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DIODON BLOCmi. 
(^Tlie Sea Hog^ 
This may prove to belong to one of the already described 
species, but I can identify it with none. G-eneral appearance of 
Diodon Atinga of Bloch, but spines much less numerous. The 
head is broad, and the mouth very wide ; nasal tantacle formed 
of a simple tube, with a pair of lateral openings ; the jaws are 
formed of numerous distinct teeth solved together, and forming 
numerous tubercles inside of the mouth, particularly at the 
lower jaw; the opening of the mouth is about one anda-half the 
great diameter of the orbit, and the space from one eye to the 
other about twice that diameter; in front there are five spines 
on the first row in front of the eyes ; they form in all eleven or 
twelve irregular transverse lines, they are very strong, par- 
ticularly the posterior ones. The dorsal fin has thirteen rays, 
the caudal nine ; the anal is much larger than the dorsal, and 
has thirteen rays ; the pectorals are about as long as the space 
between the eyes, of nineteen rays. Each spine has two long 
roots and an anterior ridge. 
The colour is of a rather light green on the back, with the 
lower parts white ; the lips are flesh colour, and the head purple ; 
the abdomen is rather rosy ; at the root of each spine there is a 
very faint dark brown spot, and on the posterior part of the body 
some purple blotches ; the fins are of a light green, without any 
spots, but their external portion is rather darker ; the eye is 
yellow, with its external part orange, and surrounded by a blue 
ring. The air-bladder is very large, rounded, and strongly bilobed. 
Six inches long ; rather common. 
I should have taken this for the D. Maculatus, but Dr. 
G-unther gives it from sixteen to nineteen lines of spines ; per- 
haps it is the Atopomycterus Booagei, of Steindachner, from 
Sydney, quoted by him as being probably the same sort. 
CHILOMYCTEEUS: 
Separated by Dr. Kaup from Diodon, and characterised by Dr. 
G-unther as having “ jaws without median suture, body covered 
with ossifications, all, or most of which, consist of three horizon- 
tal roots, and a stiff, erect, immoveable spine; nasal tentacle 
