86 
b'Uckisli spots on the sides ; these have a general transverse 
form ; the candal is grey, and the other fins are white and 
diaphanous, with the upper half of the pectorals and the inner 
one of the dorsal almost black. 
Scarce ; seen only once on the Melbourne Market, in the month 
of October. Length, 16 inches. 
PLATXCEPHALrS PUSCTIS, 
Platycephalua fuscus. Guv. ^ Val., Hist, des Poissons, v. iv,, 
p. 341. 
Quoy et Oaimard, Voyage de V Astro- 
labe, pi. 10, fig. 1. 
( Grass Flathead^ 
Height of body nine and a- half times in its total length ; 
breadth five and two-thirds in same ; head three and two-thirds 
in length of body ; orbit five times and a-balf in head to the line 
of the centre, or seven and a-half to the extremity of the oper- 
culum. Head broad and flat behind, conical and rather narrow 
in front ; a transverse line drawn in front of the eyes, being 
contained twice in the length of the centre of the head, and once 
and three-fourths in its breadth at the operculum. The upper 
surface is rather smooth, and the elevated longitudinal lines 
interrupted ; the orbits are rather oval, and have a strong tooth 
at their anterior inner portion ; the prseorbital has two strong 
teeth ; the two spines of the prffioperculum almost equal, but the 
lower one a little longer ; the teeth are villiform, with the 
interior ones larger, and arched backwards on each side in front ; 
on the palatines and on the vomer a line of strong, pointed, and 
hooked teeth; at the lower jaw the villiform teeth are less 
numerous, but there is an internal line of rather large and 
conical ones, placed a little apart one from the other. Body 
broad, going tapering towards the tail ; the lateral line is formed 
as usual in this genus, and is marked on about sixty-four 
scales ; the number of the transverse series is about one 
hundred. The first dorsal is formed of one short, isolated spine, 
and of eight long ones, united by the membrane ; the last of these 
is partly hidden in the skin, so that only seven are plainly visible. 
The second dorsal is formed of fourteen rays, as is also the anal ; 
