BY CHARLES W. DE VIS, M.A. 457 



and the markings on the head, except the interorbital band, 

 become obsolete. The lips, a supraciliary stripe, and the caudal are 

 dark and the web of the spinous dorsal black. The body is less 

 deep, the vertex ruore concave and the muzzle rather longer. 



Length to 12 inches. Locality, Queensland Coast. 



The retention of the two preceding species is justified by the 

 similar inconstancy in the absence (to the eye) of the pro-cumbent 

 spine in the allied genus Holacanthus. It is a character which 

 in both genera should be stated with a reservation. The naked- 

 ness of the first dorsal in Scatophagies is its distinctive feature. 



Two other species of Scatophagus are in the Queensland collec- 

 tion, one of them near Bougain villi. C & V., but both being 

 quite young, I forbear to notice them further. 



Holacanthus sphynx. 



D. 14/16-17. A. 3/17. Lat. 45. 



A procumbent dorsal spine. The pre-opercular spine is ■£ of the 

 length of the head, and has a small one anterior to it. The 

 vertical fins are rounded, not produced. The pre-orbital pre- 

 opercle and lower limb of opercle denticulated. Profile equally 

 convex above and below. 



Colour, uniform light golden brown. 



Length, 3£ inches. Locality, Queensland Coast. 



Holacanthus bicolor. Bl. 



The procumbent dorsal spine exposed in the preceding species is, 

 in bicolor, just covered by the skin. 

 Locality, Queensland Coast. 



Holacanthus semi-circularis. C. & V. 



In the Queensland specimen the alternating blue lines are 

 barely distinguishable. 



