SCOBPjENIDJE. 61 



Pectoral grey, its upper two rays with black spots, its lowest five 

 pinkish, in the adult all are spotted ; ventrals grey, with obscurely 

 marked white spots ; dorsal spines grey, or white annulated with 

 grey. Soft dorsal, caudal, and anal flesh-coloured without spots, but 

 having in adults a narrow black edge. 



Hah. Seas of India, Mauritius to the Malay Archipelago. Yery 

 common in Madras, especially about June ; attaining at least to 

 11| inches. 



803. (2.) Pterois miles. 



Scorpaena miles, Bennett, Fish. Ceylon, p. 9, pi. 9. 

 Pterois miles, Day, Fish. India, p. 153, pi. xxxvii, tig. 2 (see synon.). 

 Kurrun toombi, Tarn., " Flying Dragon ;" Ratoo gini maha, Cing. 



D. 12 | 1/10-11. P. 14. A. 3/6-7. L. r. 92. L. tr. 12/ . Vert. 10/14. 



Length of head 4|, height of body 3| in the total length. Eyes 

 diameter 3| to 4 in the length of the head, 1| diam. from end 

 of snout, and 1 apart. Lower third of preorbital covered with 

 spiny elevations, which are continued across cheeks to angle of 

 preopercle, where they end in spines ; two strong turbinal spines ; 

 interorbital space convex but not very deeply so ; upper edge of 

 orbit, temporal and occipital ridges spiny. A short orbital tentacle, 

 one at the anterior nostril, a long preorbital one over angle of 

 mouth, and other short ones about the head. Fins dorsal spines 

 highest from 6th to 12th, which equal height of body and are 

 longer than rays ; pectoral with interradial membrane most deeply 

 cleft between first three rays, and reaching to below end of base 

 of dorsal or further ; ventral reaches anal, the third spine of which 

 is longest ; caudal wedge-shaped. Scales present in the inter- 

 orbital space and on the nape. Colour red, with many dark 

 vertical bands much wider than the ground-colour, which in the 

 first two thirds of the body appears like narrow light bands ; in the 

 last third the dark bands are wider apart. Head with bands mostly 

 radiating from eye, two of an S-shape on chest. A white spot 

 surrounded by black in axilla. Dorsal spines with five or six dark 

 rings. Soft dorsal, caudal,and anal covered with small black spots ; 

 pectoral with large black blotches on a lighter ground ; ventral 

 nearly black, with white and light brown spots. 



Hob. Eed Sea, seas of India, the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 

 The largest specimen captured at Madras measured 14 inches. In 

 a specimen 9 inches long the pectoral reaches the root of the 

 caudal. 



804. (3.) Pterois zebra. 



Pterois zebra, Cuv. $ Val. H. N. Poiss. iv, p. 367; Day, Fish. 

 India, p. 153 (see synon.). 



D. 12 | 1/11. P. 17. A. 3/6-7. C. 14. L.r. 55-50. L.tr.9/ . 

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



