Ill 



only a small free portion ; all these spines are very acute, and 

 strongly striated. 



The second portion of the dorsal, which is joined to the first, 

 begins with a spine nearly one-third longer than the two last 

 of the first part, and is followed by fifteen soft rays ; the first 

 being one-third longer than the spine, and the second twice its 

 length ; these two rays are simple, the following are all 

 branched, the third and fourth are the longest of all, but they are 

 very little longer than the second ; from these the fin, which has 

 rather a triangular form, goes decreasing rapidly ; the last ray 

 having only one-sixth of the length of the third. 



The caudal is rather large and slightly emarginated posteriorly ; 

 it is formed of seventeen rays, all branched except the two ex- 

 ternal ones ; on each side of the base are three very short rays, 

 almost entirely covered by the scales of the tail. The anal is 

 formed of three spines, rather curved and sharp ; the first is the 

 shortest and the third the longest ; this is about twice the length 

 of the first. The membranes which join these spines are low, 

 and have their ends free ; the soft part of the ray has the same 

 triangular form as the dorsal ; it is formed of ten rays, the two 

 first being the longest, and the others decreasing rapidly ; the 

 last is double ; the ventrals are very large ; their spine is very 

 strong, compressed, striated, arched, and very pointed. The first 

 soft ray is longer than those of the spine, and has three-fourths 

 the length of the head ; the four others go on decreasing. The 

 pectorals are rather long ; they are formed of eighteen rays, the 

 first of which is very short, being less than one-third the length 

 of the second, which itself is shorter than the following. 



The upper parts are of a greyish blue, and the lower ones of a 

 dirty white ; a broad band, arched and black, extends from the 

 anterior part of the dorsal fin to the posterior portion of the 

 anal. The membranes of the fins are black, with the spines of a 

 rosy colour ; the pectorals are almost of the latter colour, with a 

 yellowish tinge ; the base of the ventrals is blue. There is often 

 a second dorsal band in front of the one we have mentioned, and 

 of the same form, but it does not attain the inferior part of the 

 body. The colours of the head are sometimes very pretty, the 

 upper part being of a dark brown, mixed with purple, and the 

 sides pink. The operculum has a broad longitudinal band on the 

 cheeks, of a fine white colour ; the eye is yellow, with an external 

 brown circle, often interrupted. 



