68 



In the " Zoological Kocoi-fl " for 1872, Dr. Oiintlior remarks: 

 " ApJirifis diiinerili. To this Bpecies appears to belong Pseuda- 

 pliritis bassii. . . ." As I am unable to find any description 

 of the former species, I am not in a position to verify or 

 contravene this supposition. 



It is strange that neither of these fishes have as yet been 

 recorded from the coast of Victoria, since, while both species 

 are found in Tasmania, A. tirvillii extends westward to South 

 Australia, and as is here shewn A. bctssi ranges north-eastward 

 to New South Wales. 



With the exception of the fin and scale formulte the 

 description is taken from the fresh specimen. 



From the examination of the examples in this jMus(!um a 

 revision of the generic diagnosis, as defined by Dr. (Jiinther, 

 becomes necessary, and would stand as below : — 



Aphritis. 

 Aphrifis, Cuv. & Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss. viii. p. 483 (1831). 

 I'snu/ap/irifis, Castoln., P.Z.S. Vic. i. p. 92 (1872). 



Br.anchiostegals six : pseudobranchise present. Body elongate, 

 cylindrical. Opercle with a small spine : preopercle entire. 

 Cleft of the mouth oblique : lower jaw tiie longer. Eye lateral. 

 Teeth villiform, on the jaws, vomer, and palatines. Two 

 separate dorsals, the first ^vith seven or eight spines : the anal 

 with two semi-detached spines : ventrals jugular : all the 

 pectoral rays branched. Scales moderate, finely ctenoid, 

 entirely covering the head. Air-bladder wanting : pyloric 

 appendages in small number. 



Fresh and brackish waters of Tasmania, South Australia, 

 and the southern rivers of New South AVales. 



Aphritis bassi. 



Pseudaphritis bassii, Casteln., loc. cit. ; Macleav, Catal. Austr. 

 Fish. i. p. 200. 



15. vi. i). 7-8. 10-22. A. 2/22. V. l/o. P. 18. C. 14. 

 L. 1. 01-03. L, tr. lo. 



The length of the head is four and two-fifths, the height of 

 the body, which is gi'eatest beneath the middle of the first 

 dorsal, six and four-flftlis in the total length. The diameter 

 of the eye is five and one-third in the length of the head, and 

 equal to that of the snout, which is obtusely rounded ; the 

 slightly grooved interorbital space is four-ninths of the 

 diameter of the eye. The greatest ■width of the head is 

 rather less than half its length. The cleft of the mouth is 

 moderately' oblique, and the lower jaw is slightly the longer. 

 The maxilla reaches to beneath the anterior third of the eye, 



