489 



present on the lower parts of the caudal peduncle. Dorsal 

 and anal fins obscurely angular, their hinder margins almost 

 straight. Middle portion of caudal fin emarginate, the outer 

 lobes rounded. 



Colour. — Sides of head, body, and tail with sinuous dark 

 (blue) lines, which are not so broad as the light interspaces; 

 very indefinite intermediate bars can be traced on the sides 

 of the snout, portions of the body, and on the caudal 

 peduncle. The dark bars become broken up into spots on 

 the upper partes of the sides, and they give place to a network 

 of light-blue lines on the abdomen. Caudal ornate, with an 

 intramarginal dark band, with which several irregular dark 

 inter- radial bars are connected. 



Described and figured from a specimen 180 mm., long. 



A second example, of about the same length, differs 

 in the form of the dark bars on the carapace and in having 

 the spines but little developed. The supraorbital, medio- 

 lateral, and two infralateral spines are rudimentary, and the 

 anterior infralateral spine is absent. The dark bars on the 

 body and tail are much broader than the lighter interspaces, 

 and are defined by a narrow darker line on each margin. 

 'This is evidently a variation of the form described above. 



Loc. — East of Flinders Island, Bass Strait. 



''Simplon" Station 3, 80-140 fathoms. 



Aracana ornata, Gray. 

 PI. xxiv. 



Ostracion (Aracana) ornata, Gray: Ann. Mag. Nat. Hi.st., 

 i., 1838, p. 110; Richardson: Trans. Zool. Sec, iii., 1849, p. 165, 

 pi. X., fig. 2; Hollard: Ann. Sci. Nat., (4), vii., 1857, p. 142 

 (0. nasus, MS.). 



Aracana ornata, Giinther : Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., viii., 1870, 

 p. 2167; Gastelnaii: Proc. Zool. Soc, Vict., i., 1872, p. 246; 

 Macleay : Proc. Linn. See, N.S.W., vi., 1881, p. 334; Johnston: 

 Proc. Roy. Soc, Tasm., 1882 (1883), p. 136, and 1890 (1891), p. 38; 

 Kent: "Naturalist in Australia,'' .1897, p. 187, chromo pi. vii., 

 figs. a-c. 



D. 10-11; A. 10; P. l-f9-10; C. 11. 



Length of head 3'08-3*5, depth of body 1*4-1*5 in the 

 length without the caudal rays. Snout, measured from the 

 orbital margin to the lips, 1*3-1*5 in the head. Narrowest 

 interorbital width a little greater than the orbital diameter, 

 which is 2*5 in the head. Longest pectoral ray 1*4-1*5, 

 dorsal 1*2-1*5, anal 1*5-1*7, and median caudal ray 1*5-1*6 

 in the head. 



Snout compressed, its anterior profile oblique in the 

 young, subvertical and elevated above into a prominent 

 hump in larger specimens. Interorbital space flat, the supra- 

 orbital margins slightly raised. Back broad, almost flat, and 



