76 



more to the upper profile as it extends backwards ; the scalesnumber 

 about 69 on this line, and 26 on the transverse row, 10 of which 

 are above the lateral line. The dorsal fin has its three first 

 spines much shorter than the others (the third being about three 

 times as long as the first) ; the fourth is the longest of all, and 

 about twice as long as the third, or six times the length of the first ; 

 the others go on decreasing gradually. The soft part of the fin is 

 shorter than the other, and only about two-thirds its length, 

 but it is higher ; the first rays being one-third longer than the 

 last spine ; the base of the membranes of the soft rays is scaly. 

 The caudal is very strongly emarginated, and bi-lobed ; the upper 

 lobe is larger than the lower one ; the membranes are in part 

 covered with scales ; there are three short external rays on each side 

 of the large ones ; anal with three rather slender spines, the second 

 more than twice the length of the first, and the third longer still ; 

 the first soft rays are about twice as long as any of the spines ; 

 the others go on increasing ; the ventrals are rather long ; the 

 spine is slender, and about two-thirds the length of the first soft 

 rays. The pectorals are large, formed of eight branched rays 

 and of five simple ones ; the second and third of these extend in 

 a long filament, about three-fourths the total length of the 

 branched rays ; the first and fourth are much shorter, the fifth 

 is shorter even than the branched rays. 



The general colour is of a light purple, with the lips pink ; the 

 eye is yellow, with an external orange circle ; the body is crossed 

 by two very broad transverse bands, formed by the scales being, 

 in the place they cover, largely bordered with black •, the first 

 extends from the root of the fourth dorsal spine to the base 

 of the anal ; the second begins behind the first soft rays of the 

 dorsal, and attains the first soft one of the anal ; the dorsal fin 

 is purple, tinged with green ; the transverse bands of the back 

 extend sometimes on the corresponding membranes ; the caudal 

 is sometimes of a brownish red, and sometimes of a dark brown, 

 showing a faint transverse reddish band ; anal black, with the 

 spine purple, and a reddish tinge on the first rays ; ventrals 

 black ; pectorals also, but these have a narrow white border. 



This fish appears in the warm months of the year (December 

 and January). It is found in the sea weeds, and its usiial length 

 is about 12 inches. 



