Al'STK'Al.lAN (lomili.K McCULLnCll ANM tKlll.llY. 'J()9 



iiifcerorbital space broad. Snont broadly ruuiidod, its upper proOlo with 

 a projection before the eyes formed by the posterior processes of the 

 preiiiaxillaries. Nostrils widely separated, the anterior in a low tube 

 overhanging the uppei' lip, the posterior before the superoanterior angle 

 of the eye. Mouth oblique, the maxilla extending to below the posterior 

 portion of the eye ; mandible projecting well beyond the upper jaw. 

 Each premaxillaiy with a band of villiform teeth, the inner rows of which 

 are slightly larger than the others, and an outer row of stronger conical 

 teeth ; mandibular teeth similar to those of the premaxillaries anteriorly, 

 but the outer conical teetli are wanting posteriorly, and the inner teeth 

 are enlarged. ToTigue free anteriorly', its mai-gin rounded. Gill-opening 

 continued forward to below the preoperculai- angle, the isthmus much 

 wider than the eye ; exposed edge of the shoulder-girdle smooth, with a 

 free dermal membrane. 



Body robust, compressed, the dorsal contour a little more arched 

 than the vential. It is covered with rather small scales, Avhich are mostly 

 ctenoid and of subequal size ; they are smaller and cycloid ou the nape, 

 breast and abdomen, and on the extreme dorsal and ventral surfaces. 

 Genital papilla large and foliate. 



First dorsal originating a little before the middle of the pectoral ; it 

 is rounded and low, the longest spine being shorter than its basal length, 

 and just reaching the base of the second dorsal when adpressed. Second 

 dorsal higher than the first, the sixth to eighth rays longest, and the 

 margin feebly rounded. Anal almost opposite, and of similar form to the 

 second dorsal. Pectoral rounded, the middle rays almost reaching the 

 vertical of the anterior dorsal ray. Ventrals inserted below the anterior 

 portion of the peetoial base, the fourth rays longest and reaching about 

 three-fourths of their distance from the vent. Caudal rounded. 



Colour. — Brown, darker above and lighter below ; the sides with 

 indistinct and interrupted series of dark lines along the rows of scales. 

 Several indefinite dark lines radiate backward from the eye, and the 

 upper base of the pectoral bears a dark blotch. First dorsal with a 

 broad white border, the remainder of both fins dusky and ornamented 

 with closely set angular brown markings ; the rays of all the other fins 

 are speckled with brown. 



Described from a specimen 155 mm. long, from Samoa. It appears 

 to be similar to many others from New Caledonia and the New Hebrides, 

 and apparentl)' differs in only trifling details from an Indian example. 



X,or.s. — Northern Queensland; old collection, t^uoensland Museum. 

 Oubatche, New Caledonia ; coll. C. Hedley. Santo, New Hebrides. Samoa ; 

 coll. Professor Jordan, 1902. Calcutta, India; Dr. Day's collection. 



Elkotkis oxycephalds, Temniiiick ^- Schlegd. 



Eleotris oxycephaJui^-, Temminck & Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Poiss., 

 1845, p. 150, pi. Ixxvii., fig. 4-5. Id., Kuer, Reise " Novara", Zool., 

 i., Fische, 1865, p. 185. 



Kner recorded Eleotris oxycephalus, Schlegel, from Sydney, but the 

 species certainly does not occur in New South Wales. The localities 

 recorded for many of the " Novara " fishes are known to be incorrect. 



