FiSH-roTS. 207 



geniously worked inwards to form a narrow tubular 

 entrance, extending a little way into the interior ; 

 and so managed that the elastic ends should meet 

 each other in a point, offering no obstruction to a 

 fish pushing his way in, but resuming their position 

 the moment his body had passed, so as effectually to 

 preclude his return. A lid, moving on a hinge of 

 the same material, and tied down, afforded the 

 fisherman an opportunity of introducing his hand to 

 take out the prey captured, or of putting in the offal, 

 which constituted the temptation to enter. 



We examined three or four in succession, and all 

 had taken something ; perhaps half-a-dozen fishes in 

 one, three or four in another, and so on. Some of 

 them were transferred to me, and were saved from 

 the ignoble destiny to which the cook would have 

 consigned them, to be (literally) embalmed in the 

 honourable service of science. One of these was 

 sufficiently hideous, and was no favourite with the 

 old negro, who gave it the name of Poison-grouper. 

 It was a species of Apistes, the more interesting 

 because belonging to a rather numerous genus, 

 hitherto recognized only in the Oriental seas ; a 

 circumstance which I would commemorate by calling 

 the present species Apistes exuL* Another fish of 



* It may be thus described. Apistes exul, mihi. Body well co- 

 vered with scales. Head very spinous ; sub-orbital spines short, 

 scarcely more than serratures : profile gently descending ; mouth 

 opening diagonally upwards. Dorsal commencing above the base of 

 pectoral ; ending considerably short of the base of caudal ; moderately 

 hollowed in the middle; pectoral with no free ray. Fin-ray for- 

 mula: B. 7; D. 12—10; A. 3—5; C. 18; P. 19; V. 1—5. 



