DR. RICHARDSON'S DESCRIPTION OF AUSTRALIAN FISH. 109 



them in good condition from the southern ocean. In like manner as Australia is the 

 chief abode of the pouched quadrupeds, which are represented in South America and 

 the Indian isles by less typical forms, so the Australian sea appears to be the principal 

 resort of the group of fish in question, though some species inhabit the Indian Archipe- 

 lago, the coasts of Chili, and even other districts of the ocean. 



With regard to the rank of Lalris, it may be considered, according to the diiferent 

 views of systematic ichthyologists, either as a generic group, or as a subdivision or sub- 

 genus of Cheilodactylus, characterized by the deeply divided dorsal and by the rounded 

 form of the pectorals, none of the simple rays being thickened or elongated. 



Since I drew up the subjoined account of the external characters and intestines of 

 a single example of Latris hecateia, I have received two other specimens of Latri^ 

 from Mr. Lempriere which present some diflerences, but as they are not in good order, 

 I cannot decide whether they are actually of the same species or not. Their rays are 

 P. 9 and IX., or 10 and VIII. ; D. 16|40, the last deeply divided ; A. 3j34. The pre- 

 operculum is quite entire, and no traces of bands of colour remained on the body. It 

 is from these two examples that the osteology is described below. 



Description. — Form much compressed. The outline of the back throughout the 

 space occupied by the spinous dorsal, or about one-third of the length of the fish, is 

 quite horizontal ; from thence the profile descends with a slight concavity to the snout, 

 whose extremity is on a level with the lateral line. The inferior profile is a flat curve 

 from the tip of the lower jaw to the tail. The portions of the profile occupied by the 

 anal and soft dorsal curve in an equal degree to join the moderately slender tail, which 

 lies in the middle of the vertical height of the fish. The back is acute, the belly less 

 so. The body is highest at the ventrals, its height there being just one-third of the 

 length of the fish, excluding the caudal; its greatest thickness equals one-third of the 

 height, and occurs below the lateral line about midway between the back and belly. 

 The lateral line runs perfectly straight from the supra-scapular to the middle of the 

 caudal fin, at between one-third and one-fourth of the whole depth from the back. It 

 contains 114 scales, smaller than those of the adjacent rows, and each furnished with a 

 tubular ridge, which becomes narrower and is bent upwards as it approaches the poste- 

 rior margin of the scale. The scales of the body are of moderate size, and when in 

 situ have a neat, compact appearance ; their discs, forming small vertical rhombs, are 

 roughened by minute granulations of the epidermis, but the margins are smooth. A 

 scale, when detached, is seen to be five-sided, presenting anteriorly three sides of a 

 square, the basal one being marked by about six parallel grooves which do not reach 

 the centre. The posterior or exposed portion has an irregularly triangular outUne, with 

 very delicate smooth margins, and dots on the discal epidermis which look like pores 

 when examined through a microscope. The lines of structure in some scales surround 

 a square dotted centre, in others their disposition is oblique. The scales on the top of 

 the head, and on the moveable fillets that form the dorsal groove, are very small. A 



