268 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



single row laterally in either jaw, anteriorly an enlarged outer row in the premaxillaries, and two large canines 

 in the mandibles : a little obtuse on vomer : with rounded crowns on palatines. Fms — dorsal spines short, third 

 the longest, and about half as high as the first ray, the first 11 to 16 of which are unbranched : the end of the 

 fin rather pointed. Pectoral as long as the head excluding the snout, ventral slightly longer. Caudal rounded. 

 Scales — finely ctenoid. Golowrs — of a dull olive, th^ upper half of the soft dorsal with numerous yellow spots, 

 the outer half of anal with brown ones. Caudal yellow in its last half, it3 base with brown spots between the 

 rays. 



This species appears to be closely allied to if not identical with Pseudochromis fuscus, MuU. and Trosch. 

 Hor. Ich. 1849, p. 23, t. iv, f. 2, but the base of the pectoral is said to be black, and the dorsal and anal spots 

 blue-streaks. None appear to exist on the caudal fin. The height of the body and length of head are given at 

 1/4 each of the total, and the snout is less than the diameter of the eye. 



Black finned variety, D^j-, A. ^, L. 1. 41. Dorsal and anal fins black edged, last half of caudal black. 



Pseudochropds adMstus, Mull, and Trosch. Hor. Ich. iii, p. 23, t. iv, f. '2, differs in that most of its dorsal 

 rays are said to be branched, if such can be considered a sufi&cient reason for constituting a species. In some 

 specimens a few or even a single ray is here and there divided, but it does not appear to me that any strict rule 

 exists.* 



Habitat. — ^Andaman islands where it is not rare, to perhaps the Philippines : the specimen figured (life-size) 

 is from the former locality. 



* I gave the British Mnseum specimens from the Andamans, they are labelled P. oditstes. 



