Rays :— B. 6 ; D. 5 134 ; A. 3|26 



the Ichthyology of Australia, 33 



fish as brownish and silvery, with an unctuous metallic lustre ; the 

 ventrals as blackish brown, and the vertical fins as chestnut-brown, 

 all with black edges ; the pectorals being hyaline. Both Forskal 

 and Ruppel notice certain individuals as having small irregular black 

 spots scattered on the sides. The Port Essington fish has about 

 twenty brownish dots dispersed on the flanks behind the pectoral fin 

 and below the lateral line. The caudal fin, which is represented in 

 the figure as being slightly concave on the margin, has in the Port 

 Essington fish also a concave edge, but not evenly so, the centre 

 being convex, yet not projecting so far as the angles, which are 

 rather acute. The thickness of the scaly covering is such that the 

 number of rays in the fins cannot be ascertained except by dissec- 

 tion, and the three works which have described the species disagree 

 in their enumeration. I have therefore taken much pains to be cor- 

 rect in this point, and find them to be as follows : — 



C. 18 ; P. 16 ; V. 1|5 ; PortEssing. specim. 

 20; 16; 1|5 ; Ruppel. — 



Forskal. — 



Cuv. & Val. — 



The first dorsal spine is very short ; its interspinous bone has 

 been mostly removed from the specimen. The occipital crest is three- 

 sided and tapering, without enlargements. There is a wide furrow 

 between the eyes. The upper margin of the orbit is striated, the 

 suborbitars are irregularly gouged on the surface, and the naked limb 

 of the preoperculum is irregularly striated at the angle, and minutely 

 crenated on its lower limb, the widely rounded angle, and half its 

 ascending edge. The bony operculum is rounded at its upper angle 

 and pretty deeply concave below, the sinus being filled by membrane 

 supported by the projecting point of the suboperculum. This last- 

 named bone is widest at its junction with the interoperculum, but at 

 one-third of its length from thence it suddenly narrows and then 

 tapers to its point. There are three small pores on each limb of the 

 lower jaw. The teeth form a dense brush-like band on each jaw, the 

 dental surface being flat. The teeth of the outer row are rather the 

 strongest and are tricuspid, the middle point being the largest and 

 longest. 



There are fifty scales in a row T between the gill-opening and caudal 

 fin, and about fifty-five in a vertical line, of which fifteen are above 

 the lateral line. They are roundish, with from eight to twenty-four 

 furrows on their basal borders, varying according to the place from 

 whence they are taken. 



Ruppel states eighteen inches as the usual length of the species. 

 The Port Essington specimen measures as follows : — 



Dimensions. inches, lines. 



Length from intermaxillary symphysis to tip of caudal 17 6 



base of caudal 14 6 



anus 8 2 



. edge of gill-cover ... 5 



centre of orbit 2 9 



Ann. §• Mag. N. Hist. Vol. x. D 



