BY W. MACLEAY, E.L.S. 585 



The length of the head is nearly twice its own breadth, and 

 nearly one-third of the total length. Head without spines, pre- 

 senting the usual ridges, which however are not very salient, 

 the prseopercular spines very short, of equal length, the lower one 

 rounded off almost to nothing. Lateral line perfectly smooth. 

 Above uniform deep brown, beneath white, the two colours 

 separate by a well-defined line. First dorsal fin with a very 

 large deep brown blotch ; the second dorsal, caudal, and pectorals 

 spotted ; the anal and ventral uniform blackish-brown. (Jen.) 



King George's Sound. 



452. Platycephalus japonicus, Cuv. & Val. 



Gunth. Cat. Fishes II., p. 181. 



D. 1. 7/12. A. 12. L. lat. 100. Yert. 12/15. 



The length of the head is three times and a-fifth in the total 

 length, and its width between the preeopercular spines once and 

 four-fifths in its length ; the distance between the eyes is one- 

 fifth of the length of the snout, and concave. A series of spines 

 along the superciliary margin, a second from the eye to the 

 scapular, and a-third of two spines on the infraorbital ring, there 

 are a pair of turbinal, and a pau' of occipital spines besides. Two 

 prseopercular spines of rather small size, the upper the larger. 

 The length of the third dorsal spine is twice and a-third in the 

 length of the head. Lateral line smooth. A tongue-shaped 

 membranaceous flap below the preeopercular spines. Eeddish- 

 olive, dotted with brown ; six brown bars across the back ; the 

 first dorsal with a broad oblique blackish band ; the other fins 

 spotted with brown. 



Port Darwin. 



453. Platycephaltjs isaoanthus, Cuv. & Val. 



Gunth., Cat. Fishes II., p. 183. 

 D. 1. 8/12. A. 12. 



