BY E. P. RAMSAY, F.R.8.E., AND J. DOUGLAS-OGILHY. 11 



in that of the snout, which is equal to the convex interorbital 

 space. Upper profile of the head deeply concave, owing to a 

 gibbous hump on the occiput which has a roughened bony edge, 

 and immediately behind which the rudimentary dorsal spines com- 

 mence. Jaws equal when the mouth is closed ; maxilla reaches 

 almost to the hind margin of the orbit. Preopercular edge 

 double , both angles, but especially the lower, strongly spinous. 

 Supraorbital ridge rough. Teeth villiform, very numerous in the 

 jaws ; in a narrow band on the vomer and palatines. The eight 

 anterior dorsal spines rudimentary : ventrals reach to die anal 

 rays ; no horizontal spine between them : pectorals long, more 

 than the head behind the front margin of the eye : caudal deeply 

 forked. Scales minute, cycloid. Lateral line ceases below the 

 fifth rudimentary dorsal spine. Colors diaphanous ; a black spot 

 on each side of the occipital hump, and a blotch of the same on 

 the upper part of the opercle. 



Length of specimen 15 inches; register numbr B. 9960. 



Though from an examination of Count Castelnau's type speci- 

 men, which is fortunately contained in the collection of the 

 Australian Museum (B. 9208), we have come to the conclusion 

 that our fish is identical with his species, we have thought it best 

 to redescribe it here, because of the numerous errors in the 

 Count's description, which are so marked that, if we had not had 

 the type specimen for comparison, we should assuredly have made 

 a new species of our fish. Our specimen is from the Strickland 

 River, New Guinea. 



Equula smithursti. sp. nov. 



D. 8/16 : A. 3/14 : V. 1/5 : P. 20 ; C. 19. 



Length of head 4 J, of caudal fin 4 J. height of body *2\ in the total 

 length Diameter of eye J- of the length of the head, equal to that of 

 the snout, and also to the interorbital space. Dorsal profile much 

 more convex than the abdominal ; upper jaw very protractile, the 

 length of the hinder limb being 7 J in the total length ; interorbital 

 cavity lanceolate, twice as long as broad. Supraorbital edge 

 smooth ; two small spines above the antero-superior angle of the 



