DR. RICHARDSON'S DESCRIPTION OF AUSTRALIAN FISH. 1 13 



even, or scarcely perceptibly sinuated. A single interspinous bone, which is thickest 

 at its summit, and is not connected with a ray, intervenes between the occipital ridge 

 and the first spinous process of the vertebral column. The next interspinous bone 

 touches the same spinous process posteriorly, and supports the first dorsal spine. The 

 numbers of the dorsal rays and their interspinous bones correspond pretty exactly, 

 but the soft dorsal has anteriorly two and posteriorly three interspinous bones between 

 each pair of spinous processes. The spinous dorsal has for the most part a single 

 ray to each spinous process, though its spines are more crowded anteriorly. There 

 are in all thirty-four vertebrae, all furnished with rather slender superior spinous pro- 

 cesses, which increase slightly in length from the first till the tenth ; the five following 

 ones are nearly of the same length, after which they again diminish successively, the 

 posterior caudal ones being very short and weak. The superior oblique processes of 

 the anterior vertebrae form thin ragged crests, which reach from one spinous process 

 to the next one, but posteriorly to the tenth vertebra these crests are more restricted, 

 and gradually assume the ordinary form of short oblique processes. The transverse 

 processes of nine of the vertebree show pits for the heads of the ribs, which are large and 

 cup-shaped in the first six, but are more oblique and less conspicuous in the three fol- 

 lowing ones. The tenth and four following transverse processes are united to their 

 fellows by a bridge of bone, which leaves their forked tips projecting, and encloses at 

 the base a small round hole for the transmission of vessels. The fifteenth, which may 

 be considered as the first caudal vertebra, has a simple inferior spinous bone, shaped 

 like the nib of a writing-pen, with a fine, tapering point. The strong interspinous bone 

 at the commencement of the anal fin is connected to the point of this nib, and also rests 

 against the tips of the two succeeding inferior spinous processes, which recline back- 

 wards, are the longest of the series, and exceed the pen-shaped one in length by one- 

 third : the more posterior ones become successively shorter, like the superior spinous 

 processes. 



Dimensions of a Specimen preserved in spirits. 



Inches. Lines. 

 Length from the tip of the snout (retracted) to the tip of the tail . .11 



Length from the tip of the snout (retracted) to beginning of caudal fin . 9 



Length from the tip of the snout (retracted) to end of dorsal or anal . 8 



Length from the tip of the snout (retracted) to first spine of anal . . 6 1 



Length from the tip of the snout (retracted) to anus 5 10 



Length from the tip of the snout (retracted) to 1 7th spine of dorsal . 5 4 



Length from the tip of the snout (retracted) to ventrals 3 10 



Length from the tip of the snout (retracted) to first dorsal spine . . 2 6 



Length from the tip of the snout (retracted) to tip of gill-cover . . 2 6 



Length from the tip of the snout (retracted) to orbit 1 



Height of body at the ventrals 3 



VOL. HI. PART I. Q 



