THE PROG-FISHES. 213 



gather it is one of the most comical-looking fishes that 

 swim. It is very high at the front of the head, from which 

 the body tapers away rapidly down to the tail. The long 

 and high dorsal fin begins immediately at the front of the 

 head (where it is very high) and runs along the whole of 

 the body, being connected by a membrane with the caudal 

 fin. The anal fin is not connected with the caudal. The 

 "face" is quite cadaverous-looking; in fact, the fish looks 

 more like a caricature than a reality. When fresh the 

 whole fish, with the exception of a few spots, is of a most- 

 beautiful reddish hue. 



It attains a length of about 8 or 9 inches, and lives 

 in weedy, rocky localities, along parts of the coast of New 

 South Wales, having been also recorded from the shores of 

 Western Australia. 



I have seen some very handsome specimens from Port 

 Jackson and Bondi, N.S.W. 



The Hair -tailed Blenny : This remarkable-looking fish 

 is an inhabitant of Indian seas and has been recorded 

 from the coast of New South Wales, where it is exceed- 

 ingly rare. It has a long, eel-like body; the tail ending in 

 a long, fine filament. 



Very little is known concerning this species. 



It is said to be venomous. 



The accompanying illustration, which is taken from a 

 figure in Day's "Fishes of India," will serve to show what 

 a quaint-looking fish this is. 



THE FROG-FISHES. 



(Family: Batrachida?.} 



THESE are described as small, sluggish, voracious and car- 

 nivorous fishes, frequenting the shores of tropical and sub- 

 tropical seas ; some of them ascending rivers. They have 

 broad and thick heads with elongate bodies, compressed pos- 

 teriorly ; the skin being either naked or with small scales. 

 The most remarkable members of the family are two species 



