86 



blackish, spots on the sides ; these have a general transverse 

 form ; the caudal is grey, and the other fins are white and 

 diaphanous, with the upper half of the pectorals and the inner 

 one of the dorsal almost black. 



Scarce ; seen only once on the Melbourne Market, in the month 

 of October. Length, 16 inches. 



PLATYCEPHALTTS FTJSCUS. 



Platycephalus fuscus, Guv. Sf Val., Hist, des Poissons, v. iv., 



p. 341. 

 . Qiioi/ et Gaimard, Voyage de V Astro* 



lobe, pi. 10, fig. 1. 



( Grass FlatJiead.) 



Height of body nine and a-half times in its total length ; 

 breadth five and two-thirds in same ; head three and two -thirds 

 in length of body ; orbit five times and a-half in head to the line 

 of the centre, or seven and a-half to the extremity of the oper- 

 culum. Head broad and flat behind, conical and rather narrow 

 in front ; a transverse line drawn in front of the eyes, being 

 contained twice in the length of the centre of the head, and once 

 and three-fourths in its breadth at the operculum. The upper 

 surface is rather smooth, and the elevated longitudinal lines 

 interrupted ; the orbits are rather oval, and have a strong tooth 

 at their anterior inner portion ; the prseorbital has two strong 

 teeth ; the two spines of the prasoperculuin almost equal, but the 

 lower one a little longer ; the teeth are villiform, with the 

 interior ones larger, and arched backwards on each side in front ; 

 on the palatines and on the vomer a line of strong, pointed, and 

 hooked teeth ; at the lower jaw the villiform teeth are less 

 numerous, but there is an internal line of rather large and 

 conical ones, placed a little apart one from the other. Body 

 broad, going tapering towards the tail ; the lateral line is formed 

 as usual in this genus, and is marked on about sixty-four 

 scales ; the number of the transverse series is about one 

 hundred. The first dorsal is formed of one short, isolated spine, 

 and of eight long ones, united by the membrane ; the last of these 

 is partly hidden in the skin, so that only seven are plainly visible. 

 The second dorsal is formed of fourteen rays, as is also the anal ; 



