290 PLECTOGNATHI. BALTSTID^. 
supporting plate, and offers no impediment to 
the progress of the fish through the water.” ^ 
These fishes are generally adorned with rich 
and brilliant colours, often arranged in diagonal 
lines or bands; they abound in the seas of hot 
climates, generally swimming among the rocks, 
like the ChcEtodons^ which they not a l^tle re- 
semble. Some have the body set with curiously 
branched filaments. Their flesh is rank and un- 
wholesome. 
We illustrate the genus by a description and 
figure of Batistes velatus (Bloch.), a West In- 
dian species which has fallen under our observa- 
tion. The dorsal and each lobe of the caudal are 
produced into long pointed fllaments. The body 
is purplish brown on the upper parts, with the 
throat and belly pale buff. Several curved lines 
and bands pass across the face, of a rich azure 
hue, with yellow edges. The fins are blackish 
purple. 
Comp. Anat. ii. 69. 
