Ill 
only a small free portion ; all tBese spines are very acute, and 
strongly striated. 
The second portion of the dorsal, which is joined to the first, 
begins with a spine nearly one-third longer than the two last 
of the first part, and is followed by fifteen soft rays ; the first 
being one-third longer than the spine, and the second twice its 
length ; these two rays are simple, the following are all 
branched, the third and fourth are the longest of all, but they are 
very little longer than the second ; from these the fin, which has 
rather a triangular form, goes decreasing rapidly ; the last ray 
having only one-sixth of the length of the third. 
The caudal is rather large and slightly emarginated posteriorly ; 
it is formed of seventeen rays, all branched except the two ex- 
ternal ones ; on each side of the base are three very short rays, 
almost entirely covered by the scales of the tail. The anal is 
formed of three spines, rather curved and sharp ; the first is the 
shortest and the third the longest ; this is about twice the length 
of the first. The membranes which join these spines are low, 
and have their ends free ; the soft part of the ray has the same 
triangular form as the dorsal ; it is formed of ten rays, the two 
first being the longest, and the others decreasing rapidly ; the 
last is double ; the ventrals are very large ; their spine is very 
strong, compressed, striated, arched, and very pointed. The first 
soft ray is longer than those of the spine, and has three-fourths 
the length of the head ; the four others go on decreasing. The 
pectorals are rather long ; they are formed of eighteen rays, the 
first of which is very short, being less than one-third the length 
of the second, which itself is shorter than the following. 
The upper parts are of a greyish blue, and the lower ones of a 
dirty white ; a broad band, arched and black, extends from the 
anterior part of the dorsal fin to the posterior portion of the 
anal. The membranes of the fins are black, with the spines of a 
rosy colour ; the pectorals are almost of the latter colour, with a 
yellowish tinge ; the base of the ventrals is blue. There is often 
a second dorsal band in front of the one we have mentioned, and 
of the same form, but it does not attain the inferior part of the 
body. The colours of the head are sometimes very pretty, the 
upper part being of a dark brown, mixed with purple, and the 
sides pink. The operculum has a broad longitudinal band on the 
cheeks, of a fine white colour ; the eye is yellow, with an external 
brown circle, often interrupted. 
