184 RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



Fins. — The dorsal commences above the hinder edge of the 

 opercle. The first spine is one-third the length of the fourth and 

 fifth, which are the longest, subequal, 3'4 in the length of the 

 head. The last spine is one-seventh shorter than the fourth. 

 The soft portion is higher than the spines, the sixth ray being 

 one-third longer than the fourth spine ; it has a longer base, the 

 proportion being 10 to 9. The anal commences beneath the second 

 dorsal ray. The first spine is similar to the first dorsal, the second 

 is very broad and strong, equal in length to the last dorsal, the 

 third spine is weaker but longer. The rays are very long, the 

 third being the longest and twice that of the fourth dorsal spine. 

 The total length of the fin is half that of the soft dorsal. The 

 pectoral is long, symmetrical, and rather pointed ; the central 

 rays are 1'3 in the length of the head, much dilated, and branched 

 distally, the upper and lower rays less so. The fin has a broad 

 base, nearly one-third its length. The ventral, situated below the 

 pectoral, is sliorter, being 1'6 in the length of the head ; the spine 

 is strong, equal to the fourth dorsal in length ; the second ray 

 forms the apex of the fin, which is pointed. The caudal is shorter 

 than the ventral, and slightly emarginate, the depth of its peduncle 

 1-3 in the length of the fin. 



Scales. — The scales on the body rather small, ciliate, but not 

 spinose ; each apparently bears at its base about seven scalelets, 

 but they are in reality attached to a separate membrane, developed 

 between the rows of scales. The scales of the head and chest are 

 smaller than those on the body. The membrane of all the fins is 

 scaly, at least for its basal half. The lateral line follows the arch 

 of the back to below the last dorsal rays, thence passes along the 

 middle of the caudal peduncle ; the tubules are short, and for the 

 most part simply bifurcate. 



Colours. — After long immersion in spirits, the colour is a 

 uniform yellow, the only mark now discernible is an elongate 

 black patch in which the vent is situate. 



Total length of specimen, 435 mm. 



Locality. — Swan River, Western Australia, whence the type 

 was taken. (Misprinted Suron River in the British Museum 

 Catalogue). 



CoLPOGNATHUS DENTEX, Cuvier and Valenciennes. 



In my previous paper^ I stated that the specimens then examined 

 were without markings; after prolonged soaking in water, however, 

 the characteristic blue spots became discernable. Examples re- 

 ceived are from the Abrolhos. 



3 Waite— Rec. Aust. Mus., iii., 1900, p. 211. 



