78 



differs from diemensis also in wanting the posterior sca- 

 brous plates on the palate, and in the different arrange- 

 ment of those on the tongue, as may be perceived by con- 

 sulting figure 4, plate 26, and figure 25, plate 44. Forster 

 obtained his fish in Dusky Bay, New Zealand, and as Sir 

 James Ross's specimens were obtained on the same islands, 

 are tolerably well represented by George Forster's draw- 

 ing, and possess the kw special characters included in 

 J. R. Forster's description, I have considered them to belong 

 to his species. They have indeed lost their original tints 

 and markings by long maceration in spirits, so that we 

 cannot avail ourselves of his description of the colours 

 of the recent fish for comparison, but he mentions the — 

 thin lips, toothed jaws, minute teeth on the tongue, the 

 roughness or villiform dentition of the palate, the straight- 

 ness of the back, the profile of the head, " caput vix de- 

 clire" and the numbers of the fin-rays, all of which cor- 

 respond tolerably nearly, though not exactly with our spe- 

 cimens. He enumerates, however, only five branchioste- 

 gous rays, when there are in fact six, but the lowest ray is 

 small, and would escape detection except on dissection. 



The species differs from Mugil peronii, acutus and/er- 

 rmidi, from the same quarters of the world, in wanting the 

 acute keel on the tongue. 



M. Valenciennes states the length of head of /orsferi as 

 being contained five times and a half in the length of the 

 body, having taken these proportions from George Forster's 

 drawing, but on referring to J. R. Forster's measurements, 

 the number is found to be more nearly four times and nine- 

 tenths, which corresponds sufficiently with the specimens, 

 though not so well with our figure, in which the head is a 

 trifle too long. 



The teeth are arranged in narrow and finely villiform 

 plates on both jaws, and on the mandible there is, in ad- 

 dition, a row of short, horizontal ones, penetrating the 

 thin lip. Tlie vomer and edges of the palate bones are 

 rough with very fine and short teeth, as represented in 

 figure 23, and the scabrous plates on the tongue will be 

 best understood by referring to figure 25. 



The outer gills are furnished with rakers, composed of a 

 setaceous ray and a thin, tapering, membranous border, 

 armed on its edge with a series of hair-like teeth, stand- 

 ing in pairs. The other arches are furnished with shorter 

 compressed processes, joined at their bases by membrane, 

 and having thin, obtuse summits, bristling on all sides 

 with setaceous teeth. The upper pharyngeal bones are 

 rather large, convex and rough with minute teeth. Each 

 conceals a small cavity, which opens into the fauces and 

 has a soft, tortuous roof. 



The scales are truncated at the base, with about seven 

 slightly divergent furrows, forming as many marginal cre- 

 natures. No teeth are visible on the disk or free edge, 

 but there are some inequalities in the lines of structure. 

 The branching fin-rays are finely dotted, as represented 

 in figure 20. Figure 22 shows the pores on the head. 



Forster describes the colours as azure-brown on the 

 back, and silvery white elsewhere ; the second dorsal and 

 anal marked on the tips by a brown spot, the pectorals 

 brown, and the caudal yellowish brown. He also informs 

 us that this nuillet is gregarious in the month of April, 



enters fresh-water streams, and may be taken either with 

 the hook or net. 



Length 8g- inches, caudal included. Length of head 

 If inch (Forster). Our specimens measure generally 

 about 45- inches. 



Hab. New Zealand. 



MUR.ENA. 



Pisces anguillifonnes, squamis omnino carentes, cute 

 Isevi mucigena tecti. 



Caput parvum, cute porosa ita obductum ut nee cra- 

 nium, nee operculum, nee radii branchiostegi extus cer- 

 nendi sint. 



Gula magis minusve extensiva plicata. Apertura bran- 

 chialis minima, lateralis, in sacculura branchiis proprium 

 a tergo intrans. Sacculus hie lateri utrique pertinens, 

 branchiasque quatuor includens foraminibus quinque par- 

 vis rotundis intus aperit. Branchiae rastellis vel processi- 

 bus dentiferis carent. 



Rostrum obtiisum. Rictus oris ratione capitis longissi- 

 mus, horizontalis, terminalis; maxillis fere semper aequali- 

 bus, rarius subajqualibus. 



Nares anticw in rostro extremo utrinque positae, tubu- 

 losae; postica3 supra anguUnn oculi anteriorem patentes, 

 ssepius planoE, interdum tubulosae. Oculi super medium 

 oris rictum locati. Fori conspicui rictum supra subtus- 

 que ambientes, in rostro summo quoque dispositi. 



Ossa cranii valida, solida, multum per anchylosin coa- 

 lita. Ossa premaxillaria maxillaeque desunt. Os nasi 

 cum vomere ethmoideque in unum coalitum, dentiferum, 

 munus ossium premaxillarium sustinens ; os palati antice 

 ad cohimnam orbitce anteriorem ossi nasi per symphysin 

 inhferens, postice per tendinem pedicello imo mandibulae 

 connexum ; cumque osse nasi rictum oris superiorem con- 

 ficiens. Mandibula longa, occiput postice aequans vel 

 transiens. Ejus pedicellum tympanicum os unicum, va- 

 lidum, triangulare in latere cranii late inhserens. 



Operculum cranio infra remotum pedicello mandibulae 

 adhaerens. Rami branchiostegi octo vel decern filiformes, 

 longissimi circa operculum curvati. Dentes in ambitu oris 

 et in vomere seriebus variis instruct! ; aut acuti, vel subu- 

 lati, vel pugioniformes (i. e. compresso-subulati, aciebus 

 acutis), vel lanceolati ; aut obtusiores vel conici vel grani- 

 formes. Ossa pharyngea duo superiora duo inferiora, 

 linearia, dentibus recurvis armata. 



Ventriculus longus super medium suum pyloro arcto 

 pertusus. In Muraita siderea valvulam spiralem in imo 

 intestino elaboratam, inveni : alteras species non rite ex- 

 aminavi. Vesicula aeris breviuscula, ovalis, pone partem 

 superiorem ventriculi. 



DuEe costarum series in utroque latere usque ad extre- 

 mam caudani attinentes ; series superior paulo pone caput 

 incipiens, series inferior ad anum ; ambae validiores pone 

 anum, dein versus apicem caudte sensim decrescentes. 



Having, through the kindness of Mr. Gray, an opportu- 

 nity of carefully inspecting the Mitrtoia; belonging to the 

 British Museum, I subjoin the results of my examinations 

 in preference to giving isolated descriptions of the species 

 figured in this work, as being the most effectual way of 



