FISHES. 21 



The head forms one-third of the entire length of the fish ; the snout is conical, 

 and the profile in rising becomes a little gibbous at the eyes, and attains its summit in a 

 prominent point, directly over the gill-opening, from whence it is horizontal to the dorsal fin. 

 The belly is round and prominent, but apparently not capable of much distention. Posterior 

 to the anus, the compression of the tail is considerable. The space between the eyes is 

 rather concave transversely, and equals in breadth a diameter and a half of the orbit. This 

 space narrows to a point posteriorly, the summit of the dorsal line, which is an acute point of 

 bone covered by integument, forming, when viewed in front, the apex of a flat triangle. From 

 thence the back to the dorsal is ridged, but not very acutely. The snout, before the eyes, 

 is rounded, and tapers to the mouth. There is a low cutaneous seam on the mesial line of 

 the belly. The nostril is a small round opening before the eye, which is so closed by a flat 

 operculum, that when the skin is allowed to dry, it can with difficulty be discovered. The 

 dorsal is a little before the anal, and the caudal is even at the end, with the tips of the rays 

 projecting. 



The specimen in spirits has a brown colour above, and is pale or whitish beneath. The 

 snout, and cheeks are marked with numerous round, blue-eyed spots, with darker borders, 

 which fade under the pectorals, into an indistinct marbling, and entirely disappear farther 

 back. The upper parts are marked with blue lines having dark borders. Two of these 

 cross the upper surface of the snout before the nostrils, one crosses the nostrils and extends 

 from eye to eye, four others cross the inter-orbital space, and five radiate from the posterior 

 part of the orbit backwards ; there is also one beneath the eye. Many short ones undulate 

 longitudinally in the back and upper parts of the sides, and there are a few on the upper 

 surface of the tail behind the dorsal. All these will be better known by consulting the figures 

 than by description. They have much resemblance to the lines of Tetrodon mapjja of Lesson. 

 On each side of the base of the dorsal, there is a somewhat triangular black spot, with a pale 

 blue border. These spots do not touch each other in front of the dorsal, and there is a still 

 broader space between them behind. The fins are pale and transparent. Length, 2^ inches. 



Hab. Sea of China. 



BALISTES PJNGENS, Block. 



Balistes ringens, Bloch, pi. 152. f. 2. Bl. Schn. p. 472. Lacep. vol. i. p. 370. pi. 1 8. f. 1. [B. sillonne.) 

 Balistes niger, Osbeck. Voy. Bl. Schn. p. 471. 

 Balistes radula, Solander, MS. 



Eadii.— D. 3|-31 ; A. 28 ; C. 10 \; P. 16. 



Plate 6. Fig. 1-4. 



The reference to Bloch's plate 152. f. 2, is made on the authority of the Megne Animal, for 

 the figure is so bad a representation of our fish, that without the opportunity of verifying it by 

 consulting Bloch's specimens, enjoyed by Cuvier, we could not have quoted it with confidence. 



