190 RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



TOXOTES sp. ? 



Two examples are in the collection, one from Mandurah, the 

 other from the Abrolhos. As neither is in good condition and as 

 the species are so closely allied as to render determination, in the 

 absence of authentic specimens, very problematical, I have pre- 

 ferred to leave them unnamed. Of the five species described, two 

 have been recorded from Australia, namely — T. jaculator, Pallas 

 and T. carpentartensis, Castelnau. 



MONACANTHUS PERONII, Hollard. 



Two specimens taken at Fremantle add the species to the fauna 

 of West Australia. Previously it was known only from Victoria, 

 (Port Phillip and Warnambool)and South Australia, (Georgetown). 



Aracana lenticularis, Richardson. 



Of two examples forwarded, one was taken at the Abrolhos in 

 1894, the other at Mandurah in 1897. The species has not been 

 previously identified from the western coasts. 



Amblyrhyn'chotus obloxgus, Block. 



Originally recorded in Australian waters from King George's 

 Sound, and afterwards on the east coast, this species is now 

 recognised from the western shores, the locality being Shark's Bay. 



Sillago bassensis, Cuvier and Valenciennes. 



Sillago bassensis, Guv. & Yah, Hist. Nat. des Poiss., iii., 1829, p. 

 412 ; Quoy. & Gaim., Voy. 1' Astrolabe, Zool., 1835, p. 672, 

 pi. i., fig. 2. 



Most writers who have dealt with the Australian Sillagos have 

 followed Giinther in placing *S'. bassensis as identical with S. 

 tnaculata, Quoy and Gaimard. Ogilby however demurs and writes : 

 "it seems to us unadvisable to consider S. bassensis as a proved 

 synonym of aS'. viacidata."^'^ From Western Australia we have 

 received five examples, of these three are without doubt referable 

 to S. maculata, the others are evidently to be identified with .S*. 

 bassensis. The question remains, how may the two be dis- 

 tinguished? 



The radial formula of S. maculata is: — D. xi., i. 19 ; A. ii., 

 19-20, the lateral line 72. Some authors count but one spine in 

 the anal ; the second one is covered with scales which give the 

 appearance of joints, if however the scales are cleared away, I 

 find an undivided spine always revealed ; it is necessary to clean 

 the spine with caustic soda and examine under a microscope. 



13 Ogilby— Edib. Fish, of N.S.W., 1893, p. 99. 



