FAMILY, I— PERCLTLE. CI 



Amia nigripinnis, Bleeker, A]:ogonini, p. 64. 



B. vii, D. 7/i, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 17, L. 1. 26, L. tr. 2^/6^-. 



Length, of head 1/3 to 3i, of caudal 2/11 to 1/5, height of body 1/3 to 3| in the total length. Eyes— 

 diameter 1/3 to 3^ in length of head, 1/2 to 2/3 of a diameter from end of snout, and 3/4 of a diameter apart. 

 No very considerable rise from the snout to the base of the dorsal fin : snout rather elevated. Lower jaw- 

 slightly the longer : the maxilla reaches to below the last third or even hind edge of the orbit. Vertical and 

 horizontal limbs of preopercle strongly and evenly serrated along their outer edges : shoulder-bone serrated. 

 Teeth — villiform in jaws, vomer, and palate, an outer slightly enlarged row in each jaw. Fins — dorsal spines 

 strong, the two first short, and the third not so high as the fourth which equals the length of the postorbital 

 portion of the head and half the height of the body below it. The pectoral does not reach the anal, but 

 the ventral does : second anal spine 1-| diameters of the eye in length : caudal rounded. Lateral-line — very slightly 

 curved : tubes distinct, having a low lateral enlargement. Colours — greyish, with a dark vertical band from in 

 front of the base of the first dorsal which passes backwards and downwards, increasing in width, and is lost 

 below the whole length of the pectoral fin : a second goes from the base of the second dorsal to the lateral-line, 

 and a third over the free portion of the tail. No black spots or streaks on the head, vertical fins black except the 

 caudal, which is yellow and has a dark edge. 



Cuv. and Val. type specimen is in excellent preservation in Paris, and identical with the above. 



Habitat. — Madras, where it is common ; it grows to at least 3^% inches in length. The figure is life-size. 



11. Apogon Wassinki. 



Bleeker, Timor, p. 258. 



Apogon chrysotmnia ?, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 682. 



Amia Wassinki. Bleeker, Apogonini, p. 38. 



E. vii, D. 7/i, P. 14, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 17, L. 1. 25-26, L. tr. 2/7. 



Length of head 3f to 3-J-, of caudal 4-jl to 4f , height of body 3-|- in the total length. Eyes — diameter 2f 

 to 2f in the length of head, 1/2 a diameter from the end of snout, and also apart. The width of the head at the 

 opercles equals If in the height of the body, the greatest height of the head equals its length excluding the 

 snout. Lower jaw slightly the longer, the maxilla reaches to below the middle of the eye. Vertical and 

 horizontal limbs of preopercle serrated in their outer edges, other bones of the head and shoulder entire. Teeth — 

 villiform bands in jaws, vomer, and palate. Fins — first dorsal spine short, the second half the length of the 

 third and fourth, which are the longest, and equal to 1-| in the height of the body, and 1/5 less than the longest 

 ray, the spine of the second dorsal is a little shorter than the highest in the first dorsal fin : upper edge of first 

 dorsal slightly emarginate. Pectoral 4/5 as long as the body is high. Ventral nearly reaching the anal. Second 

 anal spine equal to half the height of the body, the rays similar to those of the soft dorsal. Caudal Iobed. Lateral- 

 line — makes a gradual curve, tubes well developed and having rather distinct lateral expansions, especially in 

 the anterior portion of the body. Colours — brilliant golden with a black head. A silvery- white median band 

 exists along the top of the head, it divides, one branch proceeding along the back on either side to the 

 upper half of the tail : a second goes from above the orbit to the middle of the tail : a third through the orbit 

 to the lower half of the tail : and a fourth from the angle of the mouth to below the base of the pectoral. Fins 

 orange. 



As my largest specimen is only If inches in length it is not improbable that it is the young of some 

 species which in the more adult stage has another name. It appears to agree with Bleeker's A. Wassinki. of 

 which he procured one specimen 69'" in length. 



This fish is very common amongst the coral-reefs on the Andaman islands. As soon as the water is 

 splashed they all crowd into the coral, concealing themselves amongst its sticks, apparently afraid that the 

 splash has been occasioned by some large carnivorous fish. 



Habitat. — Andamans and Nicobars. 



12. Apogon aureus, Plate XVI, fig. 8. 



Ostorhinchus Flenrieu, Lacep. iv, p. 24, iii, t. 32, f. 2. 



Bipterodon hexacanthus, Lacep. iv, pp. 166, 168, iii. t. 30, f. 2. 



Centropomus aureus, Lacep. iv, pp. 253, 273. 



Apogon annularis, Riippell, Atl. p. 48, and N. W. Fische, p. 85 ; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 239 ; Klunz. Fisch. 

 Roth. M. p. 713. 



Apogon roseipinnis, Cuv. and Val. iii, p. 490, vi, p. 553 ; Bleeker, Amb. and Ceram. p. 253 ; Quoy and 

 Gaim. Voy. Astrol. Poissons, p. 649, pi. i, f. 5 ; Peters, Wieg. Arch. 1855, p. 234. 



Apogon aureus, Bleeker, Enum. pise. p. 6. 



Amia aurea, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. Perc. t. lix, f. 1, and Apogonini, p. 48. 



Cul-sillandan, Tarn. 



B. vii, D. 7/i P. 14, V. 1/5, A. -f, C. 17, L. 1. 25-26, L. tr. 2|/6, Case, pyl. 4. 



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

 2| in length of head, 1/2 a diameter from end of snout, and 3/4 apart. The lower jaw slightly the longer : the 



