RHINODON TYPICUS.— Smith. 



Pisces —Plate XXVI. 



R. superne nigro-griseurh purpureo-tinctum, capite antice pinnisque postice carneo-umbratis ; subfcus, 

 griseo-album, carneo-tinctum ; capite superne, dorso, lateribus, pinnisque maculis lineisque albis 

 variegatis ; lateribus bicarinatis ; ore in rostri apice ; dentibus parvis recurvis. 



Longitudo e nasi apice ad extremitatem pinna? caudalis 16 ped. 6 unc. 



Colour. — The upper and lateral parts of the head and body dull lavender- 

 purple, shaded with brownish red; the under surface of the head, the sides of 

 the body interiorly, and the belly, light wood- brown, tinted with flesh-red, 

 which tint is very strong on the anterior portion of the head and the hinder 

 edges of the fins. On the upper and lateral parts of the head and body, and 

 also on several of the fins, the ground colour is much broken by a profusion 

 of small circular white spots, and a great number of narrow vertical lines, 

 which commence at the centre of the back and terminate at the belly. The 

 spots are smallest and most numerous on the head and upper surface of the 

 pectoral fins, on the other parts they are larger and more scattered ; 

 and on the caudal fin they are arranged in a single row, close to its upper 

 edge ; the second dorsal, the anal, and the ventral fins are without spots. 

 Eyes coppery-green. 



Form, &c. — Head broad, depressed, and somewhat wedge shaped, the 

 mouth opening directly in front ; teeth small, recurved, closely congregated, 

 and disposed in a broad transverse belt, along the inner surface of each jaw, 

 immediately inside of the lips ; eyes lateral and situated almost directly 

 behind the angles of the mouth ; pupil transversely oval ; temporal orifice 

 about three-quarters of an inch in diameter. Vertical section of body, in 

 front of dorsal fin, somewhat triangular, and the back, between that fin and 

 the middle of the hind head, slightly arched and strongly keeled ; back, 

 posterior to dorsal fin, flat and depressed. Sides of body irregular from two 

 distinct longitudinal keels, which commence together a little in front of, 

 and considerably above, the upper extremity of first branchia, and recede 

 a little from each other as they proceed backwards. Of these, the lowermost 



