250 report— 1845. 



head, the prominent curve of its belly, and the thickness of the trunk of its tail. The under- 

 lip is shown as shutting in under the snout, and the form of the preorbitar is not so di- 

 stinctly denned as to enable us to place the species in its proper group. The height of the 

 body is contained three times and a half in the total length, caudal included. The back is 

 little elevated but is angular in profile, which rises in a gentle and slightly concave slope 

 from the point of the snout to the first dorsal. From thence to the second dorsal the line is 

 horizontal ; and the rest of the upper profile to the base of the caudal is slightly concave. 

 The under curve is boldly convex to the anus, from whence to the caudal the ascent is con- 

 siderable and the curve concave. The second dorsal commences one-third of the length be- 

 hind the beginning of the anal, and extends as far beyond it. The space between the anal 

 and caudal exceeds the length of the anal. The caudal is acutely but not deeply notched. 



On the back and upper part of the sides the discs of the scales are pale grass-green, their 

 margins silvery, and the whole lower parts are pearly and silvery. The tubes of the scales 

 are strongly marked down to the middle of the sides, producing rows. The mouth is hya- 

 cinth-red, the fore part of the gill-cover is buff-orange, and there is a patch of bright Berlin- 

 blue at the upper angle of the gill-opening. The pectoral is dark brownish olive-green ; the 

 first dorsal red lilac-purple; the second dorsal and caudal mountain-green, the notch of the 

 latter being edged with plum-purple ; the membrane of the anal is pale mountain-green, its 

 rays and a streak at its base being white. The rays of the ventrals are also opake, white, with 

 some carmine streaks on their tips, and the membrane is pale blue. 



Hab. Chinese sea. Canton. 



Fam. Anabantidje. 



Anabas scandens, Daldorf (Perca), Lin. Tr. iii. p. 62 ; C. et V. vii. p. 325 ; 



Cantor, Ann. Nat. Hist. ix. p. 28. Anthias testudineus, Bl. 322. Amphi- 



prion testudineus et scansor, Bl. Schn. p. 204. Cepkalopholis, id. p. 570. 



Lutjan tortile, Lacep. iv. p. 192 et 235. L. grimpeur, ibid. p. 195 et 239. 



Coius cobojius, Buch. Ham. pi. 13. f. 33. 



Hab. Chusan. Streamlets and canals (Dr. Cantor). Malacca. Celebes. Java. Indian 

 peninsula. 



Polyacanthus chinensis, Bloch, 218, f. 1 (Chcetodon) ; C. et V. vii. p. 

 357. Chetodon chinois, Lacep. i v. p. 461 et 496. 

 Hab. China. 



Polyacanthus ? paludosus, Descript. of Animals, Banks, Lib. MSS. No. 

 84, p. 167. fig. 101 (Labrus). Bad. B. 5 ; D. 7|8 ; A. 17|6; P. 10; V. 

 1|6. (Lib. citat.) 



The anonymous author of the book quoted above has given a pen-and-ink sketch of a 

 small fish taken by him in the ditches and stagnant pools of Danes Island in the river at 

 Canton, and named by him Labrus paludosus. Broussonnet has referred it to the L. opercu- 

 laris of Linnseus, but we think erroneously, as the numbers of the rays do not agree, the spines 

 of the dorsal in particular differing widely. It seems to be either a Polyacanthus or Macro- 

 podus, and it differs from the described species of the latter in its cuneate tail and in the tips 

 of the other two vertical fins being less elongated. Its form is oblong-linear; the height 

 being contained five or six times in the total length ; the head obtuse in profile, and the 

 mouth at mid-height and terminal. The body tapers slightly to the semi-oval end of the 

 tail, which is embraced by the pointed caudal. Body compressed and scaly, the back narrow. 

 The second ray of the ventrals is stated to be very long by the author, but his figure repre- 

 sents it as not reaching beyond the anterior third of the anal. The colour is olive-green with 

 ten transverse yellow bars, and there is a dark mark on the upper part of the gill-cover near 

 its edge. 



Hab. Canton. 



Polyacanthus? opercularis, Lin. (Labrus), Ammcen. Acad. iv. p. 428. 

 "Bad. D. 12|8; A. 15|13; C. 16; V. l|5." (Linn.) 



This fish is described as having its body extended nearly in form of a parallelogram with 

 the soft rays of the dorsal and anal longer than the spines, and the ventrals with a thread-like 

 point. The body is shining with more than ten cross brown bars, the head spotted above, 

 and the tip of the gill-cover marked by a dark brown spot. 



Hab. China. 



The Labrus linearis of Lin., Am. Acad. i. p. 597, is considered by Cuvier as belonging 



