41 6 APPENDIX. 



rays of aU the fins, except those of the caudal, are simple. How- 

 ever this may be, the species he describes is at once distin- 

 guished from the last, as well as from the volitans of Cuvier, 

 by the above strong specific differences. 



In other respects, it seems'to have all the genuine characters of form, &c., 

 belonging to both, as well as, in a less degree, to the Indian species. If 

 Bloch's figure is correct, the back, adjoining the base of the dorsal fins, is 

 marked by a row of prickles, similar to those usually seen in the genus 

 Trigla ; but this, and the structure of the rays above alluded to, is of minor 

 importance. Bloch does not mention the precise locality from whence he 

 received the specimen he has figured : but in its colouring, there is no ap. 

 pearance of those bands on the head of D. occidentalis, or of those marbled 

 markings mentioned by Cuvier as being on the volitans. It is somewhat 

 singular that IMM. Cuvier and Valenciennes have taken no notice of 

 Bloch's volitans, although they allude to two others of Klein (Miss. 4. 

 pi. 14. figs. 1. and £.;, the first of which they consider as drawn from " un 

 individu ramoUi de I'espece commune*; " and the second as " qui ne re. 

 presentait qu'un jeune dactyloptcre commun desseche." To neither of 

 these opinions can I subscribe; for although the figures and descriptions 

 are very imperfect, there seems to me sufficiently strong indications, given 

 in both, to justify us in considering them distinct from the two preceding, 

 as well as from the two known to M. Cuvier. I shall, therefore, now state 

 what appears to be their specific characters. 



DACTYLOPTERUS tentaculatus. 



Pectoral fins reaching only to the end of the dorsal; 

 head with three membranaceous appendages^ two be- 

 hind the eye, and one on the throat. | 



Cataphractus, No. 10, Klein, Miss. p. 44. pi. 14. f. 1. 



Scales on the sides of the belly and tail prominent and serrated ; hinder (?) 

 dorsal ,fin with eight strong rays. In the figure the anal fin is placed much 

 nearer the caudal than is the second dorsal; and it is clear that the pecto- 

 ral fin is naturally short, because the artist has very accurately represented 

 the peculiar curled appearance which the tips of this fin exhibit when in a 

 dried state. 



DACTYLOPTERUS fasciatus. 



Pectoral fins short, about half the total length of the 

 fish ; scales granulated. 



Corystion, 1 . Klein, Miss. 4. p. 45. pi. 1 4. f. 2. 



Of this fish Klein merely says, that it is like the last, but the body is gra- 

 nulated, and both that and the tail variegated with oblique bands : the 



* Klein's words are these: — "Appendices tres habet, membranaceas, 

 quarum binje pone oculos, tertia agula dependet." 



t It is probable that Klein has overlooked the first dorsal fin, which, in 

 this genus, is sunk in a groove ; this latter, however, is expressed in the 

 figure. 



