75 



Length of the fish 4^ inches. Length of head O'tio inch. 

 Distance between the tip of the snout and the anus O'oi). 

 Distance between the tip of the snout and beginning of 

 dorsal r05 inch. 



H.-iB. Seas of Australia ? and Timor. 



Galaxias truttaceus. Cuvicr. 



Galaxias truttaceus, Cuv. Regiie .\n. ii. p. '283. C'uv. ct \al. Hist, 

 ties Poiss. xviii. p. 344, " (. 543." 



Radii:— B. 9; D. 11; A. 15; C. l(jf ; P. 14; V. 7. 



Plate XLIL, figs. 1 — 6. 



Since the plates for the present fasciculus were printed, 

 the XVIIItli volume of the Histoire des Poissoiis has ap- 

 peared, containing a full description of this species, and 

 rendering a detailed account of our specimens unnecessary. 

 We have received this fish only from Van Diemen's Land, 

 where it appears to abound. The individual figured in 

 plate xlii. was taken in the Derwent River. 



The body is flattened above, especially near the nape 

 and on the sides, the width thinning off" gradually to the 

 tail, which is much compressed. The height of the body 

 is contained six times and a half in the length, and the 

 thickness at the shoulder is equal to four-fifths of the 

 height. The head forms just a fifth of the whole length of 

 the fish. 



The gape of the mouth extends backwards to beneath 

 the anterior quarter of the eye. Two-thirds of its upper 

 border is formed by the premaxillaries* which bear acicu- 

 lar teeth in one series, the tallest being at the beginning of 

 the posterior third of the bone, or where it curves from the 

 transverse to the longitudinal direction. The maxillary 

 which completes the upper border of the mouth is without 

 teeth. Each limb of the mandible is armed by about 12 

 teeth in one row, the pair next the symphysis and those 

 near the middle of the bone being rather the tallest. The 

 palatine teeth are more subulate, acute and recurved, and 

 are ranged in a single straight row of seven on each bone, 

 the rows receding slightly from each other as they run 

 backwards. The tongue is armed by still stronger and 

 more recurved teeth set round its edge in a semi-elliptical 

 curve, the foremost tooth being the stoutest, the others di- 

 minishing gradually as they run backwards. There are 

 five on each side of the tongue exclusive of the front one. 

 The branchial arches are each armed with two rows of de- 

 licate, subulate, acute teeth. 



The dorsal is as high but shorter than the anal, and be- 

 gins before that fin, and consequently ends before it. The 

 caudal is a little hollowed at the end, and at its base 

 above and below there is an acute, membranous edge, 

 supported by short rays. 



General tint of the best preserved specimens in spirits 

 a delicate wood-brown, approaching to yellowish gray. 



* Professor Owen's 

 lowing pages. 



lature of the bones is ailopted in the fo 



paler on the ventral surface, with scattered, minute, black 

 dots, and about seventeen vertical rows of dark-eyed spots, 

 the size of a pin's head. These rows bend en chevron in 

 the middle of the sides, and the three rows on the shoul- 

 der are replaced by bars. A series of faint, short, oblique 

 bars is also formed on the belly and flanks by clusters of 

 the finer points. The .snout is blackish ; there is an oblique 

 bar on the cheek and a roundish mark on the operculum. 

 The ends of the dorsal, anal and ventrals are blackish. 

 The skin generally is smooth and polished, and the 

 muscles show less distinctly on the flanks than in other 

 species. The very oily flesh of this fish spoils rapidly, 

 and most of the specimens we have seen are soft, and of a 

 dark purplish red colour. The individuals we have re- 

 ceived from the Derwent River are paler than those which 

 have been sent to us from Port Arthur. Mr. Leni]iriere 

 describes the latter as having, when recent, "a dark olive 

 colour, with red spots, but some of a darker colour will 

 weigh nine ounces, and are excellent for the table." 



Length of our specimens about 4 inches. 



Hab. Fresh waters of Van Diemen's Land. It is 

 named locally " the trout." 



Galaxias maculatus. Jenyns [Mesites). 



Mesites maculatus, .Jenyns, Zool. of Beagle, p. 119, PI. 22, fig. 4. 

 Galaxias truttaceus, Regiie An. edit. Crochard, PI. 97, fig. 2. 

 Galaxias maculatus, Cuv. et Val. xviii. p. 365. 



Radii:— D. 11; A. 14 ad 16; C. 16|; P. 11 ad 13; 



V. 7 (.3 specimens). 



Plate XLIIL, figs. 14-17. 



This species is remarkable for the smallness of its 

 mouth, its short round pectorals, twice their own length 

 distant from the ventrals, and for being considerably less 

 flat or more rounded on the back than truttaceus, brocchus 

 or reticulatus. It is a slender fish when not di.stended 

 with roe, but its shape alters toivards the spawning season. 

 The end of its intestinal canal protrudes from between the 

 edges of a fissure in the belly, shown by the different tex- 

 ture of the parts, for the surface is continuous ; a small 

 opening succeeds it, to which, just before the anal fin, the 

 end of the gut acts as a valve, closing it when the tail is 

 depressed. 



The general colour in s])irils is pale yellowish or wood- 

 brown, with many oblong and irregular spots formed by 

 clusters of small purple dots, scattered over the back and 

 sides. The top of the back is also generally sprinkled 

 with these dots, and on the sides the ground colour is 

 powdered with dots so minute as to be totally invisible to 

 the unassisted eye. The under surface is spotless, and 

 has very few dots. The head fonns the seventh of the total 

 length in two specimens, and is proportionally a little 

 longer in the third. Anal larger than the dorsal. Teeth 

 as represented in figures 16 and 17. In one specimen the 

 anterior pair on the tongue are smaller than the next pair. 

 The rows of palatine teeth are nearly straight and parallel. 



Length from 3^ to 4:^ inches. 



Hab. The Falklands. Patagonia. 



o 2 



