582 NOTES FROM THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM, 



PAPERS READ. 



NOTES FROM THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



ON SPECIMENS OF THE GENUS XIPHASIA, 

 SWAINSON, FROM PORT JACKSON. 



By E. P. Ramsay, LL.D., F.R.S.E., and J. Douglas-Ogilby. 



The Australian Museum has recently received no less than three 

 specimens of this rare fish, the first on April 7th through the 

 Inspector of the New South Wales Fisheries, the second during the 

 first week in May from Mr. Arthur Weigall, and the third on the 

 22nd of the current month : the last specimen, having been 

 evidently disgorged by some other fish, was consequently worthless. 



The genus Xiphctsia was established by Swainson in 1839 for 

 the reception of a fish described and figured by Russell under the 

 name of " Tonkah Talawaree," the latter author having placed it 

 in the genus Ophidium. In Swainson's system it was first placed 

 next to Ophidium, but was subsequently removed to the neigh- 

 bourhood of Cej)ola, with which latter family it has no affinities 

 whatever. In 1858 Dr. Kaup described under the name of 

 Nemophis lessoni two specimens obtained by MM. Lesson and 

 Garnot during the Voyage of the Cocjuille, and therefore in all 

 probability from the South Seas. Jerdon in 1851 obtained two 

 examples, and from these a drawing was made by Sir W. Elliott, 

 which is reproduced by Dr. Day, (Fishes of India, pi. 73), and is, 

 with the exception of the elongate caudal ray, an accurate repre- 

 sentation of our fish. Subsequently Dr. Giinther in his catalogue 

 formed the genus Xiphogadits for the reception of Russell's fish, 

 though well aware that Swainson's genus was established on the 

 same data : he however had taken previously a step in the right 

 direction by placing Nemophis (Kaup) among the Blenniidm. 



