OF NBW SOUTH WALES. 47 



same species ; the soft dorsal seems to be subject to considerable 

 variation in the number of its rays, as in a large specimen I find 

 ten, in others nine, and in one only eight. 



This species is nearly allied to Therapon argenteus of Cuvier, on 

 which this naturalist formed the genus Datnia. 



Therapon caudovittatus. 

 There is a rather large specimen dried and in a very bad state 

 that seems to belong to this species. 



CORVINA ALBIDA, Guv. 



Corvina alhida, Cuv. Yal. vol. V, page 93. 

 „ „ Gunther Cat. vol. II, page 309. 



I was much surprised to find this Indian and Chinese species 

 in a river of northern Australia. It attains a considerable size 

 but this specimen is only twenty inches long. It is remarkable 

 for the very large, sword-like spine of its anal fin. 



SCATOPHAGDS MULTIFASCIATUS, Bich. 



ScatopTiagus muUifasciatus, Richard. Ereb. and Terr, or, p. 57, 

 pi. 35. 



In the specimens from the Norman river the spines of the first 

 dorsal are alternately very broad or slender. I had for some time 

 thought these formed a distinct species, but this fact is observable 

 in several other fishes of the same family. If this distinction 

 proves to be constant I propose to distinguish this sort under the 

 name of S. altermans. 



TOXOTES CARPENTARIENSIS. sp. nov. 



Resembles very much T. jaculator, and still more T. microlepisj 

 but the dorsal is a little more forward, as by a perpendicular drawn 

 from its base, the pectoral would be cut at more than one-fourth 

 of its length ; this dorsal is much lower, the longer spines being 

 contained three times and three-fourths in the height of the body ; 

 these spines number six, all slender ; the third and fourth being 

 the longest ; the rays number twelve ; the caudal is forked ; the 

 anal has three feeble spines and sixteen rays ; the length of the 

 snout considerably less (two thirds) than the space between the 



