50. 0LIG0KU9. 261 



Sixth Group. GRYSTINA. 



50. OLIGORUS* 



Gryates, sp., Cuv. Sf Val. iii. p. 58. 



Seven branchiostegals. All the teeth villiform, without canines ; 

 teeth on the palatine bones ; tongue smooth. One dorsal, with 

 eleven spines, the anal fin with three. Operculum with one point, 

 prseoperculum with a single smooth or obtusely denticulated ridge. 

 Scales small. The number of the pyloric appendages small (3). 



Rivers of Australia. 



1. Oligorus macquariensis. 



Grystes brisbanii, Less. Voy. Coq. Zool. ii. p. 227. 



Grystes macquariensis, Cuv. Sf Val. iii. p. 58 ; Richards. Ereh. Sf Terr. 



Fishes, p. 118. pi. 53. f. 8, 9. 

 peelii, Mitchell, Exped. Austr. pi. 6. f. 1. 



B. 7. D. {i. A.^. Caec. pylor. 3. 



The height of the body is 4| in the total length, the length of the 

 head 3| ; the diameter of the eye is one-seventh of the latter. 

 Praeoperculum, suprascapula, and praeorbital entire ; operculum with 

 one small spine. Pectoral and ventral fins short, caudalis rounded ; 

 the fifth dorsal spine longest; the second and third of the anal 

 nearly equal in length. Brownish grey, with irregular darker spots. 



Rivers of Austraha. 



a, h. Adult : stuffed. Australia. Presented by the Earl of Derby. 



2. Oligorus gigas. 



Centropristis gigas, Oicen, Osteol. Catal. i. p. 51. 



B. 7. D. li. A. |. Vert. 13/14. 



Praeoperculum obtusely serrated. 

 New ZeMand. 



This species, established by Prof. Owen from a skeleton in the 

 Collection of the College of Surgeons, can scarcely be referred to 

 Centropristis, even if that genus be technically taken in the extent of 

 the characters given by Cuvier, because there are no canine teeth at 

 all. Cuvier combined very heterogeneous fishes in that genus, and, 

 inconsistently enough, separated many others which exhibit all its 

 characters. At present it is quite impossible to retain it with 

 the defiuition of Cu\ier. The skeleton of the fish in question much 

 resembles that of some species of Serrunus ; but we cannot, on 



* oX/yos, few, and Mpoi, guard ; formed according to pylorus, trom nvXif, gate, 

 and irijoos s. ovpos. 



