FAMILY, I— PERCIDiB. 37 



horizontal band, and the abdomen beneath it golden : a deep black spot in the axil of the pectoral. Fins golden, 

 a light edge along the upper margin of the spinous dorsal and first five or six rays : caudal with a darkish edsre. 

 Bleeker gives the colour of the body as greenish, with eight or more yellow shining bands somewhat oblique 

 above the lateral-line and horizontal below it, also some yellow spots on the head. 



The specimen I have figured is very different in colouration from Dr. Bleeker's type, but the proportions 

 of the fish are the same, as well as the direction of the bands, which however are darker in colour, and wider. 

 The description I have given is that of my specimen. 



In the British Museum there is a very interesting specimen, 4 inches long, taken at Amboina, and received 

 from Mr. Franks, as Mesoprion chrysotoenia, young. It is of the same colour as the one I have figured, except that 

 it has a black blotch on the lateral-line from the 22nd to the 32nd scale. The proportions are much the same, 

 allowing for size, but lingual teeth are not well discernible, and its scales are as follows, L. r. -§-§, L. tr. 9/20. 



Habitat. — Nicobars, from whence the late Dr. Stoliczka brought the specimen figured (7h inches long), 

 to the Malay Archipelago. 



11. Lutianus rivulatus, Plate XI, fig. 4. 



Sparus kallee maee, Russell, Fish. Vizag. i, p. 75, pi. 96. 



Diaaope rivulata, cairuleopunctata, et alboguttata, Cuv. and Val. ii, pp. 414, 424, 445, pi. 38. 



Mesoprion myriaster, Lienard, Nat. Hist. Soc. Mauritius, 1839, p. 32. 



Mesoprion cozruleopunctatus, Bleeker, Perc. p. 169. 



I/utja/rms cosruleopunctatus, Bleeker, Amb. p. 278. 



Genyoroge rivulata et cceruleopunctata, Giinther, Catal. i, p. 182 ; Day, Fishes of Malabar, pp. 7, 9. 



Diacope rivulata, Klunz. Verh. z. b. Ges. in Wien. 1870, p. 694. 



Lutjanus rivulatus, Bleeker, Lutjani, p. 81. 



Cuhtu pirium, Tain. 



B. vii, D. if, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. J,, C. 17, L. 1. 45-50, L. r. J-& L. tr. 8/19, Case. pyl. 5. 



Length of head 3/10 to 2/7, of caudal 1/5, height of body 1/3 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 2/9 

 of length of head, 1| diameter from the end of snout, and rather above 1 apart. The maxilla reaches to below 

 the anterior edge of the orbit. Vertical limb of preopercle finely serrated even in the well-developed notch that 

 is above its angle to receive the interopercular knob : horizontal limb of preopercle more coarsely serrated in 

 its posterior portion than it is on its vertical border. Sub- and inter-opercles entire, the latter have a large 

 triangular tuberosity directed a little upwards and backwards and received into the preopercular notch. Opercle 

 with two flattened points, the lower the larger. In the very young the preopercular notch is badly formed, but 

 as the interopercular knob increases in size, it by pressure causes absorption above it and thus forms a notch in 

 the preopercular border. Teeth — one or two curved canines on either side of the premaxillaries, and an external 

 row of curved canine-like teeth in either jaw, villiform ones in a triangular spot on the vomer, a narrow band 

 on the palate, but none on the tongue. Fins — dorsal spines strong increasing in length to the third, fourth, and 

 fifth, which are equal to about one-third of the height of the body, but not quite so long as the highest of the 

 dorsal rays, they decrease in length to the last which equals two-thirds the height of the longest one : soft 

 portion of the fin angularly rounded, the ninth to the eleventh rays being the longest. Pectoral as long as the 

 head : ventral reaches the anus. Anal spines strong, especially the second which is slightly longer than the 

 third and equals the highest of the dorsal fin : soft portion of the fin angular and one-third more than that of 

 the dorsal : caudal slightly emarginate. Scales — in oblique rows above the lateral-line, and in horizontal ones 

 below it, a strongly serrated shoulder scale, and two rows of broad scales over the nape. Colours — (in the 

 immature) back olive, with a slate coloured spot in the centre of each scale, thus forming lines passing upwards 

 and backwards ; abdomen greyish with horizontal golden lines crossing the centre of each scale, and vertical 

 dark ones along their bases. Several bright blue lines pass downwards and backwards over the preopercle and 

 opercle, and two larger ones along the snout. A large white blotch on the lateral-line opposite the third to the fifth 

 soft ray, having a wide black edge anteriorly and posteriorly in its upper third. This white mark covers four 

 scales transversely, is one below and three above the lateral-line. Dorsal, slate coloured, superiorly reddish with 

 a narrow white edge : pectoral reddish : ventrals slaty with a dark edge : caudal bluish, tipped with red. 

 Generally vertical bands are more or less distinct. (In the adult) as about 15 inches in length, the mark on the 

 lateral-line becomes indistinct, the golden shade is wanting, but the blue spots remain. The white edge to the 

 fins is also usually absent. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, and beyond. 



12. Lutianus argentimaculatus, Plate XI, fig. 5. 



Scicena argentimaculata, Forsk. p. 47. 



Scioena argentata, Gmel. Linn. p. 1300. 



Perca argentata, Bl. Schn. p. 86. 



Alphestes gembra et sambra, Bl. Schn. p. 236, t. 51. 



Labrus argentatus, Lacep. iii, pp. 426, 467. 



Spams rangoo, Russell, Fish. Vizag. i, p. 74, pi. 94. 



