40 TELEOSTEI. ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



long as third dorsal ; caudal forked, lobes pointed. Scales the row 

 containing the lateral line rather smaller than those above and 

 below. Colour two blue, black-edged bands from eye to posterior 

 nostril and mouth, another below the eye; preopercle spotted 

 blue. Inside of mouth orange ; opercular membrane yellow, 

 sometimes blood-red. Body olivaceous, lighter on abdomen ; scales 

 orange along their centres, and every other row spotted with blue 

 at its base : in some specimens faint vertical bands are perceptible, 

 and a darkish blotch between pectoral and lateral line, whilst the 

 rows of scales below the pectoral have a narrow dark line along 

 their centres. A large specimen had parts of the head tinged with 

 blue. Dorsal, caudal, and anal slate-coloured, the dorsal edged 

 with reddish, and having two rows of blue spots ; faint lines along 

 the soft dorsal and anal ; the caudal with narrow blue transverse 

 bars ; upper pectoral ray blue in its basal half. 



LetJirinus opercularis is probably a variety of this species. 



Hab. Bed Sea and the seas of India ; very common at Madras. 

 Attains at least 16| inches in length. 



777. (5.) Lethrinns ornatus. 



Lethrinus ornatus, Cuv. $ Vol. H. N. Poiss. vi, p. 310 ; Dmj, Fish, 

 India, p. 137 (see synon.). 



D. 10/9. P. 13. V. 1/5. A. 3/8. C. 17. L. 1. 48. L/tr. 6/15. 



Length of head 3|, height of body 3^ in the total length. 

 Eyes diameter 3^ in length of head, 1 diam. from end of snout, 

 and nearly 1 apart. Dorsal profile somewhat elevated. Teeth 

 four conical canines in either jaw, the first five lateral teeth in 

 each jaw conical and pointed, the remainder with rounded crowns. 

 Fins dorsal spines increasing in length to fourth, which is highest, 

 as long as longest ray ; second anal spine rather stronger but shorter 

 than third, which equals third dorsal and is nearly as high as the 

 rays. Caudal forked. Scales the row containing the lateral line 

 is much smaller than that above or that below it. Colour greenish 

 olive, with six or seven yellow horizontal bands : the opercular 

 membrane red ; caudal edged with red. A violet baud across the 

 base of the pectoral fin. 



Young specimens have dorsal and anal edged reddish, and 

 irregular blackish blotches about the body ; the largest, which is 

 somewhat quadrangular, being above middle of base of pectoral. 



Uat>. Andamans to the Malay Archipelago. 



778. (6.) Lethrinus ramak. 



Sciaena ramak, Forsk. Desc. Anim. p. 52, no. 64. 

 Lethrinus ramak, Day, Fish. India, p. 137 (see synon.). 



D. 10/9. P. 13. V. 1/5. A. 3/8. C. 17. L. 1. 50. L. tr. 6/14. 



Length of head 3|, height of body 3| in the total length. Eyes 



diameter 4 to 4^ in length of head, 2 diam. from end of snout, and 



