110 PISCES. 



IV, XV, 8, and Cuv. and Val. Ill, Ivii. From the north of the 

 Pacific.(l) 



SiLLAGO, Cuv. 



Head somewhat elongated and pointed; mouth small; small crowded 

 teeth in the jaws, and before the vomer; operculum terminating in a 

 small spine; six branchial rays; two contiguous dorsals; spines of the 

 first, slender; the second, long and low. 



They are all from the Indian Ocean, and much esteemed for 

 the flavour and lightness of their flesh. The most remarkable 

 species is 



Sill, domina, Cuv. Brownish, and distinguished by the first 

 ray of its dorsal, which is drawn out into a filament as long as 

 the body. Its head is scaly, and the eye very small. There is 

 another. 



Sill, malabarica; Sciosna malabarica, Bl. Schn.; Soring, Rus- 

 sel, 113, not above afoot long, and fawn-coloured, which is 

 considered one of the best fishes of India. (2) 



We now pass to those Percoides which have more than 

 seven rays to the branchiae. Three genera are known, all of 

 which present the following peculiarity: their ventrals have 

 a spine and seven or more soft rays, while in other Acanthop- 

 terygii there are never more than five soft rays. 



HoLOCENTRUM, Artedi.(3) 



The scales of these beautiful fishes are brilliant and dentated; oper- 

 culum dentated and spinous; preoperculum dentated with a stout 

 spine at the angle, which is directed backwards. They are found 

 in the hot parts of both oceans. (4) 



(1) This Fish having neither jugular ventrals, nor an elongated posterior dor- 

 sal, nor a strong spine on the operculum, nor seven rays in the branchije, cannot 

 be a Trachinus, as was thought by Pallas and Tilesius. 



(2) Add Atherima sihama, Forsk., or Platicephalus siliamus, Bl. Schn. Ruppel, 

 Poiss., pi. iii, f. 1; Sillago maculata, Quoy et Gaym. Freycin. pi. iii, f. 3. 



(3) We restrict this genus to species answering to the definition of it given by 

 Artedi, Seb. Ill, ad tab. 1, xxvii, and like him, we give a neuter termination 

 to this name to prevent it being confounded with the Holocentrus of Bloch and of 

 Lacepede, which contains various other species, Serrani particularly. 



(4) Holocentrum hngipinne, Cuv., which is the Hoi. sogho, Bl., 232; and his 

 Bodianus pentacanthus, or the Jaguaraca of Marcgr., 147; it is also the Scisena 

 rubra, Bl., Schn., Catesb., II, ii, 2; and the Jlmpkiprion matejuelo, Bl., Schn., 

 Parra, XIII, 2;— Hoi. orientak, Cuv., Seb., Ill, xxvii, 1; — Hal. rubrum, Bennet, 



