484 



forms, or merely varieties we are unable to say. Kent *2) has 

 described and roughly figured two very differently-marked 

 specimens as A. ornata and A. aiiriia, which he regards as 

 sexual forms of the one species. His figures are very crude, 

 and do not quite agree with any specimens in our series, 

 and as he offers no proof of his contention, we suggest that 

 the two names be retained until further information is 

 available. 



Key to the species of Aracana. 



a. Supraorbital spines inclined more or less 

 backward. 



h. Caudal not ornate aurita 



hh. Caudal ornate spilogaster 



c. Body subcircular, more than half as deep 

 as long. 

 d. One mediolateral, two infralateral 



spines typical form 



dd. Two mediolateral, four infralateral 



spines var. spinosissima 



cc. Body ovate, less than half as deep as 



long var. angusta 



<ia. Supraorbital spines inclined upward and 

 slightly forward. 

 e. Dark bars on caudal peduncle paired, 

 much broader than the light interspaces. 

 Snout subvertical in adults, oblique in 

 the young. 

 /. Sides of carapace with numerous poly- 

 gonal spots; caudal fin ornate ornata 



if. Sides of carapace with broad bars, not 



spots; caudal fin plain ornata, var. 



€6. Dark bars of caudal peduncle not paired, 

 usually narrower than the light inter- 

 spaces ; snout oblique ; caudal fin plain fiavigaster 



Aracana aurita, Shaw. 



PI. XX. 



Ostracion auritus, Shaw : Nat. Miscel., ix., 1798, pi. 

 -cccxxxviii., and Gen. Zool., v., pt. 2, 1804, p. 429, pi. clxxiii. ; 

 Bloch and Schneider: Syst. Ichth., 1801, p. 561. 



Ostracion (Aracana) auritus, Gray : Illustr. Ind. Zool., 

 1829(?), pi. xcviii., fig. 2; Gray: Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., i., 1838, 

 p. 110; Richardson: Trans. Zool. Soc, iii., 1849, p. 160, pi. ix., 

 figs. 1 and 2; Bleeker : Verb. Akad. Amstrdm., ii., 1855, p. 26; 

 Giinther: Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., viii., 1870, p. 266; Macleav : 

 Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S.W., vi., 1881, p. 334; Johnston: Proc. Roy. 

 Soc, Tasm.., 1882 (1883), p. 136, and 1890 (1891), p. 38; Lucas: 

 Proc Roy. Soc, Vict. (2), ii., 1890, p. 41. 



Aracana aurita, Khinzinger : Arch, fiir Naturg., xxxviii., 

 1872, p. 43, and Sitzb. Akad. Wiss. Wien., Ixxx., 1879, p. 424; 

 Castelnau : Proc. Zool. Soc, Vict., ii., 1873, p. 147; Hutton : 



(2) Kent: ''Naturahst in Austraha," 1897, p. 187, chrome 

 pi. vii., figs. a-c. 



