the Cirrhitiform Percoids. 261 



popliyses from the fourtli or fifth ; 1 or 2 ribs sessile. In 

 other characters simih\r to the Cirrhitidae. 

 Two genera : Cldronemus and Threpterius. 



3. Haplodactylidae. 



Dorsal XV-XVII 18-21. Anal III 6-8. Mouth trans- 

 verse, subterminal, not or scarcely protractile ; jaws with 

 bands of lanceolate or tricuspid incisors ; teeth on the vomer. 

 Jaws, head skeleton, &c. as in Chironemus^ except that the 

 frontals have no definite supraorbital flanges. VertebraB 

 35 (16 + 19); all the prsecaudals with parapophyses ; no 

 sessile ribs. 



A single genus, Ilaphdactylus, scarcely differing from 

 Ckironemus, except in the mouth and dentition, and the 

 greater development of the parapophyses. 



4. Chilodactylidse. 



Dorsal XVI-XIX 23-33. Anal III 7-19, considerably 

 shorter than the soft dorsal. Mouth, jaws, and dentition as 

 in the Cirrhitida?, except that the maxillary ramus has a 

 strong posterior expansion just below its palatine articulation 

 and there are no teeth on the palate. Skull as in the 

 Cirrhitidai ; subocular shelf well developed. Vertebrse 

 35 (14 + 21) ; in the prgecaudal region expanded laminai at 

 the bases of the neural spines ; all the prsecaudals with para- 

 pophyses ; no sessile ribs. 



Chiludactylus and JSemadactylus diff'er from the Cirrhitidce 

 only in the increased number of vertebrae and fin-rays, the 

 absence of vomerine teeth, the form of the maxillary, and the 

 structure of the prsecaudal vertebrae. 



5. Latrididae. 



Dorsal XVII-XXIII 24-39. Anal III 18-32, nearly as 

 long as soft dorsal. Simple pectojal rays feeble, not pro- 

 duced. No subocular shelf. Vertebrae 35 (14 + 21). 



Latris and Mendosoma , in other characters similar to the 

 Chilodactylidse. 



From the above it will be seen that I am not in agreement 



with the views of Boulenger *, who, in 1896, redescribed 



Threpterius moculosus, Richards., and offered some remarks on 



the systematic position of the genus Threpterius and otliers 



* Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (6) sviii. p. 398. 



