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Show FISH. F .A.MILY.-BALISTIDJE. J. BALISTES v ETULA. Bl. Balistes Vetula, Bloclt, Ichth. tab. 150. ----- Dupcrre!J, (Voyage) Zoologic, p. 114, pl. 9. fig. 2. FonM.-Body deep, sub1·hombic, very much compressed; the greatest depth equalling half the entire length. Tail unarmed. Three or four larger scales than the others behind the branchial orifice. Pelvic bone projecting, prickly, connected with which is a fin consisting of about nine pairs of short rays. Above this fin, and parallel to its base, are two or three rows of short spines, but not much developed. First dorsal of three spines, commencing above the pectoral; first spine very strong and rough, the third not much smaller than the second. Second dorsal, and anal, which answer to each other, nearly even throughout, the anterior rays not being prolonged beyond the others. The caudal is injured, and its exact form cannot be determined. No lateral line. D. 3-30; A. 27; C. 12; P. 14. Length 1 inc. 10 lin. CoLoun.-(In spirits.) Yellowish grey, becoming paler beneath. Three or four dark transverse streaks across the head from eye to eye; beneath the eye one or two indistinct streaks, passing off towards the branchial orifice: also two very distinct longer ones commencing on the upper part of the snout before the eyes, and passing obliquely across the checks towards the roots of the pectorals, parallel to those last mentioned. Besides the above, there are several obliquely transverse interrupted lines on the sides of the body: in one specimen, these lines are not well defined; in another, they are distinct, but so much interrupted as to have the appearance of spots arranged in a linear series. Two or three transverse lines encircling the tail; and some remains of longitudinal stripes on the second dorsal and anal fins. The above description is that of two very small specimens of a species of Batistes taken by Mr. Darwin in Lat. J4o 20' South, Long. 38° 8' West, about sixty-five miles from land. I have very little doubt of their being the young of the B. Vetula of Bloch. The only respects in which they appear to differ from that species are the oblique lines on the back being carried completely across the sides in the form of lines of spots, and the anterior portions of the second dorsal and anal fins not being prolonged in a point; but both these differences may be the effect of immaturity. 2. BALIS'fES ACULEATUS. Bl. Batistes aculeatus, Bloclt, lchth. tab. 149. ------- Bcnn. in Zool. of Beccbey's Voy. p. 69. pl. 22. f. 2. FoRM.-Body deep, subrhombic. Tail armed with three rows of prickles, eleven in the uppermost row, about nine or ten in the middle one, and five or six in the lowermost. A few larger scales than the others behind the branchial orifice. Pelvic bone very rough and prickly, the |