408 ACANTHOPTERTGII. 



Coris pulcherrima, Guntter, Catal, iv, p. 200. 



Rattoo-gvromah, Cingalese. 



B. yi, D. ^, P. 14, V. 1/5, A. xV, C 14, L. 1. 74-84, L. tr. 8/35. 



Length of tead 4f , of caudal 7i, height of body 4 to 4| in the total length. Hyes—^waBi&i 6 in the 

 length of head, 2 diameters from the end of snout, and 1^ apart. Teeth— b. posterior canme at the angle of the 

 mouth, said to be absent in young specimens. J-ms -first spine of the dorsal fin elongated, and having a fine 

 termination, the second a httle longer than the remaining ones. Caudal rounded. CoZowr*— Bennett describes 

 them as bluish-gray with circular black spots : head yellow, with two obUque blue bands ascending towards the 

 origin of the dorsal, one commencing from the snout and passing through the eye, the other parallel to the 

 first running below the eye. Dorsal and anal fins brown, the former with a red margin and with two green 

 Unes running within the red : black dots between the rays. Anal with a narrow green edge, and a narrow 

 green intermarginal Kne ; a series of green dots within the margin. The inner half of the caudal red, the 

 outer yellowish white. Or the lines on the head may be violet and rather oblique : one ascends from the eye to 

 the dorsal fin : body brownish-violet, covered posteriorly with scattered blue spots becoming disposed more in 

 horizontal rows along the side of the free portion of the tail. Fins yellowish, dorsal and anal having a blue 

 outer edge, and a blue black-edged intramarginal band, blue spots along the bases of the fins. With or without 

 a reddish vertical band on the middle third of the caudal fin. 



Dr. Giinther considers Swainson's (=Bleeker's) species as distinct from Bennett's, but he merely reproduces 

 Bennett's plate on a smaller scale. Colours alone do not appear sufficient in members of this family on which 

 to found species ; experience as has been observed, "must lead us to suppose that many a tropical species 

 introduced into our system will prove to be merely a variety." (Giinther, Catal. iv, p. 508). Dr. Giinther 

 further observes (Fish. Zanzibar, p. 100), " This species has been observed by Col. Playfa,ir at Zanzibar for the 

 first time since its discovery by Bennett. The specimen agrees as well with Bennetli's figure as if the latter 

 had been taken from the' former ; and Dr. Giinther's opinion as to the distinctness of G. formosa, Bleeker, and 

 G. formosa, Bennett, is fully confirmed." 



Habitat.— East coast of Africa, Ceylon to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. I am indebted for the 

 specimen figured to Dr. Hubrecht, of Leyden, it came from the Malay Archipelago. 



2. Coris aygula, Plate LXXXVIII, fig. 5. 



Lacep. iii, pp. 96, 97, t. iv, f. 1 : Gunther, Catal. iv, p. 201 ; Klunz, Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1871, p. 539. 



Goris angulatus, Lacep. 1. c. f. 2. 



liabrus cvngulwrn, (Commerson) Lacep. iii, p. 517, pi. 28, £ 1. 



Julis aygula, Riipp. Atl. Fische, p. 25, t. vi, f . 3. 



Julis semipunctatus, Rupp. N. W. Fische, p. 12, t. iii, f. 3. 



Labrus awreo-maculatus, Bennett, Fish. Ceylon, p. 20, pi. xx. 



Julis Ruppellii, Bennett, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1831, p. 128. 



Julis cingulvm, Cuv. and Val. xiii, p. 428 ; Bleeker, Beng, en Hind. p. 52. 



Julis gibbifrons, Quoy and Gaim. Voy. Astrol. Poiss. p. 707, t. xix, f. 3. 



Julis coris, Cuv. and Val. xiii, p. 491. 



ChloricMhys aygula, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 232. 



Goris ciMgulmn, Giinther, Catal. iv, p. 203 ; Klunz. Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1871, p. 639. 



Tik-girawah, Cingalese. 



B. vi, D. ^, P. 14, V. 1/5,' A. ■^, C. 15, L. 1. 60, L. tr. 6/28. 



Length of head 3f to 4, of caudal 7^, height of body 3J to 4 in the total length. JSyes— small in the 

 adult, a prominent knob on the dorsal profile above them, tipper lip broad, with folds, and not continuous with 

 the lower one which is pendant. Teeth — a posterior canine if present small and mostly concealed. Fins— 

 anterior dorsal spines elevated in the adult : ventrals elongated : caudal rounded. Golours — the immature 

 have the head and anterior part of the body olive brown, occasionally with two brown blotches, also 

 small blue spots over the head, and a black spot on the opercle : a black axillary spot, a pale cross band opposite 

 the end of the pectoral, behind which the colours are bufi", sometimes with red or brown blotches on the back 

 and free portion of the tail. Vertical fins brown with Islack spots and white edges, or with a wide yellow; 

 margin. The adult darkish or deep green, occasionally two or three red angular bands across the neck : the 

 edges of the preopercle sometimes red, a blue mark on the extremity of the opercle. Sometimes a light vertical 

 band on the body from the last two dorsal spines to the vent. Vertical fins greenish, vnth a red intermarginal 

 band, and sometimes oblique red blotches along the base. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, seas of India, New Hebrides. 



Genus, 15 — Ctmolutbs, Giinther. 

 Xyriehthys, sp. Cuv. and Val. 



BroMchiostegals six : body oblong, compressed. Snout rather elevated. Anterior teeth free ; no posterior 

 camme. A single dorsal Jim, with less spines (9) tham, rays (12-14) ; anal with two or three spines, and an equal 

 nwnber of rays to the soft dorsal. Scales small, no enlarged row at base of ccmdalfin. LateraUline interrupted. 



