FISHES OF NEW ZEALAND. 25 



(liaiuetor of tlie eye ; soft dorsal not so high as the body beneath ; base 

 of the s])inoiis doi-sal very little more than half that of the soft. 



Pale l)ro^\-ll, with some black spots ou the head, shoulders, and fins, 

 and with five faintly marked blackish bars on the back, Avhich do not 

 extend below the lateral line. 



Mouth of the Hutt River, presented by W. T. L. Travers, Esq. 



Australia. 



Percis. 



Body cylindrical, covered with ctenoid scales ; moutli oblique ; eye 

 lateral, directed upwards ; dorsal one ; ventrals a little before the pec 

 torals, the lower rays of which are branched ; vHliform teeth in the jaws 

 and canines ; teeth on the vomer, none on the palate ; lips thick ; six 

 branchiostegals. 



From the Pted Sea to the coasts of Australia and Polynesia. 



38. PERCIS COLIAS. Forst. CM. 



Rock Cod. 



Percis colias et nycthemeo-a, Giinth., II., 242. 



D. I ; A. 17 ; L. Lat., 62 ; L. Trans., 7/22. 

 LenCxTH about three and a half times that of the head, which is from 

 five to seven times the diameter of the eye, which is equal to the inter- 

 orbital space ; prajoperculum entire ; operculum with one or two small 

 compressed spines ; spinous poi-tion of dorsal much lower than the soft ; 

 tail square. 



Colors variable ; back and sides dark green, marbled with brown ; 

 top of the head dark brown, with a patch of green over each eye ; belly 

 greyish white; fins pale greyish, more or less spotted with brown, 

 especially the posterior part of the dorsal ; immature specimens want 

 the green color, but have the back and sides brown, more or less marbled 

 with greyish white, and with more spots on the sides and fins 

 (mjctliemera). 



Abundant all round New Zealand, not found elsewhere. 



I have examined a considerable number of specimens, but never have 

 found the fin rays to agree with the number given by Forster, although 

 some of them agreed exactly in color with the description given of col'ws 

 in the Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. The lai-gest specimen that I have 

 seen was 21^ inches in total length, and weighed 4^ lbs. 



Skeleton prepared by Dr. Knox. 



D 



