1889.] NEW TO THE AUSTRALIAN FAUNA. 156 



Dr. Bleeker having described his species from a single specimen, a 

 redescription taken from two perfect examples is interesting ; a 

 comparison of the two diagnoses, however, reveals but slight 

 differences, such as the larger number of pectoral rays in my 

 specimens, a slight variation in the comparative measurements, and 

 fewer scales on the lateral line'. Dr. Bleeker's type, which came 

 from Amboyna, was of rather smaller size than those here described, 

 which measure respectively five and a half and five and two thirds 

 inches. For the possession of these specimens the Australian 

 Museum is indebted to the liberality of Lieut. Roche, lafe of H.M.S. 

 •Opal,' who obtained them on the Great Barrier Reef off the north- 

 eastern coast of Australia. 



ScoRP.»NA cooKii, Giinth. 



B. vii. D. 12/9. A. 3/5. V. 1/5. P. 6/11 ^ C. 13. 

 L. 1. 62-65. 



The length of the head is from twice and two thirds to twice and 

 four fifths in the total length, the height of the body from three and 

 three fifths to four times in the same. The eye is of moderate size, 

 and is placed high up on the side of the head ; its diameter is from 

 two ninths to one fifth of the length of the head, from five sixths to 

 two thirds of that of the snout, and from five eighths to one half of 

 a diameter apart. The interorbital space is deeply concave, and is 

 furnislied with a median ridge, which springs from two roots on the 

 posterior margin of the swelling caused by the intermaxillary 

 processes, and ends opposite to the anterior third of the eye, from 

 which point two low lateral ridges run backwards, and bending 

 towards each other after leaving the interorbital fossa, meet in an 

 acute angle on the posterior third of the occiput, and are there lost 

 without terminating in a spine ; there is a naked shallow groove 

 below the eye. The cleft of the mouth is large and but little 

 oblique, and the lower jaw protrudes shghtly beyond the upper ; the 

 maxilla reaches to the vertical from the hinder margin of the eye, 

 and even beyond it in large examples. The opercle is armed with 

 two long and moderately strong spines of equal size : there are five 

 spines on the preopercle, the uppermost of which is much the 

 longest and strongest, while the two lower are short and blunt. 

 The outer edge of the preorbital bears several spinate points which 

 radiate from a common centre, and is usually provided with two 

 tentacles; there is also a strong turbinal spine, as well as one 

 anterior and two posterior spines on the supraorbital ridge, which is 

 either with or without tentacles, these when present being sometimes 



1 The difference in the number of scales between the spinous dorsal and the 

 lateral line is caused by Dr. Bleeker having counted those beneath the middle 

 of the fin, while I, adhering to my usual practice, have counted the oblique row 

 from the base of the anterior spine. 



^ In one of my specimens there are ten dorsal and six anal rays, while the 

 pectoral fins have on one side five branched and twelve simple rays, that on 

 the other side adhering to the normal number ; this example has also excep- 

 tionally long orbital tentacles, but differs in nowise else from the other examples. 



