face, breast, and belly to the anal fin, are of a deep carnation colour; posteriorly the
body is coloured with light green and vertically oblong spots of brown ; still more
posteriorly, and above, it is dark olive green ; a broad band vertically margins the straight
caudal fin, on the base of which scales encroach; and lines converge to the margin of
the orbit beneath.”—C.
The other fishes observed at Loo-Choo were a new species of Scarus, L.?, a variety?
of the Exocoetus volitans, L., in which the pectoral fins, brown and dirty yellow spotted,
did not reach the caudal ; this was taken in nets by the natives, and most probably used
only as bait for Dolphins: a Tetrodon, L., “ white beneath, with the back of a light slate
ground, tinged with green and yellow, with darker patches, and spotted irregularly and
variously with white; iris silvery, above and below golden, abdominal spines obsolete”—
C.: and the Balistes aculeatus, L.
A t the Bonin Islands but few fishes were observed : they included a Dentex, Cuv., a
Glyphisodon, Cuv., aPimelepterus, Lacép., a Xirichthy s, Cuv.?, and a fish referred to the
Gymnodontes, Cuv. The latter presents a remarkable form. I t is “ a somewhat triangular
fish, the pelvic bones projecting backwards, and keeping the lateral parts of the
abdomen extended; about two feet in length, and having the dorsal (the second if two)
and the anal fins falciform; the spines are short: above it is dark grey, spotted with a
very dark brown, lighter on each side of the dorsal fin, and whitish beneath ; a lateral
silvery white band, somewhat irregular on its edges, extends on a level with the pectoral
fins from the mouth to the tail : the airrbladder is strong and simple ; there are two large
milts, and portions of crustaceous animals were found in the stomach,”—C. The Dentex
possessed “ four hooked teeth in the upper jaw, aud two in the lower, the latter so
placed as to be on the outside of the four upper when the jaws are closed, and having
two smaller intermediate teeth: the colour is greyish silvery, with somewhat indistinct
yellowish silvery longitudinal bands below the lateral line: all the fins are inclined to
red ; the dorsal has ten, and the anal three, spines: the upper jaw is extensile: the
stomach is en cul de sac ; there are three short coeca; the testes are unequal, obtuse and
joined before the anus, of a reddish colour ; the air-bladder is large and simple; there
are two eminences set with pharyngeal teeth, their crowns being fiattish and rounded ;
the lower pharyngeal teeth are indistinct.”—C.
On the coast of California, at Monterey, Mr. Collie’s notes mention the occurrence of
a species of Sparus, of two Scombri, and of a Clupea, The first of the Scombridw is
apparently a iScowier, Cuv.; it was “ smaller than the Mackarel; it was marked on the back
with cross waved narrow bands of black and greenish blue; its first dorsal fin had nine
spines, and there were four small pinnules behind the second dorsal and the anal: it had
a simple air-bladder of moderate size, and an immense number of coeca, with a stomach extending
the whole length of the abdomen, narrow, tapering to the posterior part, and covered
throughout nearly its whole length with the milt.? Its internal membrane forms longitudinal
folds ; the intestines have three convolutions.”—C. This fish occurred in
shoals. The second species was met with but once. I t is a Caranx, Cuv., of which “ the
teeth in the upper maxillary are scarcely to be felt; the pectorals reach nearly to
„»nosite the anus: a double narrow stripe of deeper blue than the general surface runs
backwards on each side of tho first dorsal fin to opposite its termination, the two parts
being separated by a broad line of dirty white, which has a narrow dark-coloured line
along its middle: there are no distinct divisions in the anal and second dorsal fins : the
air-bladder is simple, and small, and extends from the fauces to the anus; the stomach is
much shorter than in the preceding species ; the cceca, although numerons, are less so
than in it ; and the intestine is folded in the same manner.”—C. From the nature of
the colouring of this fish as described by Mr. Collie, there can be little doubt of
its constituting a distinct species. Along with the first species of Scomber, there
occurred in shoals a small species of Clupea, L ., “ without te e th ; with the dorsal fin a
litüe before the ventral ; and with the back dark greenish blue, and having one line and
part of another of rounded black spots on each side nearly on a level with the eye : the
gill membranes contain six rays, and overlap each other at their lower p r t ; the stomach
resembles that of the first Scomber; it has also numerous cceca; the air-bladder is small
and tapering.”—G. The other fishes observed at Monterey were a new species of
Chimera, Cuv., differing essentially from the Chimera of the Atlantic, and approaching
somewhat in the position of its second dorsal fin to the Callorhynchus, Cuv.; a species of
Torpedo, Dum.; axidaRaia.
A t San Bias and Mazatlan several fishes were observed. The first of these is
a species of Serranus, allied to the Serr. guttatus, Cuv. and Val., hut apparently
constituting a new species: it was “ of a dull greyish green beneath, and brownish
green above, thickly spotted with dark brown and rounded spots about a line and a line
and a half in diameter : it had several coeca : the air-bladder was strong anteriorly, and
bound down by tendinous attachments to the sides of the abdomen, without prolongations
forwards, or any appearance of an aperture; posteriorly, the cavity was bifid. —C.
There was also observed a species o i Lutjanusl, “ above greenish silvery brown, with
darker cross bands ; beneath white, with a tinge of gold towards the sides : fins golden,
except the anterior part of the dorsal, which is inclined to brown : coeca five : air-bladder
simple and capacious.”—C. There was also seen a Pohjnemus, L., which appears from
Mr. Collie’s notes, and from a sketch preserved by him, to represent a new species, to
which we have given the name o f Pol. approximans. X Dentex was also seen; as were
two species of Caranx, Cuv. In one of these the colour was “ a uniform obscure
yellowish green above, and somewhat silvery beneath”—C.: in the second, the “ body
■was silvery, with a bluish colour towards the back, and banded on the upper part with a
darker hue ; the fins were all more or less golden, as was also the lateral line : both
species possessed simple air-bladders.”—C. Other fishes are mentioned, as aM u g il,
a Labrus?, and an Exocoetus, apparently allied to the E x . exiliens, L „ but having the
“ pectorals with large round brown spots. This appears to be the same species as is
found at Oahu.”—C. The Elops Saurus was common a t Mazatlan, but not of very
agreeable taste”—C.: as was also “ a large, long and roundish fish, bearing much
resemblance in the general outline to the Elops, but about ten times as large. As in that
fish, the maxillaries alone form the lateral parts of the upper jaw. There are no teeth