32 Dr. Richardson's Contributions to 



equal to the length of the fish, caudal excluded. The caudal forms 

 rather more than a sixth part of the total length. The scales are 

 tolerably large. Fewer rays are indicated in the tins than in any spe- 

 cies described in the ' Histoire des Poissons,' the dorsal ones being 

 two less, and the anal ones merely equal in number to those of bata- 

 vianus, but it is not very probable that Lieut. Emery counted all the 

 small posterior rays of these fins. 



The colour of the body is primrose-yellow, that of the two vertical 

 bands and the pectoral fin yellowish brown, and of the other fins 

 dark oil-green. The ocular band passes over the forehead, includes 

 two-thirds of the eye and the corner of the mouth, and terminates on 

 the belly before the ventrals. The pectoral band, of nearly uniform 

 breadth throughout and broader than the ocular band, crosses the 

 nape, takes in the edge of the gill-flap, and spreads on the side to 

 the width of two-thirds of the length of the pectoral : it terminates 

 on the belly immediately behind the ventrals. There is a small tri- 

 angular black mark on the base of the pectoral. 



Platax orbicularis (Cuv.), Orbicular Platax. 



" Chcetodon orbicularis, Forskal." 



Platax orbicularis, Riippel, Atl. 67. t. 13. f 3 ; Cuv. & Val. vii. p. 332. 



No. 37. Mr. Gilbert's list. 



This fish, according to Mr. Gilbert, frequents most parts of the 

 harbour of Port Essington, and swims near the surface, which 

 renders it an easy mark for the spears of the natives, who name 

 it ' be-role- coord.' It agrees in so many points with the Platax 

 orbicularis of the Red Sea, first described by Forskal and since 

 figured by Riippel, that I have no hesitation in considering it to be 

 the same species. Ruppel's figure is stated in the ' Histoire des 

 Poissons' to have been sketched from a young individual, and shows 

 an ocular and a humeral band, which were not visible in the speci- 

 men presented to Cuvier by Riippel, nor do any traces of them exist 

 in the example brought from Port Essington. The vertical bands, so 

 common in the fish of this genus, are said to disappear as the indivi- 

 dual increases in age. In the ' Histoire des Poissons ' the dorsal is 

 said to be rounded and the anal a little angular. M. Ruppel's figure 

 shows a dorsal more angular than the anal, while in Mr. Gilbert's 

 specimen both these fins are much rounded, the anal however coming 

 nearest to a circular arc, because of its shortness and greater height, 

 the curve of the dorsal being more lengthened, and in proportion a 

 little more elevated anteriorly. 



In the dried specimen the back and sides have a tint intermediate 

 between broccoli-brown and honey-yellow, the under parts being 

 paler with much nacry lustre. The pectorals are colourless, the 

 ventrals are broadly tipped with brownish black, and the anterior 

 edge of the anal is widely bordered with the same, the rest of the 

 margin of that fin and the margins of the dorsal and caudal being 

 narrowly fringed with black. M. Riippel's figure omits the black 

 border of the fore-part of the anal, and shows a broader fringe of that 

 tint on the rest of the fins. His text describes the colour of the fresh 



