:-7A¿AÍ*V:k
T iie to ta l len g th is e lev en in c h e s , o f w hich th e c a u d a l fin o c c u p ie s tw o in c h e s . F rom th e lip o f
th e nose to th e a n te r io r p a r t o f th e o rb it, th e di.stance is o ne inch a n d five-eighths : th e d iam e te r o f tlie
o rb it, tlire e -e ig h tlis o f a n in c h : th e a n te r io r r a y o f th e first do rsa l fin, o ne in c h in le n g th , is p la c ed
one in ch b eh in d th e o rb it : le n g th o f th e first d o rs a l, o ne in ch : b e tw e en i t a n d th e s e co n d d o rs a l, one
in c h a n d a h a lf : len g th o f th e s e c o n d d o rs a l, tw o in c h e s , th a t o f its fo u rth r a y b e in g tw o in d ie s a n d a
q u a r te r : from its te rm in a tio n to th e b a s e o f th e c a u d a l, o ne in ch a n d th r e e -q u a r te r s : le n g th o f th e
o u te r ra y o f th e c a u d a l, tw o in ch e s, o f th e m id d le ray s , o ne and th r e e -q u a r te r s : from th e b a s e o f th e
c a u d a l lo th e a n a l fin, o ne in c h and th r e e -q u a r te r s : b a s e o f th e an a l fin, o n e inch a n d th r e e -q u a r te r s ,
its fo u rth ray b e in g tw o in ch e s in le n g th : h en c e to th e v e n tr a l, w h ic h is o n e q u a r te r o f an in c h in
len g th , an in ch a n d th r e e -q u a r te r s . T h e p e c to r a l fins a r e m o d e ra te , a n in c h in le n g th , by se v e n -
e ig h th s in th e ir g r e a te s t b re a d th . T h e g r e a te s t h e ig h t is above th e v e n tr a l fin ; i t is he re th r e e in c h e s
a n d a q u a r t e r : th e d e p th a c ro ss th e ta il is o n e in ch .
T h e on ly d i s tin c t m e n tio n o f th is fish with w h ich we h a v e m e t, i? c o n ta in e d in th e w o rk s o f •
W i l lu g h b j , R a y , a n d G r ew ; w hose s e v e r a l fig u re s a n d d e s c rip tio n s te s t a ll a p p a r e n tly o n a s ingle
sp e c im e n e x is tin g , in tlie ir lim e , in th e M u s eum o f th e R o y a l S o c ie ty . O f tb e id e n tity o f o u r spe c ie s
w itli th e ir s it is a lm o s t im p o s s ib le to e n te r ta in a d o u b t. T h e s y n o n ym s q u o te d from th em a r e re fe rre d
hy Bioch a n d s u c c e e d in g w r ite r s to th e B a litU s maculatus, B lo ch , a sp e c ie s diffe rin g in v a rio u s
r e sp e c ts , a n d p a r tic u la r ly b y its g r e a te r c om p a ra tiv e b r e a d th , its lo n g e r d o r s a l a n d a n a l fins, a n d th e
la rg e r n um b e r o f r a y s in th o s e fins.
B a l i s t e s s e s q u i l i n e a t u s .
B a l. oUvaceo-vireicens. lineis numerosis ohiiquis (q u a rum plurimce dimidiates) rubris; caudâ, pectore, Iweisqm os
ambientibus supramaxillari menialique longa, cesruleis : p innis fiavescentibus : cauda aculeaiâ.
P L A T E X X I. F IG . 3.
Hab, iu Oceano Pacifico, prope T aiti.
T h is a d d itio n to th e g e n u s B a lis te s is k n ow n to u s only b y a d raw in g m a d e b y R . B . B e e c h e y , E sq .
I t is r e a d ily d is tin g u is h e d from th e o th e r lin e a te d sp e c ie s o f tlie g ro u p , b y th e n um e ro u s a b b re v ia te d
lin e s w h ic h o c c u r o n its u p p e r s u r f a c e ,-b e tw e e n th e com p le te lin e s w h ich c ro s s th e w h o le o f
th e b o d y ; a d isp o s itio n o f m a rk in g wh ich d o e s n o t e x i s t e ith e r in th e B a l. Iineatus, S c h n ., th e
B id . Lam o u ro u x , Q u o y a n d G a im ., o r th e B a l. Z e y lanicus ( B a l . aculeatus B . v ir id is , J . W . B e n n e tt) .
I t is a lso a m u ch d e e p e r fish th a n a n y o f th o s e j u s t n am ed .
T h e s e fo u r species c o n s titu te in th e g e n n s to w h ich th e y b e lo n g a l i t t le g ro u p , w h ich is r e n d e r e d
very rem a rk a b le by th e lin e a te d m a rk in g s o f th e fishes which compose it . I t wo u ld a p p e a r , from a n
ob se rv a tio n m a d e by M r . J . W . B e n n e tt (F ish e s o f C eylon, N o . 10), t h a t th e co lo u rs c a n n o t be
Í r e g a rd e d a s f u rn is h in g p e rm a n e n t d is tin c tiv e c h a ra c te rs . T h e form, h ow e v e r, c a n s c a rc e ly m is le a d
u s ; a n d th e n a tu r e o f th e lin e a tio n , i t is p ro b a b le , is a lso n e a r ly c o n s ta n t. T h e fo rm a t o n c e
d is tin g u ish e s th e e lo n g a te d B a l. L amouroux , from th e b ro a d ly o v a te B a l. sesquilineatus: in th e
fo rm e r too th e r e a r e n o a b b re v ia te d lin e s , a n d th e h in d e r o n e s , (fo rm in g th e g r e a te r n um b e r ,) a fte r
p a s s in g d ow nw a rd s a n d b a c kw a rd s , a re re c u rv e d u pw a rd s a n d fo rw a rd s to th e b a s e o f th e d o rs a l
fin. T h e B a l Iineatus, a n d th e B a l Z e y h n ie u s n e a rly a g re e in th e i r o v a te fo rm , b u t th e fo rm e r h a s
th e c a u d a l fm a lm o s t s q u a r e , w h ile in th e la t te r (h a t p a r t is ro u n d e d : th e fo rm e r h a s a lso b u t five
lin e s b e tw e en th e ey e a n d th e m o u th , w h ile in th e la t t e r th e r e a r e n in e . S u c h a t le a s t a p p e a r to be
d is tin g u ish in g fe a tu re s in th e fig u re s g iv e n o f e a c h—to w h ic h , a n d to th e d e s c rip tio n s , o u r k n ow le d g e
is limited, as we h av e n o t h a d an o p p o rtu n ity o f o b s e rv in g a n y o n e o f th em in n a tn r e .
B a l i s t e s a c u l e a t u s , L .
PLA T E X X II . F IG . 2.
A d raw in g , e v id e n tly o f th is Species, w a s m a d e b y M r . B e e cb ey from a sp e c im en o b ta in e d a t
L o o -C h o o . i t differs co n s id e rab ly in c o lo u rin g from th e v a rio u s fig u re s th a t h av e a lr e a d y b e e n g iv e n ,
e sp e c ia lly in th e a b s e n c e o f (be d a rk b a n d b e tw e en th e ey e s, a n d o f th o s e b e tw e e n th e ey e s a n d th e