154 DR. RICHARDSON'S DESCRIPTION OF AUSTRALIAN FISH. 



elevated than the others on the head. The lateral line is distinctly marked by a smooth 

 furrow impressed on 114 scales, and runs in a slightly arched manner, nearer to the 

 back than to the belly in the fore part of the body, then makes a slight curve behind 

 the commencement of the anal, gradually inclining towards the centre of the tail, which 

 it attains within about one-third of its extremity. There are about eighteen rows of 

 scales between the first dorsal and anus, of which three or four are above the lateral 

 line. 



Radii.— Br. 6-6 ; P. 16 ; D. 2|ll-89 ; V. 1|6 ; A. 87 ; C. 1. 



Pectoral rather small and pointed, reaching back to the second anal ray ; all its rays 

 jointed. The first ray is undivided and nearly equals the second, which is the longest. 

 There is a narrow naked space round the pectorals between which and the smooth edge 

 of the gill-opening there are four rows of small scales. First dorsal high, commencing 

 rather posterior to the base of the pectorals, consisting of thirteen rays ; the first a 

 short, stout, incumbent spine, scarcely protruding through the skin ; the second, tall, 

 tapering, with a flexible tip, but with no perceptible branching or articulation, nor any 

 serratures on its anterior border or other sides ; it is scarcely shorter than the adjoining 

 branched one, which is the longest, the remaining rays becoming successively shorter, 

 and the last one having not more than one-fourth of the height of the second or third. 

 The height of the first dorsal is double its length, and nearly thrice as long as the 

 interval between the dorsals. The fore-part of this interval is opposite to the anus. 

 The second dorsal is supported by short, tapering, and mostly unbranched rays. This 

 fin is continued to the tip of the tail, and has for two-thirds of its length an uniform 

 height of less than one-fourth of that of the first dorsal ; in the remaining third the 

 rays shorten successively till at their union with the anal they form an acute point. 

 The posterior rays are forked or branched. The anal fin commencing very near the 

 vent, and consequently somewhat anteriorly to the second dorsal, is like it supported 

 by simple rays till near its tip, where they are forked. The three first rays are a little 

 shorter than the succeeding ones, which for the anterior two-thirds of the fin have an 

 uniform length of nearly thrice that of the second dorsal rays. The anal and dorsal 

 meet at the tip of the tail, from v.hence there projects directly a single branched ray, 

 which we have named above as the solitary ray of a caudal fin, but which may be 

 added either to the dorsal or anal. The second dorsal and anal fins having fine mem- 

 branes, are capable of being laid so flatly back as to be scarcely perceptible, though 

 there are no distinct furrows for their reception. Ventrals smaller than the pectorals, 

 attached opposite to the first dorsal ray, and reaching backwards to the anus. The 

 first ray is stout at the base, with a simple, tapering, flexible, soft tip passing beyond 

 the membrane and all the other rays. 



Anatomical notices. — Lining of the abdomen black. CEsophagus wide, tolerably long, 

 opening by a somewhat contracted cardiac orifice into a globular stomach. A short oval 

 pyloric branch issues from the stomach near the cardia. The coats of the stomach are 



