10 



sustains the membranous tip of the gill-flap. The trian- 

 gular operculum is more than thrice the height of the 

 subopevculuni, and a deep notch or fissure divides the 

 border of its upper third. The lower point of the notch 

 contiguous to the tip of the suboperculum scarcely shows 

 through the dried integument. The upper limb of the 

 notch is one-half shorter than the lower one, and has au 

 obtuse tip. The notch is filled np and concealed by 

 integument. The head is nearly scaleless, the nuchal 

 scales ending at the directly transverse edge of the occiput, 

 which shows through the skin. The limbs of the supra- 

 scapular are naked, but include a scaly patch, which is 

 separated from a similar small patch on the side of the 

 scull, by the transverse occipital edge above mentioned. 

 The junction of the gill-flap to the scull is also protected 

 by about four rows of deeply imbedded round scales, and 

 a few scales encroach irregularly on the upper part of the 

 cheek, behind the eye. On the top of the head the skin 

 is slightly roughened by numerous glandular-looking 

 specks, regularly dispersed, and the posterior frontal bones 

 and the opercula are radiated. The cheeks are smooth. 



The maxillary is cylindrical for three-fourths of its 

 length, and becomes thinner and wider at its lower end, 

 which is unevenly truncated. There is no enlargement in 

 the middle of its upper border, as in Eleginus. The lips 

 and tip of the snout are minutely villous. The jaw-teeth 

 above and below are villiform, with an outer row of subu- 

 late teeth, stouter, and a little taller. 



The gill-rays, six in number, are cylindrical, and increase 

 in length from the lowest to the uppermost. The thick 

 membrane unites with its fellow a little behind the preoper- 

 culum, leaving a free edge where it adheres to the isthmus. 

 The ventrals are attached opposite to the tip of the gill- 

 flap. Their rays are much divided at the tips, and are 

 enveloped in thick membrane, which entirely conceals the 

 short spine. The pectoral is rather truncated. The sixth 

 and seventh rays are longest. The first dorsal commences 

 over the base of the uppermost pectoral ray. It is supported 

 by seven short, blunt, but not very stout spines, the last 

 two scarcely rising above the skin. The second dorsal 

 has a very short spine. Its last two rays are approximated 

 at the base, but are reckoned separately in our enumeration. 

 The same is the case with the anal. Its spine is very 

 short and incumbent on the base of the succeeding ray. 

 The caudal is even at the end. 



The scales are round, with the fore and hind edge 

 slightly truncated, so as to render them higher than wide. 

 There are sixty-two in a line between the gill-opening and 

 caudal fin, with four rows above the lateral line anteriorly, 

 and about twelve below. They are deeply imbedded in 

 the skin, and when in situ, they have a raised, posterior, 

 toothed border, which, in the dried fi.sh, is white, and, 

 under a lens, appears to be granulated and porous. This 

 border is easily detached, coming away with the epidermis. 

 The scale, removed from its place, is very thin, and, under 

 the microscope, exhibits very tine close concentric lines of 

 structure, with six or seven very faint fan-like rays, di- 

 verging from a point posterior to the centre, and spreading 

 a little, so as to take in but a small part of the basal edge. 

 The lateral line is interrupted under the twenty-eighth 

 jomted ray of the second dorsal, resumed on the fourth 



row of scales beneath, and ends at the base of the caudal 

 fin. There are no scales on the fins, except on the base 

 of the caudal, on which there are two rows of deeply 

 imbedded ones. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Length from upper lip to end of caudal fin 3420 inches. 



anus 1910 „ 



„ „ second dorsal 13o0 „ 



„ „ first dorsal 930 „ 



„ „ edge of gill-flap 9-00 „ 



Longitudinal diameter of oval orbit 1-40 „ 



Vertical ditto ditto TOO „ 



Height of head posteriorly, and of body at first dorsal.. 6o0 „ 



Width of ditto, about.....' 6-20 „ 



Length of caudal fin 3o5 „ 



„ pectoral 4-53 „ 



Callionymus calauropomus. Richardson. 



Ch. Spec. C. spina preoperculi elongatd, apice sursum 

 curvd, bicuspidatd, absque denticulo antico bmali ; pin- 

 nis dorsi nebulosis, ventralibus lentiginosis. 



Radii:— D. 4|— 8 ; A. 7 ; C. 10| ; P. 19; V. 1|5. 

 Plate Vli., figs. 4, 5. 



This Australian species difl'ers from all that have been 

 described, in the form of its preopercular spine, which is 

 not only longer than is usual in the genus, but wants the 

 basal tooth, and has only two teeth at the summit, the 

 interior one being recurved, so that the whole spine has a 

 resemblance to a shepherd's crook, [Ka>.au^o-l>). 



In the fullness and roundness of the posterior part of the 

 body and tail, this species differs from most of the genus. 

 The sides swell out, so as to place the anal and second 

 dorsal in a deep furrow, and to give the fish the appear- 

 ance of a full bean-pod, or banana. The shoulders, as 

 usual, are broader and flatlish, the flatness reaching to the 

 orbits. Before the eyes, the profile descends obliquely. 

 The mouth is small, and the jaws incline downwards when 

 protracted. The eyes are not above a line apart, and are 

 about one diameter of the orbit from the tip of the snout, 

 and rather more from the gill-opening. The head makes 

 rather more than a third of the length of the fish, caudal 

 excluded. The lateral line crosses the nape to join its 

 fellow, curves over the end of the pectoral, and runs rather 

 above the middle of the side to the caudal fin, on the base 

 of which it forks. It is formed by a continuous narrow 

 crenulated ridge. The teeth are short, villiform, the dental 

 surface being widest at the symphyses, reducetl to a single 

 row on the limbs of the jaws, and not extending to the 

 angle of the mouth. The preopercular spine is long and 

 curved, with its very acute tip curved upwards, and a 

 stronger tooth above, near the tip, directed upwards and 

 forwards. 



The body appears to have been entirely of a rich bronze 

 colour, smooth and shining, with, perhaps, some darker 

 blotches above. The second dorsal is still clouded by a 

 few dark blotches. The membrane of the first is blackish 

 above, the ventrals are freckled, and there are some 

 whitish specks on the caudal. No note was made of the 

 colours of the fish, when recent. 



