392 Dr. Richardson on the Ichthyology of Australia. 



Pagrus latus, Solander's Pagrus. 



Sciana lata, Solander, Pisces Austr., p. 25. Parkins., pi. 72. 

 aurata, G. Forster, pi. 208 ? 



On Cook's first voyage a sparoid fish was taken on the 

 coast of New Zealand, which was described by Solander and 

 figured by Parkinson under the appellation of Scitena lata, but 

 which seems afterwards to have been considered by some one 

 as the Sparus er'ythrimis of Linnaeus, that name being written 

 in pencil under the figure. It is however evidently a Pagrus, 

 and a species nearly related to guttulatus and micropterus. 

 Solander's description, which is subjoined, with the omission 

 of some passages relating to generic characters only, does not 

 accord so closely with the short notices of these species in the 

 ' Histoire des Poissons' as to permit us to refer it to either of 

 them ; yet having neither authentic specimens nor figures to 

 compare with Parkinson's drawing, I cannot point out their 

 distinctive characters in detail. In the soft part of the dorsal 

 being higher than the spinous part, Solander's fish resembles 

 micropterus, but that species has only two small anal spines ; 

 the size of the specimen was greater than the examples oi gut- 

 tulatus or micropterus mentioned by Cuvier, which were from 

 five to nine inches in length. 



" Sciana lata (fig. pict.). Habitat in oceano Australiara alluente 

 inter Opooragi et Owhooragi. Corpus ovato-oblongum, compressum. 

 Caput breve, declive, obtusum, infra et intra oculos nudum, in ver- 

 tice squamosum ; squamis parvis. Laminae operculorum squamis 

 majusculis tectae. Labia crassa, carnosa. Maxilla superior paulo 

 longior. Dentes tantummodo in maxillis et fauce. Dentes maxillares 

 duplici serie dispositi ; exteriores conici, obtusiusculi, interiores ro- 

 tundati, subhaemisphserici. Obs. Antice intra seriem interiorem., 

 nonnulli parvi, rotundati sparsi ; faucium subulati, majusculi, parum 

 inflexi. Oculi magni, iris argentea, nebulis ferrugineis, pupilla 

 magna nigra. Pinna dorsalis, longa, 22-radiata; radiis 12 anterio- 

 ribus spinosis paulo longioribus. Pinna ani 12-radiata, radiis tribus 

 anterioribus spinosis, reliquis muticis, duobus posticis aj^proximatis. 

 Pinnse pectorales lanceolatse, paulo pone medium trunci extensae, 

 14-radiatce. Pinnse ventrales, oblongse, acutse, pectoralibus ^ brevi- 

 oribus. Pinna caudalis 17-radiata, bifurca, lobis acutis, inferiore bre- 

 viore. Squamee majusculse, durse, adhserentes. Color. Piscis totus 

 nitens, e rubicundo argenteus, fasciis quinque latis obsoletis, altius 

 rubicundis : 1"^^ pone caput, 2'^*'* in medio pisce, 3*'* supra initium 

 pinnae analis, 4"* inter finem pinnae dorsalis et analis, 5^^ in ultima 

 Cauda. Obs. Gula, pectus et abdomen albae immaculatae. In dorse, 

 praecipueque prope lineam lateralem, maculae plurimas rotundae e cae- 

 ruleo argenteae, sparsae. Pinna dorsalis dilute rubicunda, maculis ro- 

 tundis glaucis adspersa. Pinnae pectorales rubicundae. Pinnae ven- 

 trales albidse, in medio glaucescentes. Pinna analis albida, postice 

 glauca. Pinna caudalis rubra, margine inferiore albo. Diameter 



