BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 739 



of head 2| in the total length; upper profile of head rhombic. 

 Diameter of eye Sf in the length of the head and 2^ in that of 

 the snout, which is 3|- in the total length and 2^ times the 

 distance between the eye and the gill-opening. Interorbital 

 region flat, its width ^ of the head. Gill-openings vertical, very 

 small, about ^ of the diameter of the eye, and encroaching upon 

 the base of the pectoral fin. Dorsal spine originating behind the 

 vertical from the eye but not so far back as the gill-openings, its 

 distance from the tip of the snout 4 of that from the base of the 

 caudal, coarsely granular anteriorly on its proximal half, the 

 distal portion with two series of strong spines directed downwards, 

 its height 1 of the length of the head; second dorsal commencing 

 nearer to the origin of the dorsal spine than to the base of the 

 caudal, its rays and those of the anal rather low, with convex 

 outer border, the anterior middle rays the longest, about 4 of the 

 spine : ventral spine well developed, fixed, spinulose, the free 

 portions f of the diameter of the eye : pectoral with 13 rays, a 

 little shorter than the snout, but longer than the caudal, which is 

 rounded; width of caudal peduncle 4 of its least depth, which is 

 less than its length. Pale bluish above, yellow below; upj)er half 

 of body with three irregular series of round dark brovvn spots; 

 caudal peduncle dark bluish-brown. 



MONACANTHID^. 



In the ofiicial list of the fishes obtained during the visit of the 

 Thetis to Lord Howe Island last autumn Mr. Waite records the 

 capture of an example of Monacanthv^ nitens, and a second is now 

 included in my collection. Giinther* places this fish among th& 

 undetermined species and does not therefoi'e describe it, and as 

 the work in which its original describer published his diagnosis is 

 not easily attainable by the ordinary student it will not be out of 

 place to redescribe the species here. 



* Catal. Fish. viii. p. 229. 



