FAMILY, I— PERCID^. 47 



points. Sometimes there is a very indistinct interopercular swelling. Teeth — large canines in the premaxillaries, 

 an outer row of curved canine-like teeth in either jaw, villiform ones in a triangular spot on the vomer, which 

 patch may he produced posteriorly in the median line, a similar narrow band on the palatines, and in a band 

 pointed behind rounded anteriorly on the tongue (in a specimen 11 inches long). Fins — dorsal spines of moderate 

 strength, the fourth being the longest, and equal to two-thirds of the length of the head, from it they gradually 

 decrease to the last which is two-thirds as high as the first ray, whilst the soft portion is slightly lower than 

 the third spine : pectoral nearly as long as the head : second anal spine a little the strongest, but not quite so 

 long as the third which equals the length of the eye : caudal lunated. Scales — in oblique and sinuous rows above 

 the lateral-line as far as the end of the dorsal fin, beyond which as well as below the lateral-line they are 

 horizontal. Colours — yellowish-red along the back, becoming rosy below the lateral-line : olive stripes follow 

 each row of scales above the lateral-line and brilliant yellow ones those below it. Fins orange, dorsal, anal, and 

 tips of caudal margined with white. Sometimes, but not invariably (especially at Madras), a broad black band 

 passes from the eye to above the centre of the caudal fin, and in such specimens the olive stripes in the upper 

 third of the body are nearly black. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, and beyond. The specimen figured is 7 inches in 

 length. 



27, Lutianus Madras, Plate XIV, fig. 3. 



Lutianus lutianus, Bl. t. 245 ; Bl. Schn. p. 324; Bleeker, Lutjani, p. 27, and Atl. Ich. Perc. t. xxxvi, f. 3. 

 Lutjanus Blochii, Lacep. iv, pp. 178, 210.* 



Mesoprion lutjanus, Ouv. and Val. ii, p. 479 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 37. 



Mesoprion Madras, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 446 ; Bleeker, Perc. p. 44 ; Guntker, Catal. i, p. 200 ; Day, Fish. 

 Malabar, p. 14. 



? Lutjanus rangus, Bleeker, Bali, p. 154, Atl. Ich. Perc. t. xxi, fig. 3, Lutjani, p. 59. 



B. vii, D. ^l, P. 16, V. 1/5, A. ¥ ?s, C. 17, L. 1. 50, L. r. |f, L. tr. 6/16. 



Length of head 2/7, of caudal 1/6, height of body 1/3 to 2/7 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 1/3 to 

 2/7 of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and 2/3 of a diameter apart. The depth of the preorbital 

 equals about half the length of the eye : dorsal profile more convex than that of the abdomen. The maxilla 

 reaches to below the front third of the orbit. Vertical limb of preopercle not emarginate, its angle slightly pro- 

 duced and rounded having an oblique lower limb, the whole being serrated, most coarsely so at its angle : no 

 interopercular knob : opercle with two points, the lower most distinct. Teeth — rather large curved canines in 

 the upper jaw, and an outer row of curved canine-like teeth in either jaw : villiform ones on the palate either in 

 a lanceolate patch or else in a triangular spot prolonged posteriorly in the median line : in a band on the 

 palatines, also a patch on the tongue. Fins — dorsal spines moderately strong, increasing in length to the fourth, 

 which equals that of the postorbital portion of the head, they subsequently decrease to the last which is rather 

 above half the same length : soft portion of the fin rotmded, its height being equal to one-third of the length of 

 its base, and being much lower than the spinous. Pectoral pointed, nearly as long as the head but not reaching 

 to above the anal spines : ventral reaches two-thirds of the distance to the anal spines, the second of which is as 

 strong as the third but slightly shorter, its length not being quite equal to the diameter of the eye ; soft portion 

 of the fin as high in front as it is long at its base, its last ray half the height of its first, lower edge of the fin 

 straight : caudal emarginate. Scales — in oblique rows above and horizontal ones below the lateral-line, they 

 extend forwards to between the centre of the orbits. Colours — roseate, with oblique line above the lateral-line,, 

 but which to below the first four dorsal spines are sinuous, below the lateral-line the sides and abdomen are 

 yellow, with narrow red horizontal bands. One specimen captured December 1869, had a lateral band as seen 

 in L. vitta. 



Bleeker's figure of L. rangus appears to resemble this fish, but the upper surface of the head is said to 

 be scaleless. 



Habitat. — From the Seychelles through the Indian seas to the Malay Archipelago, attaining about a foot 

 in length. 



28. Lutianus decussatus, Plate XIV, fig. 4. 



Mesoprion decussatus, Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 487 ; Bleeker, Perc. p. 43; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 210; Kner, 

 Novara Fische, p. 34. 



Mesoprion therapon, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 514. 

 Lutjanus decussatus, Bleeker, Ternate, p. 233, and Lutjani, p. 79. 



B. vii, D. -i-i^, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. §, C. 17, L. 1. 50-54, L. r. S H», L. tr. 6-7/17, Case. pyl. 3. 



Length of head 4/15 to 2/7, of caudal 1/6, height of body 1/3 to 2/7 of the total length. Byes — diameter 

 1/4 to " 2/9 of length of head, 1^ diameter from end of snout, and nearly 1 apart. Snout pointed, lips rather 

 thick : depth below the orbit to edge of the upper jaw equal to 1 diameter of the eye.. The maxilla reaches 



* Laeepede describes his fish, p. 178, as having D. -fV, and the general colour white: the back yellowish, and above the lateral- 

 line blue transverse bands, &c, he subsequently, p. 210, considers his fish identical with Bloch's. 



