Fishes. 9367 
nature of the great deep will for a single moment gainsay us, that there 
are yet others to be found. ‘True, they may be, like the present, small, 
and on that account appear insignificant in the eyes of the community 
at large, but that would nevertheless neither affect nor lessen the inte- 
rest of their discovery in the estimation, of those who look to these 
things with interest. But to return: although it were the case that 
our fish was a native of New Guinea which had accidentally found its 
way here, still the want of the spinous rays of the fins already referred 
to, is a most important and distinctive mark, and quite sufficient of 
itself to prove that none of Cuvier’s are, or can be, the same. 
But it is not exactly agreed amongst ichthyologists whether our fish 
be really a mature specimen or one only approaching maturity. 
Although small, being scarcely an inch in length, still we must say 
that to us it has all the appearance of being an adult, or at least not 
far from that stage. We say this from the undeniable fact that it is 
one of the most complete and most perfectly formed creatures of the 
kind any one could wish to look at, every part being to all appear- 
ance fully developed, and nothing being in any way the least dispro- 
portionate, and thereby disagreeable as it were to look at. It is also 
of a most remarkably firm and compact texture, which is not the case 
with young animals generally, but more especially with those of the 
description now under notice, which are rather of a soft and flimsy 
nature, until they have at least attained some growth. In a word, it 
is, although in miniature, as complete a fac simile of perfect con- 
struction, if we may be allowed so to speak, as we ever saw, or indeed 
could see. 
We may mention, for the sake of those more particularly interested 
in the matter, although we do not feel justified at present in calling 
the little stranger by any definite term, that it has all the character- 
teristics of, and does in fact belong to, the Labridz or wrasses ; but, 
as already hinted, whether young or old, is quite distinct from any as 
yet known form of that numerous and widely distributed family. 
The colour when alive was of a most beautiful yellowish green, 
thickly marked all over, but more so on the back and head, with 
very minute starry specks of a purplish hue, all the fins more or 
less partaking of the same, save the caudal, which was whitish. The 
pupil of the eye appeared to be pinkish, encircled with a narrow ring 
of white, which glistened like burnished silver, the iris being greenish, 
with a tinge of bluish purple. The dorsal, which has the anterior rays 
for about two-thirds of its length considerably lower than the other 
third, extends farther back than the anal ; the pectorals are fan-shaped, 
