358 Dr. Richardson on the Ichthyoloyy of Australia. 



may visit that part of Australia. Judging from the splendour 

 of its dress, we may suspect it to be a Mis. It will be readily 

 recognised by the extreme length of its upper caudal ray. 



" Labrus iris, Maij 24, 1770. Dorsum pallide olivaceum, infra 

 medium e cserulescenti albidum. Vitta in medio quadruplex, o. su- 

 perne lutescens, (d. pallide cyanea, y. lutescens, B. griseo-ca?rulescens. 



Supra os fascia? tres splendida?, a. intense ca?rulea, (3. flava, y. . 



Capitis latera pallide cserulescentia ad pinnas pectorales ducta. Vitta? 

 cserulea? per iridem continuantur. Obs. Vitta lateralis postice cyanea, 

 ad basin pinnap. caudalis arcuata et inferne reflexa. Pinna caudalis 

 rubescens, subpellucida ; dorsalis lutescens ; pinna? pectorales e cor- 

 neo albida?, pellucida? ; ventrales et pinna ani albido-pellucida?. Obs. 

 Radius supremus pinna? caudalis elongatus, ut cauda triplo longior." 

 (Solander.) 



Tautoga melapterus (Cuv. et Val.), The Ardilga. 



Tautoga melapterus, Cuv. et Val. xiii. p. 311. 

 Labrus melamplerus, Bl. 285. Schn. 247. 

 No. 19. Mr. Gilbert's list. 



The ' Ardilga ' of the natives of Port Essington inhabits 

 deep water among sunken rocks, and readily takes a baited 

 hook. Mr. Gilberts specimen was captured at the Tamar 

 rock. It agrees so closely with the account of the large- 

 lipped Tautoga from the sea of Java, in the e Histoire des 

 Poissons/ that I have no hesitation in considering it to be 

 the same species. A few particulars which are more readily 

 observed in the dried skin than in a specimen preserved in 

 spirits are mentioned in the following notice. 



The plaits of the large upper lips and the lobes of the lower one 

 preserve their form when dried. The cranium above the posterior 

 angle of the orbit and the suborbitars show many undulating and 

 anastomosing lines, producing an irregular rustic-work ; the upper 

 limb of the preoperculum is more faintly marked in the same way ; 

 and the operculum is sculptured in fine straight lines, radiating from 

 its upper corner. There are two rows of scales on the cheek deeply 

 imbedded in the skin, and a single vertical row containing five on 

 the temple. The lateral line is composed of twenty-seven scales, 

 each having on its disc a tapering tube with the point inclined up- 

 wards. The exposed discs of all the scales on the body are im- 

 pressed by upwards of twenty faint fan-like streaks, which are con- 

 tinued over the thin membranous edges. 



Rays:— B. 5; D.9|10; A. 2|10; C. 13§ ; P. 13 ; V. 1|5. 



The pectorals are rounded ; the dorsal and anal fins end in acute 

 points. The dorsal contains an articulated ray fewer than the spe- 

 cimen belonging to the Leyden Museum, which is the one described 

 in the ' Histoire des Poissons.' The posterior rays of the fin are one- 

 fifth longer than the first soft ray, and twice as high as the first 

 spine. The other spines increase gradually in height, the ninth 

 being just perceptibly shorter than the jointed ray which succeeds 



