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seventh of which the lateral line passes. The anterior part of the 
latter forms on each scale a little ridge, which terminates pos- 
teriorly in a short, ohlong line, recurved upwards. This is seen 
on the twelve or fourteen first scales only. The dorsal is high 
in front, depressed in the middle, with the soft portion high 
again ; it is composed of fifteen or sixteen spines and of eleven 
soft rays. The caudal is truncated, with its external angles pro- 
longated ; it is formed of twelve long rays and of several short 
ones on each side ; the anal has one spine and from nine to twelve 
rays ; the ventrals are rather small ; the pectorals large, of 
thirteen rays. 
The colours are subject to great variation. Some specimens 
are of a dark brilliant brown, with a rounded spot of a beautiful 
light blue on each side; the lower parts are variegated with 
orange and blue ; the head is dark brown on its upper parts, of 
light blue on the sides, with longitudinal, narrow, and irregular 
orange lines ; these have a black border. Tins orange, with 
numerous light blue spots on the posterior part of the spiny por- 
tion of the dorsal ; on the soft portion of the same, and on all the 
other fins, are very numerous dark blue spots. On the upper 
part of the back, adjoining the head, is a broad, transverse, yellow 
spot ; eye yellow. 
This description applies to three specimens I obtained in the 
month of June. One of them was shorter, and its upper profile was 
much more convex ; it was said by the fisherman to be a male, On 
the 10th of October, 1871, a large number of specimens made their 
appearance on the Melbourne Market ; their form was the same, 
but their colours generally very difterent. Some were entirely 
black, with a blue streak in front of the eye ; this was green, with 
an internal red circle ; the external rays of the caudal were 
strongly prolongated. Others were of a chocolate colour ; others 
of a livid yellow, and others, again, of a dark green. 
I at first considered these as belonging to different sorts, and 
the difference in the numbers of the dorsal spines confirmed me 
in that opinion ; but, on examining numerous specimens, I found 
insensible passages from one to the other, and I believe they all 
belong to one very variable sort. On the dried specimens, a 
short sulcate is visible on each scale, and their union gives 
the appearance of longitudinal lines, which I did not observe on 
the fresh specimens. 
