236 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



dorsal, anal, and pectoral fins prolonged in long filaments. The 

 colour is black, with the caudal and pectoral fins of a bright 

 yellow. There is a rather broad light grey band behind the eye 

 and extending below to the mouth. 



The specimen is about five inches long. It was given to me 

 by Mr. Duboulay. 



Arius CURTISII. 



I have lately received from Moreton Bay a fish which is very 

 nearly allied to Arius ; it is, perhaps, the same as Bagrus 

 venations of Richardson (Ereb. and Terror, fishes p. 33.) The 

 only point on which the description differs from my sort is in 

 the number of the anal rays which are said to be about thirty. 

 Dr. Grunther places it in his catalogue (Vol. V., p. 174) in his 

 genus Arius of which it forms the G7th species. 



The head is large, smooth in front, but covered on the crown 

 with strong granulations, or small tubercles disposed anteriorly 

 on rather radiated lines ; occipital process extending to near the 

 base of the dorsal spine, with a deep sulcate ©n the centre ; the 

 sides of the head smooth, the nostrils are remote from each 

 other, and do not carry barbels ; the upper jaw very broad, 

 rounded in front, its breadth being equal to one-half the length 

 of the head ; the upper jaw is rather longer than the other, and 

 has, on each side, a rather long compressed barbel more than 

 half the length of the head, and the lower jaw two shorter ones, 

 equally on each side ; the palate is very smooth, but has on each 

 side a small dental plate, which is much more visible on the 

 young specimens than on the old ones, as in these the teeth take 

 a more tubercular form ; the opercles end by a strong, rounded, 

 flap ; the eye is inserted before the anterior third of the head ; 

 dorsal spine as long as the pectoral one ; it is straight and ser- 

 rated on both sides ; the rays of the dorsal are nine in number • 

 on a very old specimen, principally the first is rather prolonged 

 and attenuated. The distance between the adipose fin and 

 the posterior edge of the root of the dorsal is equal to that from 

 the extremity of the opercle to the anterior edge of the eye ; 

 this adipose is as long as the soft part of the dorsal ; the caudal 



