BY J. DOUGLAS-OGILBY. 123 



EXOCCETUS MELANOCERCUS. Nov. Sp. 



D. 13. A. 11. V. 6. P. 14. 



Length of head 6, of caudal fin 4, height of body 8^ in the 

 total length. Diameter of eye equal to snout, ^ of interorbital 

 space which is concave, and fg of the head. Greatest height of 

 head equals its length anterior to hind margin of orbit. Upper 

 surface of head flattened, as is also that of the body, almost as faras 

 the dorsal fin. Snout obtuse ; lower jaw slightly the longer. Max- 

 illary almost hidden by prseorbital when the mouth is closed. Teeth 

 in the jaw minute, in villiform bands. Anterior dorsal rays 5 of 

 the length of the head. Anal fin commences opposite the 

 middle of the dorsal. Pectorals, which are If in total length, all 

 but extend to the rudimentary rays of the caudal. The ventrals 

 are inserted considerably nearer to the root of the caudal than to 

 the hinder margin of the orbit, and reach almost to the end of the 

 base of the anal ; they are ^ of the total length, 1^ of that of the 

 head, and equal to the lower lobe of the caudal which is much the 

 longer There are about 30 series of scales between the occiput 

 and the dorsal fins, and 7 between the origin of the dorsal and 

 the lateral line. 



Dai-k steel blue above, becoming lighter on the sides and 

 beneath ; inferior caudal portion of the body, opercular and man- 

 dibulary regions silvery ; abdominal region grey, with the margins 

 of the scales darker. Dorsal and pectoral fins dusky, the latter 

 with a large white blotch at its base inferioriy. Ventrals with 

 the central rays dark ; anal white ; caudal black. 



NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 



Mr. Eatte exhibited a Jaw Bone of a Devonian Fish from 

 New South Wales, pi'obably Asterolepis, (Australian Museum as 

 well as the following :) — A Silicified Fossil Shell, apparently allied 

 to Worthenia. A Detached Siphon of an Orthoceras. There is 



