trNDESCRIBED REPTILES AND FISHES. — OGILBY. 25 



beneath the anterior third of the orbit. Opercles smooth ; sub- 

 opercle moderately broad, acutely rounded behind. Toothless. 

 The distance between the origin of the dorsal and the tip of the 

 snout is equal to or a trifle longer than that between the same 

 point and the base of the caudal ; the third ray is the longest, 

 from 1-50 - IGG in the length of the head, and equal to the basal 

 length of the fin ; the outer margin is concave : anal low, the 

 longest rays a little more than the diameter of the eye : ventrals 

 inserted entirely in front of the dorsal, with the outer margin 

 acutely rounded, their length from 2-00 -2-15 in that of the 

 head; pectorals rounded, their length 1-50- 1-60 in the same ; 

 the upper basal angle vertically beneath the posterior margin of 

 the opercle : caudal forked, the least height of the pedicle 

 2-2.5 - 2-40 in the height of the body. Scales moderate, feebly 

 carinated, and firmly adherent ; a patch of small scales on each 

 side of the occipital depression ; no triangular scale above the 

 origin of the ventrals : a series of scutes similar to those on the 

 abdominal profile between the occiput and the dorsal ; behind 

 that fin the profile of the back is smooth and rounded : abdominal 

 scutes well developed, twenty in front and twelve to fourteen 

 behind the origin of the ventrals. Gill-rakers moderately stout 

 and closely set, their length about one-third of the diameter of 

 the eye. 



Colors. — Pale straw with a broad silvery median band ; each 

 scale above the lateral band with a crescentic series of black 

 dots near the posterior margin ; snout similiarly dotted. Fins 

 hyaline. 



Tyi^e. — In the Australian Museum. Reg. No. I. .3034. 



The species above described inhabits the rivers flowing into 

 Port Jackson and Botany Bay ; it has been known to the writer 

 for some time, but as has probably been the case with previous 

 investigators of our Fish-fauna, it was set aside without examina- 

 tion, under the belief that it was merely the young of the widely 

 distributed C. novce-hollandioi : having, however, had occasion of 

 late to examine more closely our New South Wales Clupeids, the 

 present species attracted a more careful investigation with the 

 gratifying result given above. 



C. sprattellides is occasionally brought to market in considerable 

 numbers among the prawns (Penceus macleayi) from the Parra- 

 matta, George's, and Cook's Rivers. 



The type specimens described above measure from two and 

 two-thirds to three and a half inches, the latter being apparently 

 the full size to which the species attains. No signs of spawning 

 could be observed in the example dissected. 



The position of the ventral fins in C. sprattellides being 

 apparently anomalous in the genus Glupea, and the fact that 

 this character is associated with a well developed dorsal scutation 



