246 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



four short spines directed backwards (two on each side) ; the 

 ventral spine is very small ; the caudal is rounded ; the dorsal is 

 formed of thirty-three rays and the anal of twenty-nine ; after 

 having been preserved in liquor the colour is of a uniform light 

 greyish yellow, with the belly and fins of a light yellowish green ; 

 on the space between the mouth and the eye there are traces of 

 rather numerous transverse light blue stripes running rather 

 obliquely, and the lower parts have longitudinal lines of the 

 same colour ; on the throat are rounded similar spots ; on the 

 living specimens the colours seem to have been very beautiful, as 

 Mr. Yagoe, who caught them in St. Vincent's Gulf, writes that 

 " the colours were something magnificent, from orange to red, 

 from the lightest to the darkest green, and from azure to purple, 

 were all splendidly shaded." The total length is ten inches and 

 a half, and the greatest height of the body four inches and two- 

 thirds. 



MONACANTHUS SANTI JOANNI. 



Enters Dr. Gunther's division. " Anal fins with less than 

 forty rays; dorsal spine with four series of barbs, the front series 

 much closer together than the hinder series, and formed by small 

 barbs." 



The profile of the head is rather concave in front and slightly 

 convex towards the spine ; skin entirely covered with small 

 tubercules, radiated at the base and terminated by a keel, trun- 

 cated and rather crenulated at its extremity ; these tubercles 

 are placed irregularly, but forming rather transverse than longi- 

 tudinal lines ; the tail has no spines, and is like the other parts 

 of the body ; the head is contained three times in the length 

 without the caudal ; the height of the body is about one-half of 

 the length ; the dorsal spine is nearly as long as the head ; it is 

 straight and slender ; the posterior barbs are large and directed 

 downwards, but they only occupy the lower half of the spine ; 

 this last is inserted a little in front of the centre of the eye ; the 

 pectoral is rather behind ; the second dorsal is formed of twenty- 

 eight rays ; the caudal is rounded; the anal has twenty-six rays ; 

 the ventral spine is rather large ; it is star like in front and bifid 



