228 report — 1845. 



135. Chinese name, Pih loo, " White loo fish" (Reeves, Birch); Pak lo 

 (Bridgem. Chrest. 135). Bad, D. 11|14; A. 3|8 ; C. 17f; P. 16; V. 1|5. 

 Mr. Reeves's China specimen is in the British Museum. It greatly resembles nageb, but 

 has a more convex profile, and differs in its markings. It has a row of seven roundish dark 

 spots or short transverse bars along the back above the lateral line, in which respect it differs 

 from P. guoraca, whose form is not dissimilar. No pores were detected on the lower jaw. 

 The teeth on the jaws are villiform, the dental surface being narrower on the upper jaw, and 

 bounded by an outer row of short subulate teeth. The roof of the mouth is toothless. Space 

 round the nostrils and jaws nacry ; all the opercular pieces and the cheek scaly. Disc of pre- 

 operculum broad, its outline parabolic and its posterior edge toothed, the teeth being more 

 remote at the corner. The figure, which is otherwise a good representation of the specimen, 

 does not bring the curve of the preoperculum far enough back. A band of small scales crosses 

 the nape from one scapula to the other ; the second anal is longer and stronger than the 

 third one. This species is similar in its markings to Mesoprion johnii, Bl. 318, but the spe- 

 cimen has no vomerine nor palatine teeth. (C. et V.) 



Hab. Canton. 



Pristipoma japonicum, C. et V. v. p. 288 ; Temm. et Schl. F. J. p. 60. 

 pi. 26. f. 2 ; Icon. Reeves, 202 ; Hardw. Acanth. 71. Chinese name, Hae 

 tseih (Birch); Hae tseik (Reeves), "Sea-tsaou;" Hoi tsik (Bridgem. 

 Chrest. 223). Japanese name, Jousaki (Langsdorff). Had. D. 15|16 ; 

 A. 3|7 ; P. 17, &c. (Chin. Spec. Brit. Mus.) 



The figure in the ' Fauna Japonica' represents a fish with a considerably lower body than 

 the Chinese, which we have referred to that species on account of its agreement in all other 

 respects with the characters of the species. The British Museum received a Chinese specimen 

 from John Reeves, Esq. Second and third anal spines equal and striated. The scales are small. 



Hab. Coasts of China and Japan. 



Pristipoma ? chloronotum, Richardson. Icon. Reeves, 231 ; Hardw. 

 Acanth. 77. Chinese name, Tsing pel cha, " Green-backed tseu fish" 

 (Birch) ; Ching keae Iso (Reeves). Bad. D. 12|22 vel 23 ; A. 3|12 ; &c. 

 (from the drawing.) 



Of this fish we have seen no specimen. It has the thickish lips and preoperculum of a 

 Pristipoma and the even dorsal of Pr. japonicum. The scales are larger than in that species, 

 and the second anal spine is conspicuously longer and stronger than the third one. A greenish- 

 gray tint, approaching where most intense to olive-green, pervades the upper parts of the 

 body and the vertical fins, being deepest on the discs of the scales, which have silvery mar- 

 gins. The sides are paler and are glossed by auricula-purple, and the lips, cheeks, and pectoral 

 and ventral fins are lavender-purple without spots anywhere. 



Hab. Seas of China. Canton. 



Pristipoma ? gallinaceum, Richardson. Icon. Reeves, (3. 22 ; Hardw. 

 Acanth. 44. Chinese name, Keyu, " Fowl-fish" (Reeves, Birch). Bad. 

 D. 14|18; A. 2?|7, &c. (from the figure.) 



Of this also I have seen no specimen : judging from the figure, it seems to approach 

 Pr. japonicum, but its scales are larger and its dorsal more notched. Its lower fins are orange 

 and its caudal lobes tipped with carmine, the body generally silvery and the fins unspotted. 

 It is possible that this may be the Hcsmulon mentioned by Dr. Cantor as frequenting the 

 estuary of the Peiho. It has carmine blotches on the lips like Hcemulon. 



Hab. China seas. Canton. 



Pristipoma ? grammopcecilum, Richardson. Icon. Reeves, a. 9 ; Hardw. 

 Acanth. 56. Chinese name, Zuen chin Id, " Soft-mouthed la fish" 

 (Birch); Quen shin la, "Flexible-finned lap" (Reeves); Un shan lap 

 (Bridgem. Chrest. 96). Bad. D. 14|20; A. 3|9 vel 10, &c. (from the 

 figure.) 



This fish has a different physiognomy from any of the preceding ones, and we cannot assign 

 it to a genus with confidence, from not having seen a specimen. It has the even dorsal of 

 Pr. japonicum, but much larger scales, which are silvery. The cheeks and side of the head 



