FISHES FROM WESTERN AUSTRALIA WAITE. 65 



the more generalised types of the Scorpididce, differing in the 

 attachment of the gill-membranes to the isthmus." Though 

 valid for the family, as a whole, this character does not hold good 

 for C. ( Microcajithus) striyatus in which the membi'anes are 

 united and free from the isthmus. 



Neatypus obliquus, sp. nov. 



(Plate X.) 



D. X. 22; A. iii. 18; V. i. 5 ; P. 15; C. 17; L. lat. 51. 



Length of head 3-8 ; height of body 2-1 in the total ; diameter 

 of eye 2-5 ; length of snout 3-9 and of caudal 2-0 in the length 

 of the head ; interoi'bital space convex, slightly less than the 

 diameter of the eye ; hinder limb and angle of preopercle denti- 

 culated, lower limb smooth. 



Body compressed, ventral profile but little lower than that of 

 the dorsal. 



Fins. — The dorsal fin originates above the margin of the 

 opercle, the spines regularly increase in height to the sixth, which 

 is 1-7 in the length of the head, the following spines are but 

 slightly lower, the anterior rays are of the same height as the 

 last spines, and gradually decrease in length, the contour of the 

 fin is thus unbroken. The anal commences beneath the beginning 

 of the soft dorsal. Its second spine is very sti'ong and long, 

 much longer than the sixth dorsal and 1 '3 in the length of the 

 head ; the third spine is weaker and a little shorter ; the anterior 

 rays are longer than the corresponding ones of the dorsal, and the 

 margin of the fin is almost sti'aight. The ventral spine is equal 

 to the fourth dorsal, and the longest rays are of the same length 

 as the pectoral, 1 -4 in that of the head. The caudal is emargi- 

 nate and the depth of its peduncle is equal to the diameter of 

 the eye. 



Colours. — The ground colour is pale grey, with six oblique 

 dark brown bands, each of which is bordered with black. The 

 first is double above, the anterior portion arising between the 

 eyes, with a strong concavity to the front, the posterior portion 

 passes from above the hinder maigin of the eye, and merged with 

 the anterior limb, glasses downwards across the preopercle to the 

 ventral spine. The second band originates on the occiput, crosses 

 the edge of the opercle and base of the pectoral fin, and attains 

 the lower profile at the middle of the adpressed ventral spine. 

 Each band becomes successively more oblique, the third passing 

 from the base of the three first dorsal spines to the commence- 

 ment of the anal. The next band joins the v.-^ ii. dorsal spines 



