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Show 1871.] IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 659 Two specimens were sent by Dr. A. B. Meyer from Manado; the larger is 5, and the smaller 4 inches long. SEBASTES RHODOCHROUS. D. ll|i. A. |. L. lat. ca. 48. The height of the body is one third of the total length (without caudal), the length of the head one half. Interorbital space deeply concave, very narrow, its width being only one third of the diameter of the eye. Snout longer than the eye, which is one fourth of the length cf the head. Spines of the head prominent and acute. Supraorbital margin with one spine in front and two behind. No groove on the occiput. Infraorbital with a single ridge armed with four spines. Occiput naked ; opercles and cheeks scaly. The palatine teeth form a narrow band. Dorsal spines strong, the third, fourth, and fifth are the longest, but only a little longer than the eye; the eleventh considerably shorter than the twelfth. The second anal spine is stronger and longer than the third, and one third of the length of the head. The pectoral fin extends to the anal. Caudal fin truncated. Red, the upper parts of the fish irregularly marbled with blackish. A large black spot between the seventh and tenth dorsal spines on the base. All the other fins nearly uniform red. Pharynx with scarcely any blackish spots. Two specimens were obtained by Dr. A. B. Meyer at Manado; the larger is 8 inches long. AGRIOPUS TORVUS (Gronow). This fish is figured in 'Arcana, or the Museum of Natural History,' under the name of Congiopodus percatus. As this work appears to have been issued in or about the year 1811, it is a question whether the generic name of Congiopodus should not have priority before Agriopus, Cuvier, 1829. After some consideration I came to the conclusion that the generally adopted nomenclature should not be disturbed in this case, for the following reasons:- 1. The 'Arcana' shows on every page evidence of its unscientific character; it was a production of a very inferior kind even for the early period in which it made its appearance. The way in which it was published appears to have been very irregular; no name of a responsible editor or author appears on the titlepage; "Editors" are mentioned in the introduction, and the dedicatory notice is signed " G. Perry," who, I believe, was an artist, but not a naturalist. Thus we are left in ignorance as regards the authorship of the new names employed in the book. 2. Although the figure of "Congiopodus percatus" is recognizable, no proper characters of the genus are given ; after having made a few insignificant remarks about the fish, the author of the article runs off into considerations of the organization of fishes generally. 3. It will be difficult to discover the etymology of the term "Congiopodus." Even if intended for "Conchopodus," or "Conio-podus" the term is without any meaning when applied to Agriopus, |