 

 rich red, so that among the considerable series of 

 species which this genus embraces, we find a 

 colouring equal in brilliancy to any of the Serrani, 

 which are so remarkable for their fine tints. 

 Different shades of red, with yellow and blue, are 

 the prevailing colours ; many of these fish are 

 esteemed as an article of food, and from the large 

 size of some of them, they may at some period 

 yield a more profitable fishing, than, from their 

 limited consumption, they do at present. 



Another series of fishes have been separated 

 from those under the name of Mescprionf so 

 named from having an arrangement of teeth in 

 the centre of each side of the head in the form of 

 a saw ; they are closely allied to the last named 



* fAic-cv, middle ; <r;y, a saw. 



