C H m T 
.covert is compofed of two fmall plates, and the mem¬ 
brane lies underneath, fuftained by four little bones. 
The Tides are white, covered with fcales, and ornament¬ 
ed with tranfye'rfe lines of a yellow colour. The back, 
is grey, and there is a brown ftripe acrol’s the tail. The 
tins are -all yellow, with branched rays. Both the anal 
and dorfal tins are Ihort, rounded, and edged with 
brown. This is alfo an Eall-Indian filh; Bloch received 
it from Japan, and he calls it bandoulicre d tache. 
17. Chastodon ro'ftratus, or beaked chetodon; fpecifi- 
cally diltinguilhed by its long cylindrical beak, and by a 
black ipot edged with white on the back. There are 
twelve rays in the peftoral fin, fix in the ventral, twen¬ 
ty-three in the anal, fifteen in the tail, and thirty-nine 
in the dorfal. The trunk is broad and thin ; the head 
narrow and long, and the mouth fmall; the jaws are of 
equal length, with fmall teeth. The noftrils are fingle, 
cylindrical, and very near the eyes; the pupil of the eye 
is black, the iris yellow, partly covered by a brown ftripe 
or band palling over the eye. On the white ground there 
are brown longitudinal ftrokes, and four broad trans- 
verfe bands: all the bands are black, edged with white. 
This fifh haunts the Indian ocean, and at certain feafons 
approaches the mouths of rivers. It is remarkable for 
the method of obtaining its food. When it perceives an 
infeft or fly perched on a fea-weed above the water, it 
advances within five or fix feet, and thence Ipirts the 
Water out of its long beak as through a fyringe or fquirt, 
with fo much force as to beat it into the water, when he 
catches it up before it can recover itfelf. As this is a 
plekling fight, the great men in the eaft keep thefe filh 
in large vafes for amufement. They transfix an infe< 5 t 
with a pin, and fallen it to the fide of the veffel, when 
all the fillies, eager to get the fly, begin fpirting drops of 
water at it with the greatest fwiftnefs and without ever 
miffing their aim. When they have furnilhed lufticient 
amulement, they are killed for the table, and are good 
food. 
18. Chastodon orbis, the globular chetodon. Its orbicular 
form, with nineteen rays in the anal fin, determine its 
fpecific charafter. There are eighteen rays in the pefto- 
ral fin, fix in the ventral, fixteen in the tail, and twenty- 
eight in the dorfal. The head is fmall, and very much 
declihing ; the noftrils fingle, and not far from the eyes; 
the pupil is black, iris gold-colour. The jaws are of 
equal length; the aperture of the gills is very large, and 
the membrane lies under the operculum or covert, which 
is narrow. The lateral line differs from the other fpe- 
cies; inftead of forming the ufual arch, it is compofed 
of anumberof Ihort ftrokes, at a fmall diftance from each 
other, making a blunt angle with the back. The ground¬ 
colour of this-filh is blue; it is a native of the Eaft In¬ 
dies; grows a foot long, and nearly as much broad. It 
is only caught in the lea, chiefly in the month of Octo¬ 
ber, when it is molt fat and fucculent; but it is never 
found in abundance. 
19. Chsetodon nigricans, or Brafilian chetodon. Its 
notched teeth and the fpine in the tail, form the fpecific 
character. There are four rays in the membrane of the 
gills, eighteen in the peftoral fin, fix in the ventral, 
twenty-leven in the anal, twenty-one in the tail, and 
thirty-fix in the dorlal. When the teeth are examined 
with a microfcope, they look like a row of hands, being 
narrow and round below, and broader above, and they 
end in yellow points, one rifing above another, fome- 
what like the fingers in a hand laid flat. There are fix- 
teen teeth in the upper jaw, and ten in the lower. The 
body of this filfi is harder than the other fpecies, and is 
covered with fcales. The head is fmall, the eyes large, 
with a black pupil and filvery iris : it has two apertures 
direftly under the eyes. The gill-covert is long and nar¬ 
row. The trunk is blackilh on the back, brown at the 
fides, and white towards the belly. The peftoral fins 
are grey; the ventrals black; both furnilhed with branch¬ 
ed rays': the dorfal a©d anal fins are white at their ori- 
O D O N. 67 
gin, brownilh towards the extremities, with branched 
rays alfo, the tail fin is light grey with branched rays. 
