The nostrils are similar to those of aper. The superior 

 border of the orbit is thin, elevated and finely crenulated. 

 Between the orbits there is a triangular space filled with 

 smooth membrane, which covers the ends of the intermax- 

 illary pedicles when the mouth is retracted, and then it is 

 raised into an acute ridge, but when the mouth is pro- 

 truded a depression is produced there by the sinking of the 

 membrane. A small smooth space is continued from this 

 membrane bordering the orbit down to the temples, but no 

 stri« are perceptible on the cranium such as exist in aper. 

 Behind the membranous spaces the head is densely scaly. 

 The ridges on the mandible are quite smooth and rounded, 

 and its posterior articular corner is rectangular, and, with 

 the limb of the bone, is separable to a considerable depth 

 from the isthmus, forming a flap. The gill-rays are eight 

 in number, while in aper they are staled by M. Valenciennes 

 to be only five. No scales exist on the gill-membrane. 

 The nape is much compressed, but not absolutely acute 

 on the edge, and it is less curved than that oi aper, being 

 nearly straight. 



The first dorsal, consisting of nine tall, slender spines, 

 with fine flexible tips, commences a little before the anal. 

 Its first spine is very short, the second is the tallest, and 

 its height is equal to three-fourths of that of thebodj'; the 

 others decrease gradually to the ninth, which has not above 

 the fifth part of the height of the second. This fin stands 

 on much less space than that of aper. The soft fin has 

 comparatively short rays and a greatly arched outline. 

 The anal is nearly similar to it, and commences with two 

 little spines, the second one being the most diminutive. 

 The naked part of the tail behind these fins is more slen- 

 der than that of aper. Each ventral is supported in front 

 by a long slender spine, with a flexible tip, and is followed 

 by six jointed rays, which are forked at the end, the last 

 two rays being as much separated at the base as the others. 

 Behind these fins there is a deep smooth fissure, in which 

 they lie when depressed, their tips projecting, one on each 

 side of the anal spines. The walls of the fissure are made 

 rigid by the scales which edge them, and the anus opens 

 into its fore part near the axilla of the fins. The scales of 

 the body are small and densely tiled, and feel very rough 

 to the finger when drawn from the tail towards the head. 

 This roughness is caused by a few short conical points, 

 very different from the dense villosity of the scales oi aper. 

 The basal half of the scale is transversely striated by the 

 lines of structure (see figures 4 and 5). The lateral line is 

 conspicuous enough, and follows nearly the curve of the 

 back. The membrane of the first dorsal and of the ven- 

 trals retains a blackish tint. The drawing above alluded 

 to represents the fish generally as having a deep roseate 

 hue. 



Length 5 inches. 



Hab. Coasts of Tasmania and southern parts of Aus- 

 tralia. 



Since the description of Zeus australis (p. 36, PI. 

 XXV., f. 1) was written, I have seen a more perfect speci- 

 men from Western Australia, now in the British Aluseum, 

 which enables me to make some additions to the account 

 of the species. The black lateral spot exists; the last rays 

 of the dorsal and anal are divided to the base, so that the 



formula for these fins may be D. 10| — 23 or 24; A. 4|22 

 or 23. The two anterior anal spines are in contact with 

 each other, and spring from the same interspinous bone, 

 without the membranous space between them, which is 

 represented in our figure. There is a flat membranous 

 space between the orbits, bounded on each side by a low 



Saurus undosquamis. Richardson. 



Radii:— 12— 12; D. 11—0; A. 11; C. 17|; V. 9. 



Plate LI., figs. 1—6. 



1 have been unable to reconcile this species with any 

 described one, but having only the insuflficient figures and 

 descriptions of Bloch, Lacepede and Russell to refer to for 

 assistance, in coming to this conclusion, it may possibly 

 prove to be one of the species alluded to by Cuvier in 

 the Rec/ne Animal, but of which I have seen no account. 

 The few members of the genus that I have had an oppor- 

 tunity of examining, and which are described in the 

 ' Report of the Ichthyology of China, &c.," already quoted 

 frequently, differ from each other considerably in their 

 dentition, which, if duly attended to, may probably furnish 

 useful characters for the distribution of the species into 

 groups. 



The height and thickness of S. undosquamis are about 

 equal at the shoulders : the back is flatly rounded from 

 the dorsal to the occiput, and the breast is flat from the 

 ventrals to the isthmus, while the sides are convex and 

 more prominent. From the dorsal to the caudal fin tlie 

 compression is decided, though not great, and the sides 

 are flattened, the back remaining rounded. Posterior to 

 the anal the height is about one-third greater than the 

 tliickness. The head forms a fourth of the length of the 

 fish, excluding the caudal, or rather more than a fifth if 

 that fin be included. Its height and breadth at the tem- 

 ples are equal, its sides are flat and vertical, and it is also 

 flat above, but excavated by a wide shallow groove be- 

 tween the orbits. When viewed from above (fig. 2) the 

 upper bone of the humeral chain appears like a tapering, 

 but not acute scale, at the angle of the gill-opening ; the 

 borders of the orbits are seen to be prominent, and the 

 eyes to encroach much less upon the upper aspect than 

 in a Saurus obtained by Sir Edward Belcher, which J 

 have described in the Report alluded to, under the name 

 of .S'. ar</!/rophanes. S. undosquamis further differs from 

 this species in having the snout considerably rounded in- 

 stead of very acute and more elongated, and in having a 

 small mesial conical point rising near its end, being seem- 

 ingly a projection of the symphysis or pedicles of the in- 

 termaxillaries. The profile forms a low arc from the end 

 of the snout to the orbits, and from thence to the dorsal the 

 line is nearly straight, with a very slight ascent. The di- 

 ameter of the eye is equal to the length of the snout before 

 the orbit, or to about one-fifth of the length of the head. 



