ON THE ICHTHYOLOGY OF THE SEAS OF CHINA AND JAPAN. 223 



Myripristes pralinus, C. et V. iii. p. 170 et vii. p. 486. Bad. D. 10|13 ; 

 A. 4-|ll ; C. 19|; V. 1|7. 



A Canton specimen was presented to the British Museum by John Reeves, Esq. 

 Hab. Coasts of China. Canton. 



Holocentrum spinosissimum, Temm. ct Schl. F. J. p. 22; Icon. Reeves, 

 84; Hardw. Acanth. 84. Holocenire a bande blanche, Lacep. iv. p. 372, 

 373 ? Chinese name, Tseuen Keun Kea, " Tseang Keun's armour ;" 

 "TseangKeun is a military officer" (Reeves); Tseung kwankdp (Bridgem. 

 Chrest. 93). Bad. B. 8 ; D. 11|13 ; A. 4|7, &c. 



Mr. Reeves's Canton specimen is deposited in the British Museum. Lacepede, on the 

 authority of Japanese drawings, named one species of this genus Holocentre a bande blanche, 

 and another Holocentre blanc-rouge. On the supposition that the only two Holocentra which 

 I have met with in collections of Chinese fish are the same two which frequent the seas of 

 Japan, I have considered his bande blanche as identical with the spinosissimum of the ' Fauna 

 Japonica,' because of its white stripes. Our enumeration of the fin- rays differs from that 

 recorded in the work in question ; but it is difficult in this genus, without dissection, to distin- 

 guish between entire rays and branches, especially of the anal fin, and two observers will 

 scarcely reckon alike. Caudal and anal yellow, the front of latter and sides of former red. 

 Edge of dorsal yellow. 



Hah. Coasts of Japan and China. 



Holocentrum albo-rubrum, Lacep. iv. p. 372; Icon. Reeves, a. 19; 

 Hardw. Acanth. 83. Chinese name, Kin lin kea, " Scaly metallic armour" 

 (Reeves) ; Kam lun kdp (Bridgem. Chrest. 94). Bad. B. 8 ; D. 11|14; 

 A. 4|9; P. 1|12, &c. 



For the reason given above I have referred this Chinese fish to the species named by Lace- 

 pede. Specimens from Canton exist in the British Museum, presented by John Reeves, Esq., 

 and in the museum of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, by the Rev. George Vachell. 

 There are also examples of it in the Chinese collection at Hyde Park. Cuvier was inclined 

 to think that the Japanese painting referred to by Lacepede, was a representation of H. ori- 

 entate, but a careful examination of the specimens causes me to doubt the correctness of this 

 opinion and to have recourse to Lacepede's prior appellation. 



The infraorbitar chain is finely fringed and unequally toothed throughout, the anterior 

 point of the preorbitar being armed by one strong curved tooth followed by five or six small 

 conical ones, differing in appearance from the rest, which are more setaceous. Interoperculum 

 armed by six or seven teeth, the posterior three being largest. Ribs or longitudinal streaks 

 of operculum ending in four or five slender points ; the two spines strong and slightly diver- 

 gent. Vertical edge of preoperculum strongly toothed above the thick, smooth spine ; under 

 edge also toothed ; the disc smooth. Under jaw and maxillaries streaked in two directions. 

 Temporal plate streaked and toothed. Posterior frontal rusticated ; from seven to ten striae on 

 each side of the hind head ; supra-scapular and scapula finely toothed and furrowed. An acute 

 tooth of the nasal bone overlies the edge of the intermaxillary ; and there are streaks and a 

 small tooth on the supra-axillary plate of the coracoid bone ; thirty-seven scales on lateral 

 line. There is none of the yellow colour on the fins which the preceding species shows. 



Hab. Seas of China and Japan. 



Fam. SlLLAGINIDiE. 



Sill ago japonica, Temm. et Schl. F. J. 23. pi. 10. f. 1 ; Icon. Reeves, 

 p. 40 ; Hardw. Acanth. 3. Chinese name, Sha tswan, '* Sand spear" 

 (Reeves); Sha tsiln (Bridgem. Chrest. 202). Bad. B. 5 ; D. 11|-1|22; 

 A. 3|21, &c. 



John Reeves, Esq. and the Rev. George Vachell brought specimens from Canton, which 

 are deposited in the British Museum and with the Cambridge Philosophical Institution. The 

 numbers of rays, as given above, correspond with the figure but not the text of the ' Fauna Ja- 

 ponica.' They were reckoned in one of Mr. Vachell's specimens. The second spine of the 

 first dorsal is rather taller than the first, and the curve of the lateral line is exaggerated in 

 Mr. Reeves's drawing. 



Fam. Scl/enid.e. 



Sclena japonica, Temm. et Schl. F. J. p. 58. pi. 54. f. 1. 



Hab. Sea of Japan. 



