153 
of head ; the longitudinal line passing through the centre of 
the eye, being exactly in the middle of the length of the 
head ; the anterior part' of the head protruding in a long 
snout ; the upper lip much longer than the other ; the lateral 
line is not interrupted, and extends to the full length of the 
body ; it is arched upwards in its anterior part, over the jjec- 
torals ; it extends over about sixty- four scales. The dorsal is 
formed of thirty rays ; the latter eleven branched, the others 
being very soft, it is often very difficult to distinguish 
one from the other ; this dorsal is equal in all its length ; the 
caudal is rounded, and formed of twelve long rays ; the anal 
has the form of the dorsal, but much shorter, it is formed of 
twelve rays ; the pectoral of fifteen, and is of a rather rounded form. 
Authors generally attribute a larger number of rays to the 
dorsal (thirty-two) than I have mentioned, but I have seen many 
thousand specimens of this fish, and I have always found the 
same number. 
The colours of this Odax are most changeable ; in fact, it is 
very difficult to find two specimens exactly alike ; it is some- 
times of a beautiful green, sometimes blue, at other times red, 
and very often this ground colour is variegated with beautiful 
tinges, caused by the edges of the scales being yellow ; the body 
often shows from six to eight transverse obscure bands, that 
vanish before they reach the lower part, which is generally white ; 
there are often irregular longitudinal bands, sometimes yellow, 
sometimes blue, on the sides of the head and on the snout ; but 
often, also, the upper part of the head is of a dark green, with the 
sides silvery white, the latter showing irregular yellow spots. 
The fins are often hyaline, and without spots, but often also the 
dorsal and anal have numerous yellow or red irregular bands and 
spots; in most specimens, black spots can be seen on the 
membranes of four or five of the posterior fins, commencing 
at the fifteenth or nineteenth ; the eye is of a beautiful yellow, 
sometimes bordered with green, sometimes with light blue. 
The adult specimens measure from twelve to sixteen inches. 
This fish is very common all the year round in the Melbourne 
Market, and is moderately esteemed for food. 
The Odax Pullus, Bl. &. Sch. (^Soarus), is probably founded 
on one of the varieties of this sort. It was found in New Zea- 
