164 DR. RICHARDSON'S DESCRIPTION OF AUSTRALIAN FISH. 



of the stripes pass from the mouth beneath the pectorals, and two cross the nose be- 

 tween the eye and mouth. The stripes are prolonged over the body by irregular de- 

 tached spots, which again become more continuous on the tail and bases of the vertical 

 fins. There are five stripes in all on each side of the tail, three of which are continued 

 into the caudal fin, where they anastomose with each other, and are finally connected 

 to each other within a fourth of the end of the fin by an arched vertical stripe. This 

 stripe, and the lateral ones with which it unites, are parallel to the edges of the fin, 

 which is even posteriorly, with the corners rounded. In auritus the caudal is rounded 

 at the end. There are three stripes on the bases of the dorsal and ventral, and the spots 

 are continued up the spines. 



Dimensions. 



In. Lin. 

 Total length, caudal included 6 6 



Length from mouth to lateral spine . . . . 2 10 



Length from mouth to gill-opening .... 1 6 



Length from mouth to centre of eye ... 1 3^ 



Diameter of eye 4^ 



Length of dorsal spine 5 



Length of pectorals 10 



Height of dorsal 1 0^ 



Height of anal 10 



Length of tail from cuirass to caudal ... 1 2 



Length of caudal fin 12 



Vertical diameter of body 3 1 



Breadth of back 1 0| 



OsTRACioN FLAViGASTER (iSray) , Yellow-belUed Pig-fish. — Aracana flavigaster, Gray, 

 Mag. Zool. and Bot. 1 138, p. 108 ; British Mus. No. 38. 



Tab. XL Fig. 1. 

 Ostracion (Aracana) ventre pallida unicolore, lateribus dorsoque lineis saturatis per- 

 cursis, quarum octo sub oculo cum totidem lineis pallidis interjacentibus ; in basi 

 pinna caudm lineis quinque pallidis et tribus in basibus pinnarum dorsi et caudce. 

 This Trunk-fish differs from the two preceding species in the cranium being nearly 

 flat instead of very concave between the very long orbitar spines. The facial profile 

 is slightly convex ; the pectoral is somewhat pointed, its uppermost rays being twice 

 the length of the lowest ones, and the caudal fin is slightly lunated at the end. The 

 plates of the cuirass are roughened by small obtuse grains, not so crowded as in auritus, 

 and not disposed in a distinct radiated manner. On the belly the plates have shghtly 

 elevated margins. 



The belly is pale, with no other markings than a slight darkening in the centre of 

 each plate. The upper parts are marked with alternate narrow lines of dark brown 



