20. 



LABRUS AUREO-MACULATUS. 



— Law> o^^^J^^- 



Order, Thoracic. 



Native Name, § 2d\ cf? CftJl Tik-Girawah. 



L. aureo-maculatus. Body light brown, inclining to yellow, a white line 

 vertically passing from the back to the commencement of the anal fin : from this 

 white division to the snout there are numerous black spots, those on the plates 

 of the head surrounded by a circle of blue, and on the other side of the white 

 division on the back there are three brilliant orange spots, diminishing towards 

 the caudal fin, which, with the anal and dorsal fins, are variously spotted with 

 black, and marked with a yellow band on their extremities. It is a beautiful 

 species, and thence called in Ceylon the Spotted-parrot. Lateral line very 

 visible, bow-shaped, convexing under the 16th ray of the dorsal fin, and thence 

 extending in a slightly curved line to the sixth or seventh ray of the caudal fin. 



Branchiostegous rays 5. Dorsal 21, nine spinous. Pectoral IS. Ventral 6, 

 one spinous. Anal 15, three spinous. Caudal 15. 



The Tik-Girawah of the Cingalese is so rarely taken on the southern 

 coast of Ceylon, although it delights in rocky situations, that it is but 

 occasionally eaten by the natives, and at particular seasons is con- 

 sidered unwholesome. It has been known to attain the length of 

 eighteen inches. It belongs to the genus Julis of Cuvier, but is one 

 of the section with the first ray of the dorsal fins short. 



Figure — The size of the Specimen, 

 i 



