BY CHARLES W. DE VIS, M.A. 455 



A single example received its name from its collector, Captain 

 Townley, of St. Helena, other specimens have been received 

 subsequently. 



SCATOPHAGUS QUADRANUS. 



The fish representing on the Queensland Coast, the Indian 

 Scatophagus argus Lin. appears to be incapable of identification 

 with that species. It has no recumbent spine in either its adult 

 or adolescent states. The spots on the body do not extend beyond 

 the base of the soft dorsal. When they are present on the caudal 

 they are limited to its lateral edges, and they scarcely pass on to 

 the base of the anal. The fourth dorsal spine is 3^ instead of 2h 

 in the height of the body even in the full grown fish in which the 

 trunk is relatively elongate. It may be added that no Australian 

 specimen of S. argus is mentioned by Dr. Gunther. On these 

 grounds, I venture to draw attention to our well-known fish under 

 the specific name given above. The absence of the procumbent 

 spine renders it strictly speaking a Chaatodon, but in its general 

 characters it is a Scatophagus, and I therefore, refer it to that 

 genus. Its characters are 



D. 11/15-16. A. 4/13-14. L. tr., about 80. 



Interorbit half of the length of the head. Pre-orbital with lower 

 posterior angle minutely serrated. Fourth dorsal spine 3^ in the 

 height of the adult body. 



Colour, dark brown, chest, abdomen and caudal lighter. On the 

 body black spots becoming smaller on the lower part, not extending 

 to the nape nor forepart of the abdomen, ncr on the fins, except 

 the lateral edges of the caudal. "Webs of vertical fins conspi- 

 cuously darker than the rays. 



Length to 13 inches. Locality, Queensland Coasts. 



Still commoner on our coasts than the preceding species is the 

 representative of Scatophagus multifasciatus of Richardson. Its 

 identification with that species is however, open to the same 

 cardinal objection — in it also the pro-cumbent spine is entirely and 

 invariably wanting. Moreover, were it possible to suppose that 



