S3 
middle line ; the lower jaw longer than the upper one ; the 
upper surface is irregular, and presents longitudinal interrupted 
ridges; the prffioperculum is armed towards its external angle 
with two very strong spines, the lower of these being something 
longer than the upper one; the orbit is round, and has a 
rather strong spine towards its anterior inner portion; the 
prsBorbitai has a spine towards the angle of the mouth, and 
another one above this. The body is very inflated near the head, 
and goes tapering towards the tail ; the lateral line covers about 
sixty scales, and is formed on each of them by a short ridge, which 
divides itself in two or three arborescent tubes ; the total number 
of transverse lines of scales is about ninety. The first dorsal is 
formed of an isolated, short, but sharp spine, and of seven long 
slender spines, bearing membranes ; the second is the longest 
and the seventh is laying on the back, and difficult to perceive. 
The second dorsal has fourteen rays, the first being the longest ; 
the anal is similar ; the caudal has twelve long rays and several 
shorter ones on each side ; the pectorals have seventeen rays ; 
the ventrals are about one-third longer than the pectorals, and 
have a rather long and slender spine, and five branched rays. 
The general colour is of an olive brown, covered with nume- 
rous crimson spots ; the sides are grey, but also spotted with 
crimson ; the lower parts white ; fins transparent, with the spines 
and rays of the dorsal spotted with brown ; caudal, ventrals, and 
pectorals with transverse lines of orange, with crimson tinged 
spots ; the posterior part of the caudal is black. 
Eather scarce ; 18 inches long. 
PLATTCEPHALUS BASSEFSIS. 
Platycephalus bassensis. Guv. ^ Val., v. iv., p. 217. 
tasmanicus, BicJiard., Zool. Trans., v. iii., p. 23. 
'Erelius and Ter ., Fishes, 
p. 23, pi. xviii., v. 1-2. 
{The Common or Bass Flathead.) 
Height about eleven times in total length ; head, to the centre 
of the posterior part, one and a-quarter times in total length, 
and from the extremity of the operculum one and a-half times in 
the same ; the orbit of the eye is seven times in the greatest 
