S3 



middle line ; the lower jaw longer than the upper one ; the 

 upper surface is irregular, and presents longitudinal interrupted 

 ridges; the praBoperculum is armed towards its external angle 

 with two very strong spines, the lower of these being something 

 longer than the upper one ; the orbit is round, and has a 

 rather strong spine towards its anterior inner portion ; the 

 praeorbitai has a spine towards the angle of the mouth, and 

 another one above this. The body is very inflated near the head, 

 and goes tapering towards the tail ; the lateral line covers about 

 sixty scales, and is formed on each of them by a short ridge, which 

 divides itself in two or three arborescent tubes ; the total number 

 of transverse lines of scales is about ninety. The first dorsal is 

 formed of an isolated, short, but sharp spine, and of seven long 

 slender spines, bearing membranes ; the second is the longest 

 and the seventh is laying on the back, and difficult to perceive. 

 The second dorsal has fourteen rays, the first being the longest ; 

 the anal is similar ; the caudal has twelve long rays and several 

 shorter ones on each side ; the pectorals have seventeen rays ; 

 the ventrals are about one-third longer than the pectorals, and 

 have a rather long and slender spine, and five branched rays. 



The general colour is of an olive brown, covered with nume- 

 rous crimson spots ; the sides are grey, but also spotted with 

 crimson ; the lower parts white ; fins transparent, with the spines 

 and rays of the dorsal spotted with brown ; caudal, ventrals, and 

 pectorals with transverse lines of orange, with crimson tinged 

 spots ; the posterior part of the caudal is black. 



Rather scarce ; 18 inches long. 



PLATTCEPHALTJS BASSENSIS. 



Platycephalus bassensis, Guv. Sf Vol., v. iv., p. 247. 



tasmanicus, Richard., Zool. Trans., v. iii., p. 23. 



Erebus and Ter., Fishes, 



p. 23, pi. xviii., v. 1-2. 



{The Common or Bass Flathead.) 



Height about eleven times in total length ; head, to the centre 

 of the posterior part, one and a-quarter times in total length, 

 and from the extremity of the operculum one and a-half times in 

 the same ; the orbit of the eye is seven times in the greatest 



