formed at Port Arthur . 
G5 
considers as taking its position most naturally among the 
Mcenoidca* , but as having many characters in common 
with a percoid group composed of the genera Therapon , 
Datnia , Pelates , Helotes , and Nandus . In Latris the 
mouth is moderately protractile, the dentition is similar 
to that of Mcena vomerina , there is a scaly groove for the 
reception of the deeply notched dorsal as in Gerres , 
which genus it further resembles in its opercular bones, 
the preoperculum being very finely denticulated, and the 
operculum terminated by a slightly concave line without 
projecting angles. The ventrals are still further back 
than in Casio, and the ceeca are few in number. The 
scales are cycloid, without teeth or cilia, and the genus, 
unlike any previously described maenoid group, has the 
lower pectoral rays simple like those of Aplodactylus . 
There are no elongated scales at the base of the ventrals. 
Latris Ilccatcia is marked by three well-defined dark 
stripes on each side of the back, with a more diffused one 
inferiorly on the flanks, the four pyloric caeca are short 
and wide, and the only specimen in the collection is 
eleven inches long, which is said to be the ordinary size. 
v The principal characters of this genus are as follows 
Latris, n, g. 
Piscis acantliopterygius, msenoideus. Pinna esquamosae: 
dorsi pinna unica, profunde cmarginata, in fossa decum- 
bens: ventrales pinnae sub abdomine medio positse* 
Radii pinnae pectoralis inferiores (novem) simplices. 
Preoperculum dcnticulatum. Os modic& protendens. 
Dentes in oris ambitu tignoque vomeris positi villosi, 
in ossiculis pharyngeis parvi, subulati, conferti. Pala¬ 
tum linguaque laeves. Squama laeves. 
X. Hecateia , sj)ccies unica detecta. 
Radii: —Br. 6 — G; P. 9 et 0; V. 1, 5; D. 18, 3G ; A. 3, 27, 
VOL. I. NO. I, 
P 
