AUSTKALIAN (!()l!llli/K McOlll,l,( x.'ll AND ()(;il,l:V. 'JG? 



same locality, and the two are apparently synonymous. Tlie exaini)lc' of 

 E. crescens further agrees in all details with the holotypeof E. imviaculatus 

 described above ; its palate is perfectly smooth, there being no indication 

 of palatine or vomerine teeth as described by De Vis. The type of I'L 

 phiniceps, Macleay (1S82), cannot now be found, and appears to have been 

 lost ; its brief description does not enable us to deteiniine its identity, 

 but it is very prc)bably synonymous with 0. lliienlatas. Weber's description 

 and figux'e of his 0. hetennhm agree very well with the holotype of O. 

 iiiDuaculatas, and we consider his suggestion as to the probable identity 

 of the two to have been proved correct. 



Mr. Robert Archer of Gracemere Station, Rockhampton, informs us 

 that this fish is never seen in the winter; but in summer it lies close to 

 the surface and can be easily caught with a landing-net ; it is very 

 sluggish, and he has never known it to take a bait. It is the only fish in 

 the Mere worth eating, having white firm and flaky flesh which is not at 

 all mudd}'^ in flavour ; all the other species occurring in the Mere are 

 almost uneatable because of their muddy taste. 



Locs. — We have examined six specimens from the following Queens- 

 land localities. Gracemere, and other lagoons near Rockhampton ; cotypes 

 of E. crescoi^, De Vis. Double Creek, Upper Dawson River ; coll. H. 

 Pearce. Hugliendeu, Flinders River ; coll. F. L. Berney. The holotype 

 of E. imiiiaculatus was obtained in the Keremma River, Gulf of Papua. 



Genus Eleotris, Block ^' Schneider. 



Eleotris, Gronow, Zoophylaceum, 1763, p. 58 (Gnhias pisonis, Gmelin) — 

 Non-binomial. Id., Blocli & Schneider, Syst. Tclith., 1801, p. 65 — 

 after Gronow. 



Culins, Bleeker, Nat Tijd. Ned. Ind., xi., 1856, p. 41 (Poecilia fusca, 

 Bloch & Schneider). 



Body cylindrical anteriorly, compressed posteriorly; scales small and 

 mostly ctenoid, but cycloid on the nape, breast and abdomen. Head with 

 small cycloid scales vphich extend forward to the posterior nostrils, and 

 cover the cheeks and opercles ; they are often hidden in mucous in well 

 preserved specimens and are difficult to detect. Preoperculum with a 

 spine at the angle. Snout, upper surface of the head, cheeks, opercles, 

 and mandible with many rows of microscopic mucigerous papillae. Snout 

 obtuse, the mandible projecting ; mouth oblique. Eye superolateral, the 

 interorbital space wide. Nostrils widely separated, the anterior tubular. 

 No barbies. Each jaw with a band of villiform teeth, and an outer row 

 of stronger ones. Tongue free, slightly rounded anteriorly. Gill-openings 

 continued a little forward below, the isthmus of moderate width ; exposed 

 edge of the shoulder-girdle smooth. Pseudobranchia) present ; anterior 

 gill-rakers of the first arch few and thick, about eight on the lower limb. 

 Dorsal fins short, with about vi/9 rays ; anal similar to the soft dorsal. 

 Caudal and pectorals rounded ; ventrals i/5, widely separated. 



This definition is based upou E. fusca, Bloch & Schneider. 



