FISHES. 27 



the fish, caudal included. The thickness of the body scarcely exceeds one-third of its height, 

 and this again is more exactly one-third of the length. The upper margins of the orbits 

 are prominent but obtuse, rendering the space between them concave. The width of this is 

 rather less than a diameter of the orbit. The line of the closed mouth descends with a 

 moderate curvature, and does not extend backwards beyond the front of the eye. The teeth 

 on both jaws are disposed in dense villiform bands, with an exterior row of stouter subulate 

 ones, not rising much above the general surface, nor very regular. There is a stout conico- 

 subulate canine on the front of each premaxillary at some distance from the symphyses, and 

 a somewhat more slender one on the anterior third of the mandible. Between these and the 

 symphyses, above and below, thei-e are several smaller subulate teeth in the exterior row. The 

 prominent chevron of the vomer is covered with fine, short, villiform teeth ; the palate-bones 

 and tongue are toothless. The height of the preorbitar does not quite equal the diameter of 

 the orbit, its disk is uneven, and its edge entire. The rest of the suborbitar chain is narrow. 

 The large cheek is covered by six oblique rows of scales, intermixed with numerous much smaller 

 scales. It is bounded posteriorly by the curved preoperculum, which is entire on its lower 

 third, and finely and equally toothed on the edge above. The opercular scales are larger, but 

 are also mixed with minute ones. The bony operculum ends in an obtuse corner, beneath 

 which the bone is rounded off. Very small, densely crowded scales cover the interoperculum, 

 lirubs of the mandible, temples, and interorbital space, but there are none on the maxillary. 

 Forty-six rows of scales exist between the upper angle of the gill-opening and base of the 

 caudal. The lateral line runs parallel to the back, bounding the upper third of the height, 

 and is traced by a series of small, short tubes, as well as by the rows of scales beneath it 

 being more oblique than the upper rows. Length, 5 inches. 



Hab. Otaheite. Mauritius. Cape of Good Hope. 



Solander mentions a variety in the following terms : — 



"Pahulhu toeo, A. 167, no. 6. Perca areata varietas absque area laterali. Piscis 

 e purpureo-cinereus. Corpus immaadatum. Caput naresque omnino uti in antecedente. Iris 

 ex argenteo exius rubicundo, intus lutea. Pinna dorsalis antice e pallide-miniato, viridi- 

 nebulosd ; postice basi rubescens ; medio glauca, apice flavescens. Pinnae pectoralis corpore 

 concolores immaculatce. Pinnce ventrales et ani fuscescentes. Pinna caudalis radiis luteis. 

 Piscis idem cum antecedente eodem die capitis." 



APERIOPTUS PICTORIUS, Bichardson. 



Radii.— D. 13; A. 11; C. 18i|; P. 11 ; V. 9. 



Plate X. Fig. 4-5. 



Of this fish I can give no details. There were two specimens which I unfortunately 

 placed in the hands of the artist before I had examined them, except very cursorily. While 

 he was employed in sketching, he put them into a plateful of water for the purpose of ex- 



