46 



sinuosities — one opposite to the beginning of the first dorsal, 

 and the other to its end. The anal, also, has only eight soft 

 rays. The body is very silvery, with the back of a light green, 

 showing on the living specimen seven or eight longitudinal 

 lines, of a rather darker tinge ; the sides and belly have a rosy 

 hue ; the sides of the head are rather purple ; the fins are of a 

 purplish green ; the eye yellow. Length, 16 inches. 



APOGON. 



This genus extends its habitat over all the warm and temperate 

 seas of the globe. In America alone its sorts appear to be very 

 scarce, and I was the first to describe one from Brazils ; since 

 then Dr. Gkinther has made known another from the Pacific 

 coast of South America. I have only observed one sort at Mel- 

 bourne, and it appears to me not to have been previously 

 described. It is certainly very distinct from Dr. Grunther's 

 Apogon Victories, which I have not yet seen. 



APOGON" GUNTHEEI. 



D. 7.— 1/9. A. 1/7. P. 15. C. 21. 



Upper profile very convex ; body very thick ; height contained 

 a little over two and a-half times in total length ; head about 

 two and two-thirds in the same; eye very large, its diameter 

 being one-third of the length of the head. Prseoperculum 

 with its first ridge entire, and the second rather strongly 

 denticulated ; operculum with two spines ; scales large, ciliated 

 on their external margin, numbering from 26 to 27 on the 

 lateral line, and 11 or 12 on the transverse one. The spines 

 of the first dorsal are as follow : — The first very short, the second 

 more than twice its length, the third very large and very thick, 

 arched, and at least double of the second — the following go on 

 decreasing; the second dorsal has a strong, straight spine, followed 

 by the soft rays, which are one-third longer ; caudal rounded ; 

 anal with two spines — the first short and arched, the second 

 more than twice its length, and straight ; the soft rays like those 

 of the dorsal; the spine of the ventrals strong; the pectorals 

 rather large and rounded. The general colour is of a brownish 

 pink, without spots or bands ; the sides of the head have a golden 

 tinge ; the scales are covered with very minute black dots, except 



