58 LAGODON RHOMBOIDES. 



ing strife, and from it begins a row of scales of similar form and stria?, though 

 smaller, that ascends forward to meet a corresponding row of the opposite side. 



The dorsal fin is single, and begins nearly on a line with the root of the pecto- 

 ral ; it has in front one small recumbent and twelve erect spines ; the second, 

 third, and fourth longest and slightly curved ; the soft portion has eleven rays. 

 The pectoral fin is long, narrow, delicate, terminates behind in a point, and has 

 fourteen rays. The ventral begins at the anterior fourth of the pectoral, and ter- 

 minates before the vent ; it is very near its fellow, and has a long, pointed, narrow, 

 supplementary scale in the axilla above ; each has one spine and five soft rays. 

 The anal begins nearly opposite the first ray of the soft dorsal, and ends with it, 

 before the root of the caudal ; it has three spines received in a groove ; the first is 

 short and delicate; it has eleven soft rays. The caudal is broad, and forked, 

 though it appears deeply crescentic when distended ; it has seventeen rays. 



The scales are semi-orbicular in form, finely ciliated behind, and straight before, 

 with twelve radiating stria?, which give it a scalloped appearance. The lateral 

 line is concurrent with the outline of the back, to the posterior extremity of the 

 dorsal, when it descends to the median plane ; its scales are smaller than those of 

 the body, sub-round, with radiating strige before, and a tube near the middle, Avhich 

 bifurcates behind into much smaller tubes. 



Colour. The head above is pale brown, with small golden spots ; the lij)s are 

 white ; the sides of the head and opercles are marked with several alternate pale- 

 blue and golden lines ; the body above the lateral line is marked with similar pale- 

 blue and golden lines, but more clouded, slightly arched, and concentric ; below 

 the lateral line these are horizontal and parallel nearly to the belly, where the blue 

 lines disappear, and are replaced with alternate white and golden lines ; the belly 

 is white ; there is a dusky spot above the root of the pectoral fin ; the spinous 

 portion of the dorsal fin is transparent, with an irregular, longitudinal yellow 

 band near its middle, bordered with pale blue. In the soft part of the dorsal, the 

 yellow band in the centre is more regular, with yellow blotches above, and with its 



