202 report— 1845. 



membrane is convexly curved. The skin is covered with small scales which are each com- 

 posed of a dozen or more minute spines that appear to stand out on every side, but the 

 skin feels rough only when the finger is drawn towards the head. These scales do not appear 

 to differ in size on any part of the head or body when viewed by the naked eye, but on the 

 lateral parts of the tail the numerous spines of each scale are seen through a lens to be replaced 

 by one, two, or three fine recurved bristles. All the fin-rays are rough, with minute points, 

 and the dorsal is armed on each side by a row of pretty strong recurved spinous teeth, its front 

 being rough like the other rays. The small trigger-ray in its axilla can be detected only by 

 dissection. The point of the pelvic bone is a knob set with spines somewhat coarser than 

 those of the scales. The pectoral fin is small and the gill-opening does not descend below 

 the base of its first ray. There is no peculiarity in the scales which border this opening. The 

 colour, after maceration in spirits, is purplish-gray, with about twelve interrupted horizontal 

 dark lines on the body, running from the head to the caudal fin. There are also some spots 

 on the face. No lateral line can be detected. There are two dark vertical bands on the 

 caudal. This species is readily distinguished from M. bifilamentosus and chinensis by the 

 want of the strong curved caudal spines, and from M.japonicus by the profile, the form of the 

 scales and dewlap, and by the horizontal dark streaks. It differs from the monoceros of Os- 

 beck (Voy. i. p. 173) in the anal rays being only thirty-four instead of fifty-one. Indeed I be- 

 lieve that the species alluded to by Osbeck, and also his scriptus (p. 174), are referrible to the 

 Aleuteres mentioned below. Length of the specimen 5 inches. Height of body 2^ inches. 

 Hab. Coasts of Hong Kong. 



Aleuteres ljevis, Bl. 414. (Balistes), Richardson, Ichth. of Sulph. Voy. 

 p. 131. pi. 61. f. 3. Balistes monoceros, Solander; Icon. Parkins. No. 64, 

 Bib. Banks. Balistes scriptus, Osbeck, i. p. 174, Engl. tr. ? 

 Hab. China seas? Canary islands. Caribbean sea. 



Aleuteres berardi, Lesson, Voy. de la Coq. Ichth. p. 107. pi. 7 ; Richard- 

 son, Voy. of Sulph. p. 132. pi. 61. f. 1 ; Icon. Reeves, 173 ; Hardw. Cart. 

 34. Chinese name, Sha mong, "Sand dog" (Reeves); Ska mang 

 (Bridgem. Chrest. 49). 



Specimens were brought from China by Sir Edward Belcher. 

 Hab. Seas of China and New Guinea. 



Triacanthus biaculeatus, Bl. 148. f. 2. {Balistes), Cuv. Regn. An. ii. 

 p. 374 ; Icon. Reeves, A. 24 ; Hardw. Cart. 36. Chinese name, Pe yang 

 (Birch) ; Po pe yang, " Naked skin" (Reeves) ; Moh pe yeang (Bridgem. 

 Chrest. 48). 



Specimens of this exist in the Chinese collection at Hyde Park, the British Museum, and 

 the museum at Haslar. Examples from different localities vary in the comparative height of 

 the body and a little in the distribution of the black marks. An Indian example has a broad 

 black stripe on the preorbitar. 



Hab Seas of China, the Malay archipelago, Australia, and the Indian ocean. 



Ordo Lophobranchii. 

 Fam. Syngnathidje. 

 Syngnathus hardwickii, Gray, Hardw. 111. pi. 89. f. 3. 



Dried specimens, tied up in bundles, are brought in numbers from China, and many exam- 

 ples exist in the British and Haslar Museums. 



Hab. Seas of China and India. 



Syngnathus biaculeatus, Bl. 121. f. 1, 2; Bl. Schn. p. 515. t. 1. 



Hab. Seas of China and the Philippines; and the Indian ocean. Spec. Br. Mus. 



Other species inhabit the Chinese seas, but we have not yet had time to determine what 

 they are. 



Fam. PEGASIDiE. 



Pegasus laternarius, Cuv. Regn. An. ii. p. 364. in notis. 



Common in the Chinese insect-boxes. Many examples in the British Museum and at 

 Haslar Hospital. 

 Hab. Sea of China and Japan. 



