74 



fish is variegated with irregular brown spots, forming numerous 

 and irregular concentric lines. The eye is brown. 



I found in the stomach a large quantity of seaweed. This 

 fish appears rather scarce, and is only found during the hot 

 months of the year (in September, November, and December,) 

 on the Melbourne Market. The fishmongers say that it is not 

 generally eaten ; the flesh is dark, but was found good. The 

 largest specimen I have seen of this handsome fish is 19 inches 

 long. It is always found among the seaweed. 



CHEILODACTTLUS. 



This genus, which was formed by Lacepede, is almost entirely 

 confined to the extreme southern parts of the globe, being from 

 the south of Chili, the Cape of Grood Hope, New Zealand, and 

 Australia. Two sorts are rather common on the Melbourne 

 Market, and are used as food of middling quality. 



Dr. Grunther changes the name in Chilodactylus, but I, once 

 more, do not consider these rectifications as desirable. 



CHEILODACTTLUS MACBOPTEEUS. 



Cichla macroptera, Blocli.; Schieid., page 22. 

 Cheilodactylus ma,cvoipterus,Itichard., Trans. Zool.Soc, v. iii., 

 p. 99 ; Proceed. Zool. Soc, 1S50, p. 62. 



I have sometimes heard this fish called Bastard Trumpeter by 

 the fishmongers. It is remarkable by its sixth pectoral ray, 

 which is extended more than twice and sometimes three times 

 the length of the others. 



The colour is silvery, with the upper parts and the head of a 

 light purple ; there is a black spot behind the upper part of the 

 operculum ; the branchiostegal membrane is of a beautiful light 

 blue ; the dorsal, caudal and anal are of a rather dirty yellow, 

 with the spines purple ; the ventrals are white, and the pectorals 

 yellow, with their interior rays white ; eye silvery, surrounded 

 by a blue ring. The sides sometimes show some iridescent longi- 

 tudinal streaks. 



It is usually about a foot long, and very rarely attains 18 

 inches, and is found on all the southern coasts of Australia and 

 New Zealand. 



