17 



back than the fore part of the orbit, being proportionally 

 smaller than that of gnouiieiis. The upper and under 

 lateral lines are marked by a double row of pores. The 

 upper opercular spine is longer than the under one, which 

 equals the subopercular spine in length. A cartilaginous 

 ray curves upwards from the upper axil of the suboper- 

 cular spine, and supports the membrane beyond the tip of 

 the lower opercular spine. 



The dark parts of the fish are ])ilch-black, the light 

 parts different shades of brown, approaching on the belly 

 to brownish, or purplish-grey. The light spots on the 

 pectorals form a net-work, with circular meshes. 



The first ray of the ventrals is thick at the base, 

 closely jointed, tapers to a fine point, and is bordered 

 with membrane anteriorly. The second is divided and 

 branched An extremely short spine, that cannot be 

 detected without dissection, is incumbent on the base of 

 the first ray. The second dorsal spine is taller than the 

 third one. All three are distinct at their bases, and are 

 not visible until sought for among the loose skin of the 

 back. The last ray of the dorsal and anal is divided to 

 the base. The anterior rays of the anal are shorter than 

 tlie rest, and not easily found under their flaccid covering, 

 so that only about sixteen rays show, as in the figure, but 

 there are, in reality, eighteen, all branched at the tips, and 

 jointed. The loose skin in the axil of the rounded pec- 

 toral is perforated by a hole, in the specimen figured, but 

 in others the skin is entire at this place. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Lengdi from upjier lip (letracted) to end of cauilal fin ... 8-20 inches. 



„ ,, anus 3-70 „ 



„ „ tip of gill-cover ... 2-36 „ 



„ „ centre of orbit Oo5 „ 



Breadth between the orbits 0-62 „ 



Height of body at pectorals , 1-88 „ 



Thickness there .' 1-50 „ 



Length of caudal liu 1-35 „ 



„ pectorals 1-75 „ 



Obs. Ad payinam 12, lin. 39, pro " ventrales"' lege " rerticales." 



Bateachus diemensis. Lesueur. 



Ch. Spkc. B. esquamosus, umbrlnus ; nehulis piDictisqiie 

 confertis niyro-fuscis ; subopercnlis bispinosis. 



Radii : B. 6 ; D. 3|— 20 ; A. 17 ; C. 15 ; P. 23 ; V. i;2. 



Batrachoides diemensis. Lesueur, Joum. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad., p. 402. 

 Batrachus quadrispinis. Cuv. et Val. xii., p. 487. 



Balrachus diemensis. Richardson, Annals N:it. Hist., x. p. 352, descrip- 

 tion of a dried specimen, imperfect. 



Plate VIII., figs. I and 2, natural size. 



In the Journal of the Academy of Sciences of Philadel- 

 phia as quoted above, M. Lesueur has described a 5a/ra- 

 chus preserved in the gallery of the Jardin des Planles, at 

 Paris, in a bottle, marked " C C, No. 1." This is most 

 probably the same specimen which is named B. quadri- 

 spinis, in the Hisloire des Poissoiis, and is therein stated 

 to have been brought from the Indian Ocean, by Peron. 

 M. Valenciennes, at least, who has the best opportunity of 

 knowing, considers diemen.'iis and quadrispiins to be but 



one species ; and in adopting his opinion, we employ the 

 name which has the right of prior publication, though it 

 is less characteristic. M. Lesueur's description agrees 

 with our specimens, except in the number of superciliary 

 cirrhi, of which he counts only two, and of the anal and 

 pectoral rays ; the extreme looseness of the integument, 

 however, exposes the examiner to error in his enumeration 

 of these parts ; and had we not had the advantage of in- 

 specting specimens, whose fin-membranes were nearly re- 

 moved by putrefaction, our reckoning would have been the 

 same as that of the Histoire des Poissons. 



The profile of the comparatively small head is flatly 

 arched above, the summit of the dorsal curve being at the 

 first dorsal fin, where the body is considerably higher than 

 elsewhere. 



The number and position of the cirrhi may be more 

 readily ascertained by an inspection of the figures, than 

 by any description, however elaborate, and we have only 

 to say, that in most cases, if not in all, they are the elon- 

 gated margins of pores. There are also open pores, with- 

 out elevated edges, on the under border of the orbit, and 

 on the disk of the preoperculum. Besides the upper and 

 under lateral lines, there is a middle one, with more distant 

 cirrhiferous pores, which are less easily discovered. 



The teeth on the jaws, vomer, and palate bones are very 

 short, and closely villiform. On the lower jaw the dental 

 plate expands forward at the symphysis, and tapers to a 

 point at the coiner of the mouth. The intermaxillaries 

 form only half the upper border of the mouth, and their 

 teeth are in a single row, except at the symphysis where 

 the series is doubled or trebled. The pharyngeal teeth are 

 longer, more uneven and setaceous than those on the jaws. 

 The middle dorsal spine is taller than the third one, and 

 they are more separated at the base than they appear to be 

 when seen through the membrane, as they are in our figure. 

 The last rays of the second dorsal and anal are di\ided 

 to the base. All the rays of these fins are jointed, and the 

 foremost two or three of the anal are short, graduated, 

 and so bound together by membrane, that in the recent 

 fish they will be generally reckoned as only one ray. The 

 three middle filiform branchiostegous rays are so approxi- 

 mated at the base, as to look like branches of one ray, and 

 they separate less in the membrane than the other rays. 

 The subopercular spines are a little shorter than the oper- 

 cular ones, and the under spine of each piece is only half 

 the length of the upper one. The anus is in the middle 

 of the fish. 



After long maceration in spirits, the colours of the darker 

 parts, including the minute dots generally dispersed over 

 the body and fins, are deep umber and liver browns, ap- 

 proaching to black. The lighter parts, including the belly 

 and bars on the tail, are pale broccoli-brown, verging on 

 purplish-grey. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Lcnjith from upier lip to end of caudal fin 4-25 inches. 



" „ " „ anus 2-12 „ 



„ „ gill-opening 120 „ 



„ „ centre of eve 037 „ 



Diameter of orbit ". 0-21 „ 



Height of body 1-20 „ 



Thickness of shoulder 095 „ 



Length of caudal fin 084 „ 



