1S87.] ON A NEW FISH OF THE GENUS PRIONURUS. 395 



tlie wording makes it appear as if I considered that name to be a 

 mere synonym of G. tricuspidata. I had no such intention ; what I 

 meant to convey was, that Count Castehiau had mistaken the 

 ordinary handed form of G. tricuspidata for G. zonata, which is 

 certainly not known in this colony. Regarding this banding, which I 

 had considered to be indicative of youth, as in the case of many other 

 fishes, I am now at a loss, as I have seen many banded examples of 

 equal size with the plain ones ; and I am informed that the same 

 haul of a net will frequently take equal numbers of either form, and 

 even the fishermen, who as a rule go by colours, recognize only one 

 species. 



Since writing the above I have had an opportunity of seeing a 

 living specimen of this beautiful fish in the Manly Aquarium ; it is 

 smaller than either of my specimens, being, I should say, about 14 

 inches long ; is of a brighter blue all over, and has more golden 

 spots. 



6. On an undescribed Fish of the Genus Prionurus from 

 Australia. By J. Dooglas-OgilbYj Ichthyol. Dept. 

 Australian Museum. (Communicated by F. T>a.y, Esq., 



F.Z.S.) 



[Keceived March 26, 1887.1 



The fish which is described below belongs to a small collection 

 obtained some years ago in Port Jackson, and measures over 15 inches. 

 It is very distinct from our common P. microlepidotus, and though 

 it agrees with P. scalprum in the fin-rays and profile of snout, in 

 other points it approaches nearer to P. laticlavius ; I have no choice 

 therefore but to describe it as a new species. 



Prionurus maculatus, sp. nov. 



B. V. D. 9/24. A. 3/23. V. 1/5. P. 17. C. 17. 



Length of head 4f, of caudal fin 51, height of body 2| in the 

 total length. Eye — diameter | of the length of the head, 1 of 

 that of the snout, and ^ of the interorbital space, which is convex. 

 The upper profile of the snout is very slightly concave, that of the 

 occiput as slightly convex. Upper jaw overhanging the lower. 

 Teeth — A single series of compressed pluricuspid teeth in both jaws. 

 Fins. — The dorsal fin commences above the opercular angle ; its 

 spines are moderately strong, the fifth the highest, f of the length 

 of the head, the first very short ; the rays are nowhere so high as 

 the spines ; the base of the spinous portion is ^ of that of the soft. 

 The anal fin commences beneath the last dorsal spine ; its third 

 spine is much the longest, equal to the anterior rays and almost as 

 long as the fifth dorsal spine. The ventral fins reach to the 

 second anal spine. Pectorals truncate behind, reaching to a little 

 beyond the ventrals and equal in length to the head. Caudal fin 

 emarginate. Caudal lamints — a series of three keeled bony plates 



