56 



with much larger spines on its lower margin ; these spines are 

 flat, and separated in different series, those nearest to the mouth 

 being directed forwards. The operculum is only and feebly 

 serrated in its lower portion; it is ended posteriorly by two 

 rather long spines, the first always simple, and the second the 

 longest, and sometimes bifid. The suprascapula and caracoid 

 finely serrated. 



The scales of the body small, and finely ciliated ; the dorsal 

 spines strong ; the first being very short, and the fifth the longest 

 of all ; the soft portion of the dorsal much higher than the spiny 

 one with its membranes covered to more than one-third of their 

 length with minute scales ; caudal rounded ; the spines of the 

 anal very strong, the second by far the strongest of the three ; 

 ventrals with a strong, straight spine ; their first ray prolongated 

 and bifid. 



When fresh, this fish is adorned with most beautiful colours. 

 The body is of a magnificent green ; the sides are golden, as is also 

 the upper portion of the body behind the dorsal. The head pre- 

 sents a beautiful mixture of green, purple, yellow, and scarlet, 

 with fine golden tinges ; the belly is white ; the dorsal fin is of 

 a purple green ; the anal scarlet, with its base yellow and its end 

 purple ; the pectorals are scarlet at their base, and yellow in 

 their second half; the eye is purple, with an interior white ring. 

 These colours are subject to great variations, and the belly is 

 sometimes red. 



The young fish is much more elongate than the adult, and has 

 little of the fine hues of the latter. The back is green, with the 

 sides and belly yellow ; the upper part of the head and the oper- 

 culum are purple ; the dorsal is grey, with its soft portion 

 bordered with black ; the caudal and anal similar ; the spines of 

 the latter are pink ; the pectorals and ventrals are yellow. 



This sort is much esteemed for the table. It often weighs five and 

 sometimes seven pounds. It appears to he common in the Murray 

 and in the other rivers of Biverina. I am in great doubt if it is 

 not the Dules Ambigtius of .Richardson and Gunther ; but the 

 numerous specimens I have examined have all one ray less at the 

 anal, and also less scales on the lateral line. In Eichardson's 

 figure (Erelns and Terror, pi. xix.,) the lower preeopercular 

 spines are also much smaller and more regular. 



