OF AUSTRALIA. 101 
The colour is uniform, of a golden hue, with the membranes 
of the spiny dorsal obscure j anal and ventrals also obscure. 
In the living state it was probably very beautiful and perhaps 
scarlet. 
The specimen is three and a quarter inches long. 
By its long praeopercular spine, this sort must come near 
Priacanthus Holocentrum, of Bleeker. 
NEOCIRRHITES. 
Very nearly allied to Cirrhites, but having palatine teeth 
and the prseoperculum armed with spines. These characters 
bring it near Dr. Bleeker's genus CirrKitichthys, but it has 
canines only at the lower jaw, and none on the upper one, 
and its viliform teeth even are only visible in front. 
The lower jaw is crowded with small sharp viliform teeth, 
and presents strong canines, curbed backwards ; they are 
placed far apart one from the other, one on each side in front, 
and two backwards. 
The lower rays of the pectorals are simple and few. 
In following strictly the method, this fish, by its armed 
prseoperculum and its palatine and vomer teeth, ought to be 
put with the Percidce, but its natural place is evidently 
with Cirrhites. 
NEOCIRRHITES ARMATUS. 
Form broad, oval, compressed, upper profile equally and 
very strongly convex ; height a little over twice and a third 
in the total length of the fish ; head four times in the same ; 
eye twice and a half in the length of the head; upper jaw a 
little longer than the lower one ; lips thick ; cheeks covered with 
very minute scales ; prseoperculum with its edge rounded and 
armed with a series of rather long spines, which do not extend 
to the lower portion ; operculum covered with large scales 
similar to those of the body: it is entire, but has a strong 
notch superiorly, and is considerably advanced over the base 
of the pectorals ; the suprascapula is serrated ; the body is 
covered with rather large scales ; these are entire on their 
edge, and number forty-three on the longitudinal line and 
H 
