NO. 1875. THE JAPANESE 8PARID.E— JORDAN AND THOMPSON. 567 



The interorbital space is convex; the snout rather pointed; sub- 

 orbital area narrow, the width contained about 2.2 times in the 

 longitudinal diameter of eye, the ventral edge with a deep and rather 

 abiupt concavity near end of maxillary; the concavity together with 

 the convex posterior edge giving the suborbital a distinctive form. 

 Edge of preopercle smooth except for scmie very minute denticula- 

 tions at its upper edge. Maxillary extending to anterior edge of 

 pupil. Teeth of upper jaw villiform, an enlarged outer row with 

 3 or 4 canines on either side anteriorly; lower jaw vnih 2 rows of 

 comparatively strong teeth anteriorly, a single row of enlarged teeth 

 along the sides. Gill-rakers short and stubby, 4 + 9 on the first 

 arch. Opercle with 3 rows of scales. 



Dorsal spines high, rather slender and acute, the membrane not 

 incised between their tips; last 3 spines longest, about 2.4 in head; 

 anterior rays equal in height to the preceding spines, the posterior 

 ones somewhat longer. Second anal spine intermediate in height 

 between the first and third, 7.5 in head; last ray 2.3 in head. Lower 

 lobe of caudal pointed, 1.3 in head; upper lobe falcate, a little over 

 twice as long as the lower; edge of caudal deeply emarginate. Ven- 

 trals reaching origin of anal. Pectorals acutely pointed, equal in 

 length to ventrals. 



In life the body was bright silvery with a pinkish tinge and pearly 

 reflections; a narrow lemon yellow stripe extends from upper edge 

 of axil to middle of caudal peduncle, a faint brassy stripe along base 

 of dorsal, a wide red stripe above lateral line, lateral line bordered 

 by a light stripe with pearly reflections, below which is a brassy 

 stripe narrowly bordered by dark pink; head pinldsh, the snout pur- 

 ple; chin, breast, throat, belly, and lower surface of tail bright lemon 

 yellow; doreal translucent, the edge yellowish orange; vermicula- 

 tions of lemon on membrane of fin; caudal bright pink, the filamen- 

 tous rays yellow, becoming orange toward tip, upper edge of fin 

 orange; anal and ventrals translucent; pectorals pink. 



In spirits the body is rather reddish above, plain silvery below, 

 all the bright tints having disappeared and no indication of the 

 stripes remaining. 



Type-specimen 280 mm. long including the caudal filament. 

 Locahty Kagoshima, Japan. Two smaller examples are like the 

 type except that the ventrals are slightly shorter. 



NOTE ON DENTEX THUNBERGI. 



A species of Sparoid fish has been described from Japan under the 

 name of Lahrus thunbergi. The scanty description agrees in aU 

 respects with Pristipomoides sparus, on wliich species the description 

 was probably based; but as no count of fin rays is given, the identi- 

 fication is perhaps too uncertain to justify the adoption of the name 



