DR. RICHARDSON'S DESCRIPTION OF AUSTRALIAN FISH. 137 



When the fish was taken from the spirits the soft dorsal and anal appeared very dark, 

 the other fins yellowish or orange. The body also looked dark, but on detaching a scale 

 from the back the membranous sheath inclosing it was found to be of a lively purplish red. 

 All traces of coloured zones or spots, if any ever existed, had disappeared. The skin and 

 membranes generally were very tough, and the membrane of the fins thick and opake. 



The intestinal canal is a wide tube, the stomach being of a larger diameter than the 

 rest, and having its internal coat densely villous. The villous plaits are reticulated, and 

 become more and more delicate until they disappear altogether, leaving the fourth part 

 of the tube next the anus smooth. The first caudal vertebra has its inferior process of 

 a narrowly linear lanceolate form, with a broad, thin, rounded shoulder or plate on each 

 side of its junction with the body of the vertebra. Two holes for the passage of vessels 

 exist in the process, the succeeding caudal vertebrae having only one. 



Dimensions. 



In. Lin. 

 Length from intermaxillary symphysis to extremity of caudal fin . . 18 



Length from intermaxillary symphysis to end of larger scales on ditto 16 2 



Length from intermaxillary to end of dorsal 1211 



Length from intermaxillary to first soft ray of ditto 8 6 



Length from intermaxillary to beginning of dorsal fin 4 7 



Length from intermaxillary to nape 3 3 



Length from intermaxillary to edge of gill-cover 4 3 



Diameter of orbit 8 



Length of pectoral 2 8 



Length of first spine of dorsal Oil 



Length of ninth ditto 14 



Length of rays of caudal 2 9 



Length of naked part of fin (beyond small tongues of scales) ... 1 10 



Height at ventrals 4 9 



Height of tail 2 1 



Labrus fucicola (Nob.), Purple Wrasse. — Labrus fucicola, Richardson, Zool. Proceed., 

 June 25, 1839, and March 10, 1840. 



L. squamis inter oculum et preoperculum in seriebus quatuor instructis, parvis ; squamis 



opercularibus majusculis. 

 Radii.— Br. 6-6; P. 13; D. 9|11 ; V. l\^ ; A. 3]10; C. 14. 

 This species, though it has a general resemblance to the preceding, differs from it as 

 follows. The bones of the head though uneven are much less so than in tetricus, and 

 the scales of the operculum are more irregular in size, a few small round ones being 

 scattered among the larger ones. The cheek is protected by four rows of small roundish 

 scales, which do not approach so near the ridge of the preoperculum as in the prece- 

 ding species, but on the contrary the uppermost row, which consists of fewer and longer 



