66 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



of base, 4}( inches. Length of anterior edge of caudal, upper 

 lobe, 2 feet g inches ; of lower lobe, i foot 7 inches. Length of 

 anterior edge of pectoral, i foot 1 1 inches ; of outer edge, i foot 

 5 inches ; of base, 8 inches. Length of anterior edge of ventral, 

 10^ inches; of outer edge, 9 inches; of base, gl4 inches; of 

 claspers, 6 inches. Length of anterior edge of anal, 5 ^A inches ; 

 of outer edge, 3 inches ; of posterior edge, 4 inches ; of base, 

 3^ inches. Distance between first pair of gill-slits on dorsal 

 surface, 3 inches, extending to 8^ inches between the last pair. 

 Length of projecting hook of snout, i ^ inches ; from tip of snout 

 to anterior edge of eye, 11 inches ; tip of snout to edge of teeth 

 row, upper jaw, 12 inches. Circumference of snout at thickest 

 part, half-way between eye and tip of hook, 19 inches. Girth in 

 front of first dorsal, 3 feet 7 inches ; at base of tail, i foot 

 2 J^ inches. Diameter of eye— horizontal, i inch 4 lines ; vertical, 

 i^ inches. Length of nostril, i inch 23^ lines ; of teeth band, 

 upper jaw 11 inches, lower jaw 10^ inches. 



I have to express my indebtedness to Mr. F. Chapman, 

 F.R.M.S., for kindly photographing a section of the teeth row for 

 the illustration. 



RECENT PUBLICATIONS. 



•' Guide to the Botanic Gardens, Melbourne." — A handy 

 little guide to the Melbourne Botanic Gardens has recently been 

 issued from the Government Printing Office. Such a publication 

 has long been wanted, as the larger " Catalogue of Plants Culti- 

 vated in the Gardens " has for many years been obsolete, and the 

 description with plan and references in Bailliere's " Guide to 

 Melbourne" (1880) is probably known to few. A short history 

 of the gardens is first given, then the visitor is taken along the 

 principal walks of the gardens and the more interesting features 

 pointed out, each being indexed so that it can readily be found 

 on the accompanying plan. The naming of the lawns will also 

 assist visitors in finding the groups of plants, but it is to be 

 regretted that a shorter name than "Anderson-street" was not 

 chosen for the lawn near the Yarra Bridge. Had, for instance, 

 " Mueller " been adopted it would have recorded a name which 

 for many years was associated with the gardens, laying the 

 foundation of many noble plants. Thus the Guide says : — " Many 

 of the now fine specimens in the groups of New South Wales and 

 Queensland trees were raised from seeds obtained by the late 

 Baron von Mueller." A list of memorial trees planted by dis- 

 tinguished visitors is given, any of which can easily be found by 

 reference to the plan. The index enumerates the principal 

 groups and some of the more prominent individual specimens, 

 but might have been considerably enlarged. Two plans are 



