FISHES COLLECTED IX JAPAN. 265 



anal with even outline and low. Ventrals pointed. Caudal slightly forked with pointed 

 lobes. 



Color over whole of body and fins, except the caudal, of a sooty blackness ; a broad band of 

 dull dusky violet under the breast, extending to the base of pectorals. Caudal pale yellow. 

 Irjdes same color. 



Diengkitsch recognized this fish and called it Sumikak-owoo. Sumi, soot or charcoal ; kakf, 

 to scrape ; owoo, as before mentioned, means fish. Sumikak is the smoke black scraped from 

 the bottom of an old kettle. 



25. LETHRINUS MINIATUS, Forster. 



Sparus miniatus, Bloch, Schneid. 281, (ex fig. J. R. Forster.) 

 Lethrinus miniatus, Cuv. and Val. VI, 315. 



" HiEMATOPTERirs, Schleg. Faun. Jap. 74, pi. 38. 



" " ? Richardson, Zool. Sulphur. Icthyol. p. 144, pi. LXIV. 



Notes. — From Lew Chew. Size much reduced. 



There seems to be no specific difference between Forster's fish, which is fully described in 

 Bloch's Systema, (Ed. Schneider,) and the Ticematopterus of the Fauna Japonica. The drawing 

 brought home by the United States Japan Expedition is identical with the one given by Schlegel. 



The native name, kutsi-butai, means smooth forehead. 



26. DITREMA TEMMINCKn, Schlegel & Bleecker. 



Ditrema , Schleg. Faun. Jap. 77, pi. 40, fig. 2. 



" TEMMINCKn, Bleecker. Nalez. op. de Ichth. van Japan. 



Notes. — From Hakodadi. (9 inches.) 



Hakodadi is in latitude 41° 49' N., and is one of the most northerly ports of Japan. 



The genus Ditrema was established by Schlegel upon the examination of two stuffed speci- 

 mens and a native figure of a fish which offered the peculiarity of two anal orifices. Schlegel 

 suspected that the second orifice was connected with the organs of generation. His description 

 is here given in a condensed form. He gave the fish no specific name. After stating that it 

 appears to belong to the Menidae, and comes near Caesio, he remarks upon the curious double 

 anal openings, indicated also in the native drawing. 



" Height two and a half times in the length ; upper and lower outline arched, the upper one 

 slightly inflected at the anterior insertion of the dorsal. Head rather small, conical, with 

 slightly concave profile. Eyes of medium size, and vertical. Nostrils close to upper part of 

 snout. Mouth small and narrow, somewhat protractile, with fleshy lips. A single row of 

 small conical teeth in both jaws, set sparsely, and only on their anterior portion. Angle 

 of the vomer projecting, but smooth, and like the palatines toothless. Angle of opercle 

 obtuse, and like the pre-opercle smooth on the margin. Lateral line parallel to the back. 

 Scales deciduous, smooth, of medium size, covering the opercles and forehead. Dorsal and 

 anal with long bases and the soft rays numerous and closely crowded. Spinous dorsal much 

 34 s 



