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The Atoll of Funafuti, Ellice group : its zoology, botany, ethnology and general structure based on collections made by Charles Hedley of the Australian Museum, Sydney, N.S.W.

Labridæ

Labridæ.

Chilinus, Cuvier.
Chilinus trilobatus, Lacépède.

Chilinus trilobatus, Lacépède, Poiss., iii., pp. 529, 537, pl. xxxi., fig. 3; Bleeker, Atlas Ichth., p. 66, pl. xxvii., fig. 2.

One example, a widely distributed species in the South Seas, attains a length of two feet.

page 193
Chilinus fasciatus, Block.

Chilinus fasciatus, Bloch., Fisch, v., p. 18, pl. cclvii.; Günther, Fische der Südsee, p. 246, pl. cxxxiv.

A smaller species, but equally well known. Two specimens were collected under the native name, "Moree."

Julis, Cuv. & Vol,
Julis lunaris, Linn.

Julis hunaris, Linn., Syst. Nat., i., p. 474; Bleeker, Atlas Ichth., p. 90, pl. xxxiii., fig. 5.

One of the commonest fishes of the Indo-Pacific. Name given by the Funafuti islanders, "Lapi."

Pseudoscarus, Bleeker.

Four species of Pseudoscarus are included in the Collection, and these have been determined as follows:—It is, however, necessary to mention that the identification is by no means satisfactory, as there are such a large number of species (valid or otherwise) named rather than described. "The Pseudoscarus are beautifully coloured, but the colours change with age, and vary in an extraordinary degree in the same species. They fade rapidly after death, so that it is almost impossible to recognise in preserved specimens the species described from living individuals."*

Unfortunately none of these fishes were placed in formol, or judging by results obtained in the case of other Labroids caught near Sydney, and so preserved, much of the colour might have been retained.

These individuals, so much alike in our hands, must when alive exhibit great variety of colour and pattern as delineated by Bleeker, for the Funafuti natives recognise and name the several species.

Pseudoscarus pulchellus, Rüppell.

Paeudoscarus pulchellus, Rüppell, sp., N.W. Fische, p. 25, pl. viii., fig. 3; Bleeker, Atlas Ichth., pl. x., fig. 3.

Previously recorded from the Red Sea, Mauritius, Java, Celebes, China.?

Funafuti native name, "Oulafi" or "Ourafi."

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Pseudoscarus bataviensis, Bleeker.

Pseudoscarus bataviensis, Bleeker, sp., Java, iv., p. 342; Atlas, Ichth, pl. xii., fig. 3.

Previously recorded from Batavia.

Funafuti native name, "Samaria."

Pseudoscarus singapurensis, Bleeker.

Pseudoscarus singapurensis, Bleeker, sp., Singapore, p. 69; Atlas, Ichth., pl. xiii., fig. 1.

Previously recorded from Singapore and Java.

Funafuti native name, "Ruggea."

Pseudoscarus troschelli,Bleeker.

Pseudoscarus troschelli, Bleeker, sp., Batavia, p. 498 j Atlas, Ichth., pl. vii., fig. 2.

Previously recorded from Java.

Funafuti native name, " Soumoulaia."

* Gunther—Study of Fishes, p. 532