FAMILY, I— VERCIDM. 73 



B. vii, D. TJlfr, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 17, L. r. VSW> L - tr - 8 " 9 / 18 > Ca8C - PF 1 - 5 " 6 - 



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

 of length of head, 1 to 1J diameters from end of snout, and 1 apart. Upper profile of head somewhat 

 rounded : jaws of about equal length. The maxilla reaches to below the front edge or first third of the orbit. 

 Vertical margin of preopercle oblique, angle rounded, serrated in its whole extent, its two or three lowest 

 serrations the strongest : horizontal limb entire, as are also the sub- and inter-opercles. Shoulder-bone serrated. 

 Teeth — villiform in jaws, the outer row being slightly the largest. Fins — dorsal interspinous membrane 

 moderately notched, the spines slender, the fifth the highest and half as long as the head. Pectoral as long as 

 the head without the snout. Second anal spine stronger than, but not quite so long as the third, which equals 

 4/11 of the height of the body : caudal forked in its last third. Colours — they much resemble those of a Thereupon, 

 purplish on the back becoming dirty white on the abdomen, a golden band from the occiput to the end of the 

 base of the soft dorsal : a second from the shoulder passes along the lateral-line to be lost on the summit of the 

 free portion of the tail : a third from the eye to the middle of the caudal fin : a dark mark at the upper third 

 of the opercle : dorsal interspinous membrane covered with fine black spots, outer edge and also that of the 

 caudal and anal stained grey : many fine dots over the head and body. 



Variety. — At Aden I procured a variety of this species, which was nearly black, from the numerous dark 

 spots all over it. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, along the Meckran coast, and very common at Kurrachee in Sind : attaining at least 

 6 inches in length. 



2. Pristipoma olivaceum, Plate XIX, fig. 1. 



B. vii, D. if, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. tV, C. 17, L. 1. 55, L. r. ff, L. tr. 9/15, Ceec. pyl. 6. 



Length of head 4/15 to 1/4, of caudal 2/11 to 1/6, height of body 3/10 to 1/3 of the total length. Eyes— 

 diameter 2/7 to 1/4 of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and lj apart. Dorsal profile more convex 

 than that of the abdomen : body compressed. The maxilla reaches to below the posterior nostrd or even 

 front edge of the eye. Vertical Kmb of preopercle emarginate, its angle rounded, and the whole strongly 

 serrated : a deep groove below and behind the symphysis of the lower jaw and two open pores. Teeth — villiform 

 in both jaws : the outer row rather the largest. Fins — dorsal spines, the fourth the highest and equal to half 

 the length of the head, the interspinous membrane notched. Pectoral pointed and nearly as long as the head : 

 second anal spine the strongest, and nearly as long as the third which equals the eighth of the dorsal fin. 

 Caudal emarginate. Scales — in oblique rows above and horizontal ones below the lateral-line. Ccecal 

 appendages — six which are rather long and enlarged at their extremities. Colours — olive-grey, the head glossed 

 with purple, a large black blotch bordered in front with yellow at the upper angle of the opercle : pectoral 

 yellow, as is also the ventral in its front half, whilst its posterior portion is black with a white edge : the other 

 fins stained with blackish and having fine deep brown dots. Eyes golden. 



Habitat. — Coasts of Beloochistan and Sind, attaining at least a foot in length (the specimen figured is a 

 little over 8 inches long). It appears to be common during the cold months. 



3. Pristipoma furcatum, Plate XIX, fig. 2. 

 Grammistes furcatus, Bl. Schn. p. 187, t. 43. 



Perca paikeeli, Russell, Fish. Vizag. ii, p. 16, pi. 121. 



Pristipoma paikeeli, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 259 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 74 ; Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen. xxiii, Seism. 

 p. 20 ; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 292. 



Pristipoma furcatum, Bleeker, Revis. Pristipoma, 1873, p. 304, (not Agass). 

 Paikeeli, Tel. : Kullu-korahe, Tarn. 



B. vii, D. '«', P. 17, V. 1/5, A. ¥ ! ¥ , C. 17, L. 1. 55-60, L. tr. 7/18. 



Length of head from 1/4 to 4/17, of caudal 1/6, height of body 1/3 of the total length. Eyes— diameter 

 from 3| to 4j in length of head, from 1 to If diameters from end of snout and also apart. A deep groove under the 

 symphysis of the lower jaw and two open pores. The maxilla reaches to below the anterior nostril. Preopercle 

 serrated, most strongly so at its somewhat produced angle. Teeth — in villiform rows, with an outer enlarged one 

 in the upper jaw, and a slightly enlarged one in the lower jaw. Fins — third or fourth dorsal spine the highest 

 and equal in length to the head behind the middle of the eye, or 2f in the height of the body, every alternate 

 one being broader. Pectoral a little longer than the head : ventral does not reach the anal. Second anal spine 

 much the strongest and also the longest, being higher than the fourth of the dorsal fin and about 1/2 as high as 

 the body : caudal notched. Colours — sdvery with six horizontal brownish-black bands, darkest externally, three 

 of which are above the lateral-line : spinous portion of the dorsal fin with three rows of brown spots and a dark 

 edge : upper half of soft dorsal dark : a dark band along the anal. 



Bloch Schneider's specimen, a little over 7 inches in length, is still preserved in the Berlin Museum, 

 leaving no doubt as to its identity with the paikeeli of Russell. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. The specimen figured is 6 inches long and from Madras, 

 there is a stuffed one from the same locality in the India Museum, 11 inches in length. 



4. Pristipoma hasta, Plate XIX, fig. 3, and 4 (young f ). 

 Lutjanus hasta, Bl. t. 246, f. 1. 



