﻿4 ■EXDEAVOUK" SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



SCVMORHI.MS VINXENTI, Zietz. 



(Plate ii., tig. 3, and tig. i.) 



Scylliuvi viticeuti, Zietz, Trans. Roy. Soc. South Australia, 

 xxxii., 1908, p. 287. 



Through the kindness of Professor E. C. Stirling, Director 

 of the South Australian Museum, I have been able to compare 

 one of Mr. Zietz's specimens with another taken by the "En- 

 dea\our" in 20 fathoms ofi the mouth of the Murray River, 

 South Australia. They differ slightly in the relative positions 

 of the tins which, however, I find to be equally \ ariable in 

 allied species. 



According to Zietz, the origin of the tirst dorsal is behind 

 the middle of the total length. In both I have examined it 

 is a little nearer the tip of the snout than the extremity of the 

 tail. In the "Endeavour" specimen the base of the anal is 

 shorter than that of the co-type and terminates below the 

 anterior portion of the second dorsal instead of nearer the 

 middle of that fin. The end of the bases of the ventrals is in 

 advance of the origin of the dorsal, not below it, as described 

 b\ Zietz, though in his specimen the flesh is shrunken around 

 the base of the dorsal, making it appear farther forward than 

 it really is. Finally, the colour in the better preserved 

 example is a dark chocolate brown above, with numerous 

 creamy-white spots all over the body and fins, except on the 

 front half of the head. The dark cross-bands are ill-defined, 

 and there appears to be a series of darker blotches on the 

 sides. 1 he belly is creamy-white in colour. 



The following is a description of the "Endeavour" speci- 

 men: — Head to last gill-opening 5.3 in the length, its width 

 1.5 in its length; eye 6.5 in the head and about equal to half 

 the length of the snout which is 3. i in the head. 1 he inter- 

 orbital space is greater than the length of the snout. Preoral 

 portion of the head 1.5 in the width of the mouth which is 

 2.4 in the head and greater than the snout. 



Body elongate, slightly compressed. Head depressed, flat 

 above; snout rounded, blunt in profile, its width before the 

 eyes one-third greater than its length. Eyes lateral, with 

 the inferior fold well marked. Spiracle large, o\al, and 

 placed just behind the eye. Gill-slits decreasing in size back- 

 wards, the last being about half as wide as the hrst and placed 

 over the base of the pectoral. Nasal valves produced as lobes 

 directed outwards and backwards, with emarginate posterior 

 borders ; they are separated from each other and from the 

 mouth, the space between them being rather more than the 



