Chap. X.] 



THE PTEROIDS. 



333 



Bennett 1 , and numbers, from the lustrous green of their 

 scales, have obtained from the natives the appropriate 

 name of Giraway, or parrots, of which one, the Sparus 

 Hardwickii of Bennett, is called the " Flower Parrot," 

 from its exquisite colouring, being barred with irregu- 

 lar bands of blue, crimson, and purple, green, yellow, 

 and grey, and crossed by perpendicular stripes of 

 black. 



Of these richly coloured fishes the most familiar in 

 the Indian seas are the Pteroids. They are well known 

 on the coast of Africa, and thence eastward to Polynesia ; 

 but they do not extend to the west coast of America, 

 and are utterly absent from the Atlantic. The rays of 

 the dorsal and pectoral fins are so elongated, that when 

 specimens were first brought to Europe it was con- 

 jectured that these fishes have the faculty of flight, and 

 hence the specific name of " volitans" But this is an 

 error, for, owing to the deep incisions between the pec- 

 toral rays, the pteroids are wholly unable to sustain them- 

 selves in the air. They are not even bold swimmers, 

 living close to the shore and never venturing into the 

 deep sea. Their head is ornamented with a number of 

 filaments and cutaneous appendages, of which one over 



the shores of the New "World ( G. 

 saxatalis), and it is curious that 

 Messrs. Quoy and Gaimard found 

 this fish at the Cape de Verde 

 Islands in 1827. 



1 This fish has a sharp round 

 spine on the side of the body near 

 the tail; a formidable weapon, 

 which is generally partially con- 

 cealed within a scabbard-like in- 

 cision. It raises or depresses this 

 spine at pleasure. The fish is yellow, 

 with several nearly parallel blue 



stripes on the back and sides ; the 

 belly is white, the tail and fins 

 brownish green, edged with blue. 



It is found in rocky places ; and 

 according to Bennett, who has 

 figured it in his second plate, it is 

 named Seweya. It has been known, 

 however, to all the old ichthyolo- 

 gists, Valentyn, Eenard, Seba, 

 Artedi, and has been named Ch(B- 

 todon lineatus, by Linne. It is 

 scarce on the southern coast of 

 Ceylon. 



