254 report — 1845. 



preoperculum uneven, but not regularly toothed ; and the operculum terminating in a flat acute 

 pungent point, with a shallow sinus above it ending in a sharp corner : a longitudinal row of 

 scales between the gill-opening and caudal contains twenty-six. The lateral line terminates 

 at the base of the last dorsal ray, and is continued lower down by a little pore in the disc of 

 each scale. The vertical fins are scaly as usual. The middle soft rays of the dorsal end in a short 

 filiform tip, and there is a corresponding acumination of the anal, but not so well marked. The 

 caudal is slightly forked with acute tips. The species differs from the members of the group 

 headed in the ' Histoire des Poissons ' by azureus, in the pointed lobes of the caudal. It has 

 lost much of its colour, and shows no traces of the dark eye-like spots which characterize the 

 majority of the group. The caudal, end of the tail and hinder parts of the dorsal and anal 

 retain a tinge of yellow ; the rest of the two latter fins appears to have been fringed with 

 black, and the fore-part generally of the fish looks dark. Length 2| inches. 



Hab. Chinese seas. Hong Kong. 



Heliases notatus, Temm. et Schl. F.J. Sieb. p. 66. "Bad. D. 13|12 vel 

 13; A. 2|13, &c; B. 5." (F.J.) 



This species has a spot behind the dorsal like Glyphisodon sordidus. 

 Hab. Japan. 



Heliases reticulatus, Richardson. Bad. D. 12|15; A. 2|13 ; C. 15£; 

 P. 17; V. I]*. (Spec.) 



The profile of this species, leaving out part of the tail, is nearly orbicular, and the bodyis 

 greatly compressed. Teeth in one row short, subulate, acute, with very minute ones behind, 

 scarcely perceptible even through a lens. Narrow preorbitar scaly, and when examined by 

 a lens, seen to be minutely toothed ; as is also the vertical limb of the preoperculum, a few 

 teeth at the corner of this bone being larger. A slight sinus in the operculum. Twenty-five 

 scales in a row between gill-cover and anus, and ten or eleven in a vertical row, the lateral 

 line being traced on the second row from the base of the dorsal. It is at first marked by a 

 single pore on the disc of each scale, and further on by a series of short tubes which terminate 

 at the end of the dorsal. Most of the posterior scales have a little pit on their discs, producing 

 the semblance of several lateral lines. We have seen only two examples of this species, which 

 were brought from China by Sir Edward Belcher. The tips of the soft rays of their vertical 

 fins are a little shortened, but the caudal is sufficiently perfect to show that it was slightly 

 notched at the end. After long maceration in spirits, the ground colour is milk-white, with 

 a well-defined pale yellowish-brown border to each scale, producing a net-work with acutely 

 elliptical meshes. The spinous dorsal and the ventrals are clouded with umber-brown. The 

 other fins retain no colour. Length 2\ inches. 



Hab. China seas (Sir E. Belcher). 



Pomacentrus nigricans, Lacepede (Holocentrus), iv. p. 332 et 367 ; 



C. et V. v. p. 425; Icon. Reeves, a. 32; Hardw. 146. Chinese name, 

 Hih yu, " Black fish " (Reeves, Birch). 



Hab. Sandwich islands and coasts of China. 



Amphiprion chrysargyrus, Icon. Reeves, a. 26; Hardw. 141. Chinese 

 name, Hae kinyu, " Silver gold fish " (Birch) ; " Sea gold fish " (Reeves). 



It has been remarked in the ' Histoire des Poissons,' that the differently coloured Amphi- 

 prions may be in many instances mere varieties of one species. As these have however been 

 described and named, it seems necessary that this one, whether species or variety, should also 

 be noted. 



The general colour appears nearly uniform, but is composed of black with orange-brown 

 and crimson, the latter colour replacing the others before the nose. The breast, pectorals and 

 ventrals are bright saffron- or king's-yellow ; a white band descends from the nape over the 

 fore part of gill-cover and edge of preoperculum, another from the posterior dorsal spines to 

 the anal region, and a third occupies the trunk of the tail between the vertical fins. These 

 three bands have a faint flesh-coloured or roseate tinge, and the first two are edged with ver- 

 digris-green. The caudal is cream-yellow without shadings or spots. The lobes of the caudal 

 are obtuse. Length 4^ inches. 



Amphiprion japonicus, Temm. et Schl. F. J. Sieb. p. 66. Bad. B. 5 ; 



D. 10|15 ; A. 2|14 ; C. 24 ; P. 19 ; V. 1|5. (Spec. Haslar Mus.) 



