58 CATALOGUE OF FISH. 



15 or 16 teeth on each limb, the anterior ones taller, move re- 

 mote, and having one or two minute, subulate ones in their 

 intervals. 



The head of this species is considerably compressed, the jaws 

 equal, and the snout obtuse, with a sloping profile, concave at the 

 eye. The fold of skin which envelopes the dorsal is less thick than 

 in many species, and rises suddenly, with little slope, about half- 

 way between the eye and gill-opening. The fin continues high 

 and very conspicuous throughout the back to near the end of the 

 tail, where it narrows a little. The eye is rather large ; the gape 

 also large ; and the distance from the tip of the snout to the gill- 

 opening is about one-eighth of the whole length of the fish ; while 

 the anus is a fourteenth of that length before the middle of the 

 fish. The usual pores exist on the snout and upper and lower lips ; 

 and the lateral Hue, consisting of a series of small pores, is suffi- 

 ciently evident. Three black tapering streaks are conspicuous on 

 the throat, the uppermost running back from the corner of the 

 mouth. The body is marked by cloud-like spots, forming a series 

 of irregular, and in some places, confluent bars. The spots com- 

 mence on the lower part of the dorsal, and descend over two-thirds 

 of the height. The ground colour is brownish on the back, and 

 pale, or whitish, on the belly. The dorsal and anal are bordered by 

 a well-defined, deep, black stripe, which is very narrowly edged ex- 

 teriorly with white. 



Csecal stomach not reaching down to the anus. Pyloric orifice 

 nearer to the gullet than to the point of the sac. Liver placed 

 beneath and rather to the right of the stomach. An oblong, oval 

 air-bladder lies behind the oesophagus. The spiral valve of the 

 lower intestine was not made out, owing to the state of the parts. 

 Length of the specimen, 21-5 in. Distance between tip of the 

 snout and the anus, 10 in. Distance from ditto to the gill- 

 opening, 2'6 in. 



This fish was obtained at Norfolk Island, by Dr. M'William, of 

 the Royal Navy, Surgeon to the Board of Customs. A dried skin 

 of a murrey, belonging to the British Museum, vfhich was procured 

 by Mr. Gilbert at Houtman's Abrolhos, is probably the same spe- 

 cies, which, in that case, inhabits both coasts of Australia. The 

 small intermediate teeth among the intermaxillaries do not exist in 

 this latter example ; and the larger ones have rounded, compressed 

 posterior basal lobes not observable in the Norfolk Island speci- 

 men, being, perhaps, concealed by the soft parts ; but there is no 

 other remarkable difference in dentition. The anal has a whitish 

 edge, surmounting a black stripe, and there are spots on the sides ; 

 but much defaced by the drying of the specimen. It measures 22 

 in. in length. 



A third specimen, like the last, a dried one, and also existing in 

 the British Museum, was prepared by Dr. Janvier at the Mauritius. 

 It has the same dentition with the Norfolk Island fish, except that 



