71 
and is contained five times and a half in the length of the head when 
the jaws are retracted. The preorbitar lips are only slightly de- 
veloped, but the intermaxillary and mandibular ones are thick and 
plaited. Teeth arranged in each jaw in a series gradually decreasing 
towards the angle of the mouth, the anterior pair above and below 
being considerably larger and more curved. In the upper jaw there 
is a complete interior series of small rounded teeth which are on a 
level with the soft parts. On the mandible the interior row is con- 
fined to the fore-part of the jaw, and is less regular. The tubular 
ramifications on the scales of the lateral line are more numerous and 
crowded than in L. tetricus, or any of the other Australian species 
figured in the ‘Ichthyology of the Erebus and Terror.’ There are 
twenty-four scales on the lateral line having these clusters of tubes, 
and the clusters do not diminish in size towards the tail, though one 
or two less bushy occur under the soft dorsal. The line is as usual 
suddenly bent downwards under the end of that fin. 
In the dried skins dark brown lines radiate from the orbit over the 
temples, cheek, and preorbitar, and there are dark spots on the jaws, 
top of the head and gill-plates. There are also some white blotches 
and bars on the cheek, preoperculum, interoperculum and lower jaw. 
The body is variegated with brown spots, crowded along the back, 
more scattered on the sides, and mixed with small round dots of the 
same tint. The dark marks extend to all the vertical fins. These 
spots have an umber-brown colour in Mr. Neill’s drawing. 
No. 37 of the same drawings represents the “ Black-fish of the 
sealers’’ and the “ Paril’’ or “ Knhoul”’ of the natives, which is con- 
sidered to be a variety of the preceding. There is no specimen of it 
in the collection, but it has the back and upper part of the sides 
thickly sprinkled with reddish-brown dots without any larger spots. 
This variety or species is said to grow to the size of 15 or 20 lbs. 
Cossypuus vuLPINUs, Richardson. 
Radii.—Br. 4; D.12|11; A. 3]12; C.142; P.16; V.1|5, spec. 
The height of the body is one-fourth of the total length of the fish, 
caudal included, and is about equal to the length of the head. 
The profile rises in a slightly concave line from the acute snout to 
opposite the back part of the orbit at an angle of 30°. From thence 
to the beginning of the dorsal, which stands as far back as the axil of 
the ventrals, the line is almost horizontal, and judging from the dried 
specimen the dorsal ridge there is acute. When the jaws are pro- 
tracted the face has a hollow profile, and the strong series of teeth 
give it a sinister look. There are two pairs of canines at the extre- 
mities of the upper and under jaws, the upper ones being inclined 
forwards, and also a canine at the corner of the mouth, which is bent 
outwards. The smaller teeth are rather widely set, and there are six 
of them on each maxillary and fourteen on each limb of the lower 
jaw ; and of the latter the middle ones are somewhat longer than those 
towards each end of the jaw. Within the front teeth on both jaws 
there is a flat naked surface of bone fitted for grinding or crushing, 
and more interiorly a few minute granular teeth scarcely protruding 
