OF AUSTRALIA. ]17 
thirds the diameter of the eye ■ the longitudinal line running 
over about forty-four scales (the last being difficult to count) 
and the transverse one fifteen ; these scales are finely striated 
and ciliated on the edge ; they have a longitudinal ridge 
which does not extend to the end ; these ridges, by their 
union, form longitudinal lines on the body. The first dorsal is 
formed of four spines, it is inserted at an equal distance to 
the end or the snout and to the lateral base of the caudal. The 
spine is as long as the space between the posterior margin of 
the eye and the end of the operculum ; the second dorsal has 
one spine and eight rays; the space between the base of the 
two dorsals is rather more considerable than the length of the 
head ; the caudal is very strongly bifurcated ; the lobes being 
very pointed; it has fourteen long rays and several short 
ones on each side ; anal inserted rather behind the second 
dorsal, of three spines and nine rays ; the ventrals are rather 
large ; the pectorals not quite as long as the head, and extend 
to near the vertical from the origin of the first dorsal, of 
sixteen rays. 
The colour is white, silvery, with the upper parts grey • the 
caudal is bordered laterally with slate colour; the dorsal is 
grey ; the anal and ventrals white ; the pectorals yellow, with 
the base of their external edge dark. 
Length sixteen inches. 
This sort is nearly allied to M. Waigiensis, but the thick 
lip, the deeply bifurcated caudal, and the colour of the pectorals 
distinguish it at once. 
The anterior part of the head is without scales; there are 
twenty-one of these before the first dorsal. 
GERRES GIGAS. 
Gerres Gigas, Gunth. Catal, vol. iv., p. 263. 
I think there is very little doubt that this is the Gigas of 
Dr. Gunther, his specimens were from the Tonga Islands, but 
as mine shows some slight differences, I will give a succinct 
description of it. 
Height of the body contained twice and a-half in the length 
without the caudal, or a little over three times to the end of 
I 
