170 



Transactions . — Zoology . 



of the sub operculum. The eye is large, and contained six times in length 

 of head ; iris yellow, with blue and red circular bands ; cheeks naked, except 

 a patch of scales on operculum and suboperculum. Head one-fifth total 

 length, which is four and a half times the height. Body rounded, and 

 carrying its depth well towards the tail ; dorsal outline sinuous, abdominal 

 well curved ; greatest depth of body below twelfth dorsal spine. One dorsal 

 fin long and continuous, supported on soft spines, a few at posterior end 

 being branched. Ventrals thoracic and having four branched rays, nearly 

 confluent at base, which is situated a little behind pectorals. Anal fin not 

 long with first ray under twenty-fifth dorsal ray. Caudal slightly forked, 

 truncate and carried on branched rays. Lateral line curved above pectoral 

 and nearly straight thence to the caudal. Scales soft and adherent. 



Co lour.— Bather a gay and striking fish ; dorsal half and head dark olive- 

 green, and mottled with small blue spots ; abdominal half of body greenish- 

 yellow with small blue spots. A golden band runs from mouth along 

 cheeks to pectoral fins, thence to tail it is broken into a line of broad 

 irregular patches of a peach colour, which lie below the lateral line and 

 terminate a little beyond last ray of anal fin. Dorsal fin dark olive except 

 a transparent patch at posterior extremity. Pectoral and ventrals clear. 

 Anal dark, a transparent band near posterior extremity. Caudal fin dark 

 olive-green. 



Stomach siphonal ; intestine long and lying along abdomen in a number 

 of turns. Ovaries clear in colour, ova very small. Air-bladder simple, 

 cylindrical and silvery in colour, lining of abdominal cavity also silvery. 



Dimensions. 



Inches. 



Total length .. .. .. .. ..9-3 



Length 



Head 



Least depth of tail 



Height 



Eye diameter . . 



Eye from snout 



Dorsal from snout 



Pectoral ,, ,, 



Ventral ,, ,, 



Anal ,, 



8-0 



1-8 



0-85 



2-0 



0-3 



0-8 



21 ; 



2-0 



2-5 



5-0 



length 4-0 

 12 

 1-2 

 1-3 



On August 30th another example of this fish was in Mr. Smith's shop, but 

 not so brightly coloured as the above- described one. He examined it and 

 found the vertebrae to be of a light green colour, but there was no decided 

 sexual development. Although the above specimens have heads with sharp 

 snouts, while Coridoclax pallus, the kelp fish or butter fish, has a blunt 

 snout, yet in other respects they are so like as to render it possible that the 

 latter may be but the adult form of the former. Our local kelp fish, while 



