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of head ; the longitudinal line passing through the centre of 

 the eye, being exactly in the middle of the length of the 

 head ; the anterior part of the head protruding in a long 

 snout ; the upper lip much longer than the other ; the lateral 

 line is not interrupted, and extends to the full length of the 

 body ; it is arched upwards in its anterior part, over the pec- 

 torals ; it extends over about sixty- four scales. The dorsal is 

 formed of thirty rays ; the latter eleven branched, the others 

 being very soft, it is often very difficult to distinguish 

 one from the other ; this dorsal is equal in all its length ; the 

 caudal is rounded, and formed of twelve long rays ; the anal 

 has the form of the dorsal, but much shorter, it is formed of 

 twelve rays ; the pectoral of fifteen, and is of a rather rounded form. 

 Authors generally attribute a larger number of rays to the 

 dorsal (thirty-two) than I have mentioned, but I have seen many 

 thousand specimens of this fish, and I have always found the 

 same number. 



The colours of this Odax are most changeable ; in fact, it is 

 very difficult to find two specimens exactly alike ; it is some- 

 times of a beautiful green, sometimes blue, at other times red, 

 and very often this ground colour is variegated with beautiful 

 tinges, caused by the edges of the scales being yellow ; the body 

 often shows from six to eight transverse obscure bands, that 

 vanish before they reach the lower part, which is generally white ; 

 there are often irregular longitudinal bands, sometimes yellow, 

 sometimes blue, on the sides of the head and on the snout ; but 

 often, also, the upper part of the head is of a dark green, with the 

 sides silvery white, the latter showing irregular yellow spots. 

 The fins are often hyaline, and without spots, but often also the 

 dorsal and anal have numerous yellow or red irregrdar bands and 

 spots ; in most specimens, black spots can be seen on the 

 membranes of four or five of the posterior fins, commencing 

 at the fifteenth or nineteenth ; the eye is of a beautiful yellow, 

 sometimes bordered with green, sometimes with light blue. 



The adult specimens measure from twelve to sixteen inches. 

 This fish is very common all the year round in the Melbourne 

 Market, and is moderately esteemed for food. 



The Odax 'Pallas, Bl. &. Sch. (Scams), is probably founded 

 on one of the varieties of this sort. It was found in New Zea- 



