1004 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Oct. 



between the branched part of the rays white, and along the branches 

 minutely dotted with black ; anal and ventral fins white ; pectorals 

 white, minutely dotted with black, the apex of each ray scarlet. Iris 

 pale golden green, blackish towards the orbit ; pupil very minute, like 

 a brilliant black point. 



D 3—1/15, C 12£, A 14, V 1/5, P 18, Br. VI. 



Habit. — Sea of Pinang. 



Total length, 5\ inch. 



Except in colours and in the number of fin-rays, this species so 

 closely resembles Uranoscopus scaler, Linne, that it will be sufficient 

 to point out the differences. The eyes are vertical, and the very small 

 circular pupils are directed upwards, but the level of the orbit is some- 

 what sloping, the outer margin being lower than the inner ; the orbit 

 itself is oval, its greatest diameter, equalling the distance between the 

 eyes across the vertex, is oblique, slightly diverging forward from the 

 medial line of the vertex. The length of the head from the lower jaw 

 to the nape of the neck slightly exceeds \ of the total, but mea- 

 sured to the apex of the opercle it slightly exceeds \ of the total 

 length. The anterior process of the infraorbital bone covering the 

 maxillary, terminates in an obliquely downward pointed spine, which 

 is rugged or shagreened like the rest of the covering of the head. The 

 lips have a series of close fleshy papillae. The upper maxillary teeth 

 are in two series, of which the outer is the more minute, those in the 

 centre of the inner series are stronger than the rest ; the lower jaw 

 has on each side four or five long, distant, recurved teeth ; on the sym- 

 physis they are closer, in two series, of which the inner contains the 

 longer teeth. The four spines of the lower margin of the preopercle 

 are placed by a central interval in two pairs : an anterior, and a 

 posterior. Of the four indentations or shallow depressions of the 

 ascending margin, the uppermost is the smallest. The lower part 

 of the posterior margin of the opercle has a finely toothed appearance, 

 produced by some oblique ridges terminating there. The strong 

 vertical spine of the subopercle is on a level with the four spines of 

 the preopercle. In front of the anterior of the latter is a small broad 

 triangular spine. Between and beneath the angles of the lower 

 jaw appear on each side three forward pointed spines, of which 

 the superior, the longest, is directed obliquely downward, and touches 



