10 FISHES OF NEW ZEALAND, 



the length of the snout, and less than one-third of the head ; interorhital 

 space rather less than half the diameter of the eye ; vertex with promi- 

 nent spines ; a flat expanded and ci-eniilated tentacle on the interior side 

 of the anterior nostril ; third and fourth dorsal spines the longest, rather 

 less than half the length of the head. 



Head and fore part of the back olivaceous brown ; hinder part of the 

 back and sides reddish orange ; belly yellomsh ; five transverse bands of 

 olivaceous brown on the sides and back, which are partly produced on to 

 the dorsal ; fins pale yellowish, marbled with olivaceous brown ; inside 

 of the mouth violet ; iiis hazel. 



Australia and Tasmania. Common. 



SCORP^NA. 



Head slightly compressed, loith a naked groove on the occiput, anned 

 with spines ; body Avith rather small scales ; dorsal more or less deeply 

 notched ; ventrals thoracic ; pectorals large and rounded ; villiform teeth 

 in the jaws, on the vomer, and generally on the palate ; seven branchios- 

 tegals. 



All tropical seas, extending into the Mediterranean. 



15. SCORP^NA CRUENTA. Solander. CM, 



S. militaris, Rich., p. 22, pi. 14. S. c7-uenta, Giinth., II., p. 112. 



D. lllroj A. g; L. Lat., 45. 



Length about three and two-fifths that of the head ; height about equal 

 to the length of the head ; the length of the snoiit is between one 

 quarter and one-fifth of the head, and the interorbital space is rather 

 less, or contained six times in the length of the head ; head with scarcely 

 any scales ; interorbital space concave, with two ridges, each of which 

 terminates posteriorly in a spine ; vertex with prominent sj^ines ; third 

 dorsal S2)ine nearly equal to second of anal, and about one eighth of the 

 length. 



Bright orange to rose pink, marbled ^vith purple ; belly bright red ; 

 a black spot between the eighth and ninth dorsal S2:)ine. 



Cook Straits. 



Another species, called aS'. 2)/eheia, is mentioned by Sir J. Richardson 

 (Dieff. N.Z. II., p. 208) as obtained at Tolaga Bay, but there appears to 

 be no description of it, and it is not mentioned by Dr. Giinther. 



