FISH FAUNA. 



69 



Onr next specimen, K'o. 3, whicli is slightly over eiglit inches in length, is 

 much lighter in color, and has the vertical fins of the same shade as the 

 head and body, but with a darker intramarginal lino ; at this age there is no 

 sign of the occipital knob. 



Specimen No. 4 is four inches long ; its head is purple, beautifully orna- 

 mented on the cheeks and opercles with bluish-white spots and short cres- 

 centic or wavy lines, while the opercular flap is jet black ; on the abdominal 

 region the lines are longer and more pronounced, forming partially inter- 

 rupted band? between the isthmus and the vent ; the colors grow gradually 

 lighter on the body and tail, and the stripes, which are very irregular in 

 direction and often broken up into rows of spots, are duller and broader ; 

 the dorsal and anal fins are violet, with a narrow white margin, the former 

 with numerous oblique silvery streaks running downwards and backwards, 

 the latter with a median longitudinal dull grey streak, which is joined to the 

 tase of the fin by similar bars ; the caudal fin is also violet, with small white 

 spots on the rays and a white terminal border, broadest at the angles ; the 

 ventral s have the three iniier rays white, the others purple ; the pectorals are 

 grey with a broad purple basal band. 



Specimen 'No. 5 is but two inches and one-third in length ; its ground color 

 is also .purple, and grows gradually lighter posteriorly ; the head is orna- 

 mented with milk-white bands and spots, the upper of which runs from the 

 angle of the intermaxillaries to the middle of the interorbital space, and 

 throws off a narrow forlced baud opposite the front margin of the orbit, the. 

 anterior branch of which is very short, while the posterior branch forms a 

 very narrow stroalc which slvir'ts the upper margin of the eye, behind 

 which it forms an irregularly oblong blotch, which itself terminates in a 

 narrow band at the origin of the lateral line ; a similar but interrupted 

 narrow band runs from immediately above the angle of the rnouth to the- 

 axil; on the mandibulary region there are several series of white bands and 

 spots, which are continued on the ventral and abdominal regions ; the bact 

 is beautifully ornamented with three large milk-white blotches, the anterior- 

 pf which lies beneath the five first dorsal spines, upon which however- 

 it does not encroach, and through the middle of which the lateral line runs,., 

 while some of the scales near that line are very dark purple with a central 

 milky dot ; the second lies between the lateral line and the median line of 

 the third to seventh rays, while the third ornaments the inferior third of 

 the last two rays and forms an arch across the pedicle almost as far as the 

 l^ase of the caudal fin ; below this there are four similar blotches, the anterior 

 of which is hidden by the pectoral fin : the dorsal and anal fins are deep 

 violet with the tips of the rays white, the former with some spots and 

 oblique white stripes, the latter with a basal band of the same hue ; the 

 caudal fin is purple with two slightly convergent oval spots on either side of 

 the base, and a crescentic spot with the arc pointing forward between and 

 behind their posterior angles ; the entire margin, especially at the angles, is: 

 oroadly tipped with silver, and a few other scattered white dots are visible ;. 

 the ventrals and pectorals are similar to those in the preceding form. 



If Dr. Day is correct in placing Lalrus cingulum and L. aureomacidaius^ 

 among the synonyms oi Lacepede's Coris aygula (vide "Pishes of India," p. 

 408), it is evident that this species is more than ordinarily variable in its 

 Colors, even in a family so variable as that to which it belongs. 



Jhis fisli is common, and is taken when young or half-grow]i in the rock- 

 pools, while the adults are taken by line in the open sea and are eaten with 

 avidity. They are called "Double-heads" by the islanders. 



