THE PARROT-FISHES OR WRASSES. 145 



with the sides golden ; the whole being traversed by blue 

 bands, which are broadest below. The dorsal fin possesses 

 four narrow, longitudinal, violet bands, and small spots of 

 the same colour between them ; there being an olive-green 

 blotch between the second and third spines. The anal fin 

 has over its surface, irregular rows of violet spots separ- 

 ated by golden bands. The pectoral and ventral fins are 

 without spots, but the caudal fin has violet bars between the 

 rays. The eyes with the exception of the pupil are 

 crimson. 



The Rock- Whiting is not a Whiting, in the proper 

 sense of the word, as restricted to our Australian Whitings 

 of the family Sillaginidce ( page 109). Considering that the 

 latter and the fish under discussion belong to two totally 

 different families, having but little in common with one 

 another, it is really remarkable that such a bodily likeness 

 should exist (though, at the same time, it has to be remem- 

 bered, that such an occurrence is by no means unique in 

 the Animal Kingdom, instances of even close mimicry be- 

 tween animals of a very different nature being often met 

 with ; particularly in the class of insects ; where one occasion- 

 ally finds that insects in entirely different orders, for pur- 

 poses either of protection or aggression, are modified so 

 curiously as to make them resemble closely each other exter- 

 nally). From the Whitings proper, the Rock-Whiting may 

 be at once distinguished, by the softer and more slimy feel- 

 ing of the body ; due to the less horny nature of the scales ; 

 the lesser number of body-scales, which are consequently 

 relatively larger ; the teeth, which in this species are formed 

 into a kind of rough plate having a chisel-like edge, while 

 in the true Whitings they are small, separate and chiefly 

 villiform ; and, finally, by the arrangement and structure of 

 the fins. In the true Whitings there are two distinctly- 

 separated dorsal fins, the first being fairly short, high, some- 

 what printed and spinous ; while the second is soft, low, 

 and possesses a greater base-length. In the Rock- Whiting 

 there is only one dorsal fin ; this being long and low and of 

 an almost uniform height throughout. Though more than 

 half the length of this fin is composed of spinous rays, the 



