122 " THETIS " SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



its length 1-6 in that of the head ; the height of the pedicel is 4 

 in that of the body. 



Scales of the upper side subctenoid, almost imbedded, the 

 spinous margin alone exposed. A scale taken from behind the 

 curve of the lateral line is seen to be longer than broad, its 

 posterior margin evenly rounded, its anterior edge truncate ; 

 eight small spines occupy the median third of the breadth near 

 the free edge, but they are not marginal. The scales of the lower 

 side are cycloid, subcircular ; head scaly with the exception of 

 the snout, preorbital and interorbital space ; maxilla scaly in 

 part ; small scales on the rays of the dorsal, anal, ventral and 

 caudal fins. Lateral line arched above the pectoral and con- 

 tinued to the base of the caudal rays. On the head the line 

 skirts the posterior margin of the orbit and passes to beneath the 

 lower eye; a branch passes forwards from the opercle towards 

 the dorsal surface. Gill-rakers, five on the posterior and twelve 

 on the lower limb of the first arch ; they are closely set, short, 



not a fourth the diameter of the eye, 

 delicate, narrow and tapering, furnished 

 on their posterior or upper border with 

 nine or less spinules (fig. 10). 



Colours. — Greyish-brown above with 

 round black markings having light cen- 

 tres; many are more or less encircled 

 with bright yellow dots. These mark- 

 ings are disposed, four or five along the 

 lateral line, six within the dorsal margin, accurately paired with 

 similar marks within the anal margin ; between the lateral line 

 and these marginal spots, both above and below, is another series 

 of three or four pairs ; two or three faint marks occur over the 

 curvature of the lateral line, and a pair are to be found on the 

 caudal pedicel. All the fins are marked with darker wavy lines ; 

 the dorsal and anal have a series (the former nine and the latter 

 seven) of dark spots midway between the base and margin of the 

 fin and a marginal alternate series of small and fainter marks. 

 At the base of the caudal rays are two dark blotches, the upper 

 of which is the more pronounced. 



Total length 265 mm. 



As ascertained by the examples preserved, the range of the 

 species is at present known to be from Port Hacking in the south 

 to Port Stephens in the north. It was obtained in 20 fathoms, 

 but it is probable that it finds a home at much greater depths, 

 having Vjeen more freely taken in 52 fathoms. 



After finding the species was distinct from P. novce-cambrue, I 

 concluded that we had the true P. mtdtimaciilatus, but this is 



