370 THE PEOCEEDINGS OP THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



very long flat serrated spine ; opercle rather feebly emarginated ; 

 caudal fin strongly emarginate ; the spines of the fins slender, 

 with a striated surface; ventrals large, nearly as long as the 

 head (upper jaw); the third spine of the anal the longest; mouth 

 extensible. 



Of a light silvery grey, washed with pink ; head of the last 

 colour ; belly, silvery ; fins of a reddish pink ; the back part of 

 the dorsal, the anal, and ventrals having two rounded dark spots 

 on each membrane ; the ventrals red ; the end of the caudal 

 rather dark. 



Obtained several times in May at Port^ Jackson. Length of 

 specimens eight to twelve inches, 



Apogon fasciatds. 

 Mullus fasciatus, White ; Voy. N.S. Wales, p. 268, f. 1. 



This pretty little fish appears sometimes in the Sydney 

 market, principally in March. It has seven spines in its first 

 dorsal, but the first is so short as to be easily overlooked ; the 

 third spine is the longest ; the height of the body is contained 

 three times in the total length of the fish ; the eye is less than 

 three times in the length of the head. 



The colour is of a handsome light lilac, with three longitudinal 

 black brown streaks — one at the base of the dorsal, and the 

 others on the sides of the body ; below this, there is another 

 very faint one ; the lower parts of the body are reddish, and the 

 fins are scarlet, with a black stripe at the base of the second dorsal 

 and at the anal ; on the caudal, the central black band extends 

 on all its length ; and its edges and extremities are also black. 



This is certainly the Mullus fasciatus of White ; but it is 

 doubtful if the different synonymes quoted by Dr. Gunther do 

 apply to the same sort ; novem fasciatus, and other Indian 

 species seem to me to be different ; otherwise. Dr. Grunther's 

 figures (Mus. Godeffroy, pi. 20, fig. A. and B.) would be very 

 incorrect. The Australian fish has the body higher, the eye a 

 great deal larger, the snout more advanced, the opening of the 

 mouth more oblique, and the colours very different. 



