654 ON A TRACHTPTERUS FROM N.S.W., 



the vertebral column, the fourth ray being slightly elongate and 

 thus reminding us of Sfylephorus. 



(4) In the Manly fish the contour of the head, the extension 

 of the maxillary, and the position and appearance of the opercles 

 are much the same as in the present fish, as also is the origin of 

 the dorsal fin; the body, however, is much more elongate, but 

 this is due to the age of the specimen, which, I am inclined to 

 believe, is also responsible for the lowness of the dorsal fin. The 

 aljdominal profile is straight, but is protected by numerous 

 spinose processes. The length of the head is but little less than 

 the greatest depth of the body, which is far behind the pectoral 

 fins; from this point the depth rapidly decreases into the long 

 and slender tail. The premaxillary groove is very lono-, about 

 four-fifths of the length of the head. The eye is in much the 

 same position as in the Newcastle specimen, but, as is to be 

 expected in so much older an individual, is proportionately 

 smaller, its diameter Ijeing contained 3^ times in the length of 

 the head, the contraction making it appear much lower on the 

 side of the head. In Ramsay's figure a large subopercle is shown, 

 but no such bone is really present, the inter- and sub-opercles 

 being as described above; the ventral tubercle is also behind the 

 base of the pectoral, not below it as stated in his description. 

 The position and state of the specimen unfortunately preclude 

 me from determining whether the dorsal rays were smooth or 

 rough. 



(5) Johnston gives no account of the Tasmanian example, con- 

 tenting himself by copying the fin formula of aUivelis from 

 Giinther, and it is, therefore, impossible to decide as to which 

 species it properly belongs; probably it is best to associate it with 

 the f olio win 0-. 



(6) The position of the eye in both of the examples figured b}'^ 

 McCoy — one of which, as will be seen by reference to the list 

 given above, is much larger, the other much smaller than ours — 

 is apparently very different from that of the present fish, being 

 behind the middle of the head and separated from the maxillary 



