Zoology.'] NATUEAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. \_Fishti. 



blue lines radiating from the eye, the intervening spaces varying irregularly, either the 

 green or purple of the body in different specimens; dorsal fin sap-green at base, irregu- 

 larly clouded with reddish and pale blue; a definite, narrow, continuous edging of bright 

 blue, and numerous, ultramarine-blue, round spots on membrane of hinder part of 

 dorsal in most specimens, in some specimens pale purple with narrow blue edge, 

 without spots, but clouded with blue in front, and dull red behind ; anal sap-green 

 at base with a blue basal line, the marginal half dark-purplish with a narrow blue 

 line between it and the green, and a bright blue, nan-ow edge and numerous round, 

 blue spots on membranes ; caudal with green of body extending along upper edge 

 and middle, as narrow bands ; rest of membrane of the purplish tint of body stripes, 

 with a broad, darker band at posterior third; rays and round spots on membrane 

 bright blue (in some specimens these blue spots extend over lower, body purplish, 

 stripe to anterior end of anal fin) ; pectoral fin bluish-green at base, the rest of the 

 membrane colourless, but the rays dark-greenish, except a broad margin of ends of 

 branched rays, red; ventral nearly colourless, tinged with pale purplish and bluish. 

 Iris with orange, round pupil, with blue and green circles in middle, and outer orange 

 circle. Length, 11 in. 7 lines; snout to orbit, 10 .ines; snout to end of operculum, 

 2 in. 10 lines; snout to front of dorsal, 3 in.; depth of body, 3 in.; height of middle 

 of dorsal, 1 in. ; length of ventral, 1 in. 5 lines. 



Reference.— Zool. Proc. 1840 : Er. and Ter., Fish, p. 128, t. 56, f 3-6. 



This is one of the most beautiful of all the Wrasses, called 

 Parrot-fishes in Australia, and varies considerably in the extent 

 of the blue spotting of the fins and in the intensity and extent 

 of the body colours. I have not seen any vermilion line indicated 

 in some of the second-hand, published descriptions of the colom'ing, 

 and think the parts so named are always blue. 



Not very uncommon in Hobson's Bay. Our specimens were 

 got in February, August, and September. It has not been figured 

 of the natural colours before. 



Explanation of Figures. 



Plate 163. — Fig. 1, average specimen, two-thirds of natural size. Fig. la, outline, to show 

 granules, row of scales on cheek, and two rows with imperfect third row of large scales of oper- 

 culum. Fig. 16, teeth of upper and lower jaws, twice natural size, showing .anterior large canines, 

 and the posterior canines of upper jaw. Fig \c, inner row of teeth in upper jaw, four times the 

 natural size. Fig. Id, scale from above lateral line, twice the natural size. Fig. le, scale from 

 lateral line, twice the natural size. Fig. 2, dorsal fin of another specimen. 



Frederick McCoy. 



[ 238 J 



