FAMILY, VII— SCORP^NIDiE. 159 



rows of yellowish blotches along the back and sides, separated by a darker reticulation : fins light-coloured, 

 caudal marked as the sides of the body. 



Habitat. — The specimen figured (1\ inches long) is from Malabar ; some from Ceylon, dredged by Dr. 

 Anderson in the Galle harbour, exist in the Calcutta Museum, the largest is 2-J- inches in length. 



Genus, 11 — Minous, Cuv. and Val. 



Corytliobatus, sp. Cantor. 



BrancMostegals seven. Head large, body rather compressed : a groove across occiput. Preorbital with a strong 

 spine, preopercle likewise spinate : opercle armed. Villiform teeth on jaws and vomer, palatines edentulous. A single 

 dorsal fin with about the same number of spines as rays (D. -f%L£) : anal spines if present badly developed : pectoral 

 with a free ray at its base. Articulated fin-rays single, unbranched. Scales absent. Ccecal appendages few. 

 (A cleft behind the fourth gill.) 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Minous monodactylus, D. fV-i> P- 10+1, A. 9-11. Greyish, becoming flesh-coloured along the abdomen, 

 fins marked with black. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



1. Minous monodactylus, Plate XXXVIII, fig. 7. 



Scorpaina monodactyla, Bl. Schn. p. 195.. 

 Trigla worrah-minoo, Russell, ii, p. 44 ; fig. 149. 

 Apistus minous, Cuv. Reg. Anim. 



Minous woora, Cuv. and Val. iv, p. 421 ; Richards. Ich. China, p. 213 ; Bleeker, Sumatra, ii, p. 251. 

 Minous monodactylus, Cuv. and Val. iv, p. 424, pi. 59, f. 2 ; Bleeker, Sclerop. p. 9, and Fish. Mauritius, 

 p. 87; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 148 ; Day, Fish. Malab. p. 43. 



Apistes Russellii et monodactylus, Swains. Fish, ii, p. 265. 

 Corytliobatus woora, Cantor, Catal. p. 45. 



Minous Adamsii, Richards. Voy. Samar. Fish. p. 7, pi. 2, f. 4, 5. 

 Cul-plaachee, Tarn. 



B. vii, D. fjJi P. 10+1, V. 1/5, A. 9-11, C. 10, Cfec. pyl. 4. 



Length of head 3/10, of caudal 1/4, height of body 4/17 to 1/4 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 

 2/7 to 1/4 of the length of head, If diameters from the end of snout, and also apart. The maxilla reaches to 

 below the front edge of the orbit. Preorbital spine strong, sharp, and equal in length to 2/3 of the diameter of 

 the orbit, and having another small one at its base. In one specimen there are two long preorbital spines on one 

 side as well as the basal one, but the normal number on the other. Preopercle with a strong sharp spine at its 

 angle and three other shorter and blunter ones, one or two short ones also at its lower limb. Temporal and 

 occipital ridges spinate, and all or most of those on the head rugose, as are also the edge of the orbit and the 

 superciliary ridge. Teeth — fine in jaws, on vomer, but none on the palate. Fins — dorsal spines moderately strong, 

 the first distinct from the remainder, the membrane deeply cleft : pectoral large and as long as the head, 

 reaching to below the commencement of the soft dorsal or even to its third ray, a single free ray below the 

 pectoral fin which is nearly as long as the fin, in dried specimens it sometimes splits into two : caudal rays, and 

 all the articulated ones, unbranched. Scales — absent. Colours — head greyish-brown above, sides and abdomen 

 lighter or flesh-coloured, with dark blotches and marks : dorsal fin light brown margined with black : pectoral 

 black, its appendage white : caudal buff, with three vertical brown bars. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to China, attaining 4 or 5 inches in length. 



Genus, 12 — Cocotropus, Kawp. 



Corytliobatus, sp. Cantor ; Tetraroge, pt. Giinther. 



BrancMostegals six. Head and body strongly compressed : no groove across the occiput. Preorbital with a 

 strong blunt spine : preopercle with a similar one : opercle armed. Villiform teeth in jaws and vomer, palatines 

 edentulous. A single dorsal fin with more spines than rays (D. V-to 5 ) •" t wo weak anal spines: pectoral without any 

 free ray at its base. Articulated fin-rays single, unbranched. Scales absent. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Cocotropus echinatus, D. if-, P. 11, A. y 2 ^. Pinkish. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



2. Cocotropus roseus, D. V-tVS -P- 1^> A. T %. Pinkish, a white outer angle to each side of the caudal fin. 

 Coromandel coast of India. 



1. Cocotropus echinatus. 



Corytliobatus echinatus, Cantor, Catal. p. 45, pi. 13. 



Cocotropus echinatus, Kaup. Wiegn. Arch. Naturg. 1858, p. 333. 



Tetraroge ecldnata, Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 136. 



B. vi, D. H, P. 11, V 1/3, A. f, C. 12. 



Length of head 3/11, of pectoral 1/4, of caudal 1/6, height of body 2/7 of the total length. Eyes — 