This filh is found in different countries: at Brafil, in the 
Red Sea, and in the Eaft Indies ; where it grows to the 
length of two feet. The flelh is firm, juicy, and well tail¬ 
ed; its food is Ihell-filh and young crabs. 
20. Chastodon Argufi, the Argus chetodon. Its fpe¬ 
cific charafter is taken from the four fpotted Ipines, like 
eyes, in the anal fin. There are four rays in the mem¬ 
brane of the gills, eighteen in the peftoral fin, fix in the 
ventral, eighteen in the anal, fourteen in the tail, twen¬ 
ty-eight in the dorlal. The body of this filh is almoit 
fquare. The pupil of the eye is black; the iris gold-yel- 
low. The aperture of the gills is wide, the membrane 
loole ; the lateral line forms an arch. The fides are full 
of beautiful brown fpots like eyes: whence the name. 
The colour is violet towards the back, white towards 
the belly : the fins are all Ihort, and of a yellow colour. 
It is found in the frelh waters of the Eaft Indies, com¬ 
monly in marlhy places abounding with inlefts, which 
are its food. Ruyi'ch fays that they follow the Hiips, and 
eat whatever is thrown into the lea, whence the name 
Jiront-ruifch , as if they fed on ordure. The flelh is whole- 
fome, fat, and well-tailed. It is very remarkable that 
this filh is found petriliedin the mountains of Bolcain Italy. 
21. Chastodon vagabundus, or wandering chetodon. 
Its cylindrical mouth, a band acrofs the eye, and thir¬ 
teen fpines in the dorfal fin, form its fpecific charafter. 
There are eighteen rays in the peftoral fin, fix in the 
ventral, twenty in the anal, fourteen in the tail, and 
thirty-three in the dorfal. The head and body is cover¬ 
ed with fcales; over the head pafles a black band, and 
round the body a brown ftripe. The gill-covert is made 
up of two iinail plates, and the membrane is loole. The 
pupil of the eye is black, enclbfed in a brown iris with a 
white line. The ground-colour of the filh is yellow ; at 
the extremity of the trunk, and in the middle of the 
tail, fin, there is a black band. The dorlal, anal, and 
tail fins, are yellow bordered with brown. This beau¬ 
tiful filh abounds all over the Eall-Indian Teas; and tra- 
verles the lakes and rivulets. It is fat, firm, and well- 
tailed, 
22. Chtetodon tri vine alum, or three-banded chetodon. 
Specific charafter, three black bands round the body, 
with the dorfal and anal fins very long. There are feven 
rays in the membrane of the gills, eleven in the peftoral 
fin, fix in the ventral, twenty-fix in the anal, feventeen 
in the tail, and thirty-four in the dorfal. The body is 
very thin, as broad as it is long, with a declining rof- 
trum. The head and mouth are fmall; the noftrils dou¬ 
ble, and near the eyes: the pupil is black, the iris white 
inclining to red. The gill-covert is one lmall plate; 
the aperture is wide, and the membrane partly concealed. 
The fcales are very fmall, and jagged. The ground-co¬ 
lour is white ; and. the three black bands which inter- 
left it have a very pretty efieft: the firft begins at the 
top of the head, goes round the eyes, and ends at the, 
chin ; the fecond reaches from the back to the anus; and 
the third which is near the tail, pafles over part ot the 
dorfal and anal fins'. The reft of thefe fins, as well as thofe 
of the bread and tail, are white; but the ventral is 
black; the dorfal fin has five Ipines at its origin, the anal 
three. This lingular filh is tound in the Arabian and 
Indian feas; the fubjeft reprefented in the Chastodon 
Plate III. fig. 1. is from the latter place. It lives on co¬ 
rals and Ihell-filh; and grows a foot and a half long, and 
broad in proportion; it lives only in the fea; and is 
caught from January to May; but never plentiful, and 
they are taken at no other part of the year. The flelh 
is nourilhing, and is much recommended to fick people. 
23. Chaetodon perca, or perch-headed chetodon. 
The three bands on its body, with the dorfal and anal 
fins very Ihort, form its fpecific charafter. The firft band 
paffes over the head; the fecond over the bread, the 
third from the extremity of the anus to the end of the 
dorfal 
