BY W. MACLEAY, F.L.S. 23 



Of rather elongate form. Height of body contained five times 

 and a-half in the total length, length of head four times ; diameter 

 of eye four times and five-sixths in the length of the head ; a long 

 branched tentacle over the eye, a small simple one on the snout. 

 Scales minute. Lower jaw longest. The first dorsal fin is 

 situated above the end of the prreoperculura, the two first spines 

 longer and nearer together than the third, the space between the 

 two dorsals equal to the transverse diameter of the eye ; the 

 second dorsal grows a little higher at its posterior extremity, 

 which is rounded, the spines and rays are strong, and the 

 membranes extend to the apex of the rays ; the caudal is rounded 

 and formed of nine rays ; the anal in form resembles the second 

 dorsal, but the rays extend beyond the connecting membrane ; 

 the ventrals have their rays united at the base, the middle one 

 the longest. Of a handsome purple colour, with large, black, 

 rounded blotches, forming a line on the back and on each side, 

 the last being the smallest ; between these there are numerous 

 short, irregular, interrupted, white, longitudinal lines. The 

 belly is of a pale and pinkish colour, with large white oval blotches; 

 the head is punctured with red, and has two irregular longitudinal 

 lines on the prreoperculum, the second rather oblique ; the lips 

 are marbled with pale brown, and on the sides of the head are 

 five or six silvery blotches. The dorsal and anal fins are 

 transparent, covered with purplish-brown opaque lines, forming 

 a sort of trellis work ; the rays are brown, marbled with yellow ; 

 the rays of the caudal are similar, and that fin is bordered with 

 orange, as is also the soft part of the dorsal ; the ventrals are 

 striped yellow and purple ; the pectorals are dark ; the eye is 

 pink, with an external series of red spots. 



Melbourne. Length ten inches. 



587. Cristiceps am^enus, Casteln. 

 Proc. Zool. Soc, Victoria, Vol. II., p. 48. 



