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seventh of which the lateral line passes. The anterior part of the 

 latter forms on each scale a little ridge, which terminates pos- 

 teriorly in a short, oblong line, recurved upwards. This is seen 

 on the twelve or fourteen first scales only. The dorsal is high 

 in front, depressed in the middle, wiih the soft portion high 

 again • it is composed of fifteen or sixteen spines and of eleven 

 soft rays. The caudal is truncated, with its external angles pro- 

 longated ; it is formed of twelve long rays and of several short 

 ones on each side ; the anal has one spine and from nine to twelve 

 rays ; the ventrals are rather small ; the pectorals large, of 

 thirteen rays. 



The colours are subject to great variation. Some specimens 

 are of a dark brilliant brown, with a rounded spot of a beautiful 

 light blue on each side ; the lower parts are variegated with 

 orange and blue ; the head is dark brown on its upper parts, of 

 light blue on the sides, with longitudinal, narrow, and irregular 

 orange lines ; these have a black border. Fins orange, with 

 numerous light blue spots on the posterior part of the spiny por- 

 tion of the dorsal; on the soft portion of the same, and on all the 

 other fins, are very numerous dark blue spots. On the upper 

 part of the back, adjoining the head, is a broad, transverse, yellow 

 spot ; eye yellow. 



This description applies to three specimens I obtained in the 

 month of June. One of them was shorter, ai-d its upper profile was 

 much more convex ; it was said by the fisherman to be a male. On 

 the 10th of October, 1871, a large number of specimens made their 

 appearance on the Melbourne Market ; their form was the same, 

 but their colours generally very different. Some were entirely 

 black, with a blue streak in front of the eye ; this was green, with 

 an internal red circle ; the external rays of the caudal were 

 strongly prolongated. Others were of a chocolate colour ; others 

 of a livid yellow, and others, again, of a dark green. 



I at first considered these as belonging to different sorts, and 

 the difference in the numbers of the dorsal spines confirmed me 

 in that opinion ; but, on examining numerous specimens, I found 

 insensible passages from one to the other, and I believe they all 

 belong to one very variable sort. On the dried specimens, a 

 short sulcate is visible on each scale, and their union gives 

 the appearance of longitudinal lines, which 1 did not observe on 

 the fresh specimens. 



