70 THE FISHES OF THE PALMER EITEE, 



impressed nonimbricate scales. The colour is brownish with 

 occasional darker spots, and with a number of whitish or pearly- 

 spots on the under surface of the head and branchiostegals. The 

 fins are all more or less spotted with dark brown, the first dorsal 

 almost barred. The tail is rather pointed. 



This species belongs to the Ophiocephalus group of JEleofris. 

 One specimen 91 inches in length. 



4. Aeistetjs cavifrons, n. sp, 

 D. i, -xV. A. «V. L. lat. 34. 



Very compressed ; belly trenchant ; height of body nearly one 

 third of the total length. Head small, about one fifth of the 

 length of the body, depressed and almost excavated from the 

 snout to behind the eyes ; eyes large and about their diameter 

 apart ; snout shorter than the diameter of the eye. Mouth 

 •wedge-shaped when closed, rounded in front, the upper lip 

 enlarged in the middle and fitting into a wide sinuation in the 

 lower — the edge of both lips covered with small hooked teeth, 

 the flat space on the forehead naked and uneven, and emarginated 

 in front with a tubercle in the middle ; the head beneath horse 

 shoe- shaped with three or four large pores on each side, a few 

 large pores also on the preorbital bones. The preoperculum is 

 short and scaly, the angle extending backwards subacutely; 

 the operculum is rounded and covered with two or three large 

 smooth scales. The rays of the first dorsal fin terminate in 

 filaments, the spine of the second dorsal is strong, but not so 

 long as the rays which lengthen towards the tail ; the tail is not 

 emarginate, the ventrals are placed much behind the line of the 

 origin of the pectorals, and close together ; the pectorals are small 

 and rather above the middle of the body. The colour is bluish 

 silvery, with a lighter silvery stripe along each scale ; the mem- 

 branes of the dorsal, anal and ventral fins are of a pinkish hue ; 

 a few minute spots on the root of the caudal. 



Three specimens, 3| inches in length. 



