7Q2 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1885. 



The Burramundi, — One of the most interesting of all fishes is an in- 

 habitant of certain Australian rivers, and is known to some of the 

 English settlers of the country as the salmon and flathead ; its native 

 name is Burramundi. It has no resfemblance whatever in form to the 

 salmon and has been called so only because its flesh is pinkish like the 

 salmon's. In shape it perhaps more resembles or rather has less dis- 

 similarity to the fresh-water ophiocephalids of India or to a thick eel 

 than to any common or well known fish. This resemblance results from 

 its elongated subcylindrical form and the gradual tapering of its tad 

 backward to the confluence of the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. The 

 head is depressed, wedge-shaped, and covered with a bony armature. 

 The scales, which are almost confined to the body (although slightly 

 encroaching upon the vertical fins), are large and have a peculiar 

 structure. Its chief interest results from the fact that it is the repre- 

 sentative of a family of fishes which is represented by numerous species 

 in the secondary geological age in the northern hemisphere, and it was 

 supposed, until 1870, to have become extinct at the end of the Triassic 

 epoch. It was therefore a matter of the greatest astonishment to all 

 naturalists when a species of the type was discovered living in the fresh 

 waters of Southern Australia, and the living representative of the 

 ancient family was found to be so nearly related to the extinct forms 

 that it has been regarded by most naturalists as belonging to the typi- 

 cal genus Ceratodus. It exhibits however differences of dentition re- 

 moving it from any of the extinct forms, and there is no evidence that the 

 secondary species had a skeleton or scales generically similar to those 

 of the living representatives ; it has therefore by a few naturalists, 

 been regarded as belonging to a peculiar generic type known as Neo- 

 ceratodus. The ceratodonts are remarkable likewise on account of 

 their nasal apertures opening into the palate, in which respect however 

 they agree with two other living types of Dipnoous fishes, although 

 diftering from all others of the class except them. The assiduous re- 

 searches of various naturalists have at length given us a tolerable insight 

 into the life history of the Burramundi. It is confined to certaiurivers of 

 South Australia, and its headquarters seem to be in the Burnett River. 

 Its mode of progression is by waves of the tail or by paddling with the 

 I)ectoral fins without moving the posterior pair of fins or the tail. 

 When at rest on the bottom of the tank the pectorals are placed nearly 

 at right angles to the body while the hinder fins are brought nearly 

 parallel to the tail. If not disturbed it will remain in this position for 

 hours, and only when stirred up does it think it necessary to use the 

 fins and tail at all. It then lurches out with the great strong tail turn- 

 ing sidewise and squeezes in between some tufts of grass. Professor 

 Ramsey endeavored to urge it to make some progress in only afew inches 

 of water, but, as far as he could experiment, without effect. The lish is 

 exceedingly eel-like in its movements, and when going slowly along the 

 swaying of the great caudal fin entails a sei"pentine course. It is the 



