OF AUSTRALIA. 139 
head; the teeth are conical and directed forwards, they 
become regularly smaller as they are placed more backwards ; 
in front are two long and rather canine ones at each 
jaw. 
The scales are all equal ; the dorsal has nine spines and 
twelve branched rays ; the last are a little longer than the 
first, and when the fin is not extended, they attain the base of 
the caudal ; this is rounded and formed of fourteen long rays 
with several shorter ones on each side ; they are covered 
with scales to about one-half of their length ; the anal is 
composed of three spines and twelve of rays ; it has the same 
form as the dorsal ; the pectorals have thirteen rays ; the 
ventrals are pointed. 
The general colour of the fish, preserved in liquor, is of a 
uniform light brown, with numerous longitudinal and regular 
lines of a darker colour extending all along the body ; the 
dorsal and anal appear to have been yellow, and on the first 
there is a narrow black spot after the first spine. 
Total length a little over eight inches. 
I have also received from the Kev. Mr. Bostock a dried 
specimen that I consider to belong to the same species • it is 
fourteen inches long, and, having been prepared very carefully, 
and but a short time since, has preserved remarkably well its 
fine colour ; the fish is of a fine red ; a black blotch at the end 
of the operculum and another at the end of the pectoral ; there 
is no trace of the longitudinal bands; the fins are red at their 
base and yellow on their second half ; on this portion there 
are numerous longitudinal and narrow stripes ; the black spot 
on the dorsal behind the first spine is very visible. The 
pectorals and ventrals alone have no lines. 
GBRRES OVATUS. 
Gerres Ovatus, Gunth. Gatal. 1, p. 343, vol. iv., p. 256. 
Height of the body about twice and a-third in the total 
length without the caudal fin, or twice and two-thirds to the 
centre of the latter ; the diameter of the eye is longer than 
the snout ; the dorsal is formed of nine spines and ten rays ; 
the spines are feeble, the first is very short, the three following 
