276 RECoiJus OK ruE austkaman museum. 



margiiiK and are larger tliau the body scales ; there are sixteen rows in 

 front of the first doisal. A mucigerons canal is present above the eye, 

 which defines a patch of supraciliary scales; two others extend across the 

 cheek, but the remainder, including the parietal groove, are hidden beneath 

 the scales. Preo[)ercular margin not free, almost completely liidden by 

 the scales; an open pore near its angle. Eye rather small, lateral, and 

 situated within the anteiior third of the liead ; it is close to the upper 

 profile. Interorbital space verj' broad and flat. Snout broadly rounded, 

 with a knob formed by the posterior [)remaxillary processes ; mandible 

 piojecting, the sym[)liysis angular. Mouth oblique, the maxilla reacliing 

 to below the anterior third of tlie eye. Nostrils well separated, the 

 anterior iu a low tube near the lip, the posterior a simple opening 

 near the eye. Each jaw with a band of villiform teeth, and an outer 

 row of stronger ones. Tongue broad, subtrnncate and free anteriorly. 

 Gill-openings extending forward almost to below the middle of the 

 preoperculum, the space separating them wider than the eye. Exposed 

 edge of the shoulder-girdle forming a smooth curved ridge ; a sharp 

 angle at its junction with the lower margin of the gill-opening. 



Body robust, subcylindrical anteriorly, compressed posteriorly. The 

 scales aie large and mostly ctenoid, but are cycloid on the breast and base 

 of the pectoral ; they extend up between the bases of the pectoi'al and 

 caudal rays. Genital papilla large and broadly rounded, with fimbriate 

 edges. 



First dorsal commencing above the hinder half of the pectoral, its 

 margin rounded ; the third .spine is longest but does not reach the second 

 dorsal when adpressed. Second dorsal somewhat rounded, the seventli 

 ray longest, and reaching about two-thirds of its distance from the hypuial 

 joint. Anal of similar form to the second dorsal, its origin and termination 

 a little behind those of that fin. Pectoral rounded, the median rays 

 almost reaching the vertical of the intei'space between the two dorsals. 

 Ventrals widely separated," the fourth rays longest, and reaching about 

 three-fourths of their distance from the vent. Caudal broadly I'ounded. 



Colour. — Brown above, after long preservation, white below. Two 

 dark bars extend obliquely downward from the eye to the operculum, and 

 a third crosses the operculum to the pectoial base ; this last has a light 

 patch on its upi)er portion, and there is a daik bar, followed by a lighter 

 one, at the bases of the rays. The sides of the body have indications of 

 several longitudinal stripes. The fins are dark in colour, and the dorsals, 

 anal, and ventrals have each a broad light maigin. 



Described from a specimen 284 mm. long, which is one of the cotypes 

 of Eleolris j)laiticeps, Macleay (=jy. upordcephaluK, Macleay). It clearly 

 shows the cephalic colour-markings which were said to be wanting by 

 Macleay, but it seems that thene dark bars are sometimes more pronounced 

 in old preserved specimens than in those whicli are fresher. 



hliiitifif. — We have compared this example witli a specimen from the 

 Malay Archipelago, which was received from Dr. F. Day as 0. aporus, a.ud 

 find the two similar in all details. 



