72 MEMOIRS OF THE QVEEXSltXn MTSEFM. 



dorsal : spiues weak and flexible, the third or fourth the longest, 2 to 24 in the 

 length of the head and 1-33 to 1-5 in the length of the base, which is 1-9 to 2-1 

 in that of the second dorsal, the rays of which, except the last two or three, are 

 nearly equal in length, one ninth to one fourth lower than the longest spine, 

 and 24 to 2-57 in the length of the head ; length of its base 2-37 to 2-6 in that 

 of the body : last ray, like that of the anal, divided nearly to its base. Caudal 

 fin varying with age from obtusely cuneiform to truncate, its length 44 to 5-25 

 in that of the body. Anal with ii 7 rays, originating below the tenth dorsal 

 ray, the spines short and weak, the second 3-5 to 4 in the length of the head 

 and 1-67 to 1-9 in the fir.st ray ; base of anal 5 to 5-2.5 in that of the second dorsal. 

 Pectoral pointed, with 17 rays, the fifth and sixth the longest, 1-4 to 1-55 in the 

 length of the head, and extending to below the tenth doi-sal spine. Ventral 

 inserted a little behind the pectoral-base, its length a little more in the young 

 to a little less in the adult than that fin, the first ray longest and terminating 

 in a short filament, which disappears with age. 



Gill-rakers short and moderately stout, 4 -|- 9 and some rudiments on the 

 anterior arch, the longest about two fifths of the eye-diameter. Air-bladder 

 with numerous fringed processes on either side. Eight pyloric cteca. 



Steel-blue above in the young, becoming dark gray-bine or grayish brown 

 in large examples, shading through the silver-gray of the sides to the pure white 

 of the throat and abdomen ; the young usually with narrow oblique bars directed 

 obliquely upwards and backwards, and following the borders of each row of scales 

 above the lateral line, and sometimes with a few horizontal series of obscure spots 

 below it : a large blackish axillary blotch. Head rather less brilliantly tinted 

 tlian the back, the sides sutfused with gold; inside of mouth and inner border 

 of opercles orange. Fins grayish or grayish brown, except the ventrals, which 

 ai'e white. {Aniarctica. belonging to the south.) 



Described from seven exam|)les, measuring between 277 and 525 mm. in 

 total length, all obtained in Moreton Bay and the Brisbane River. 



liiddricuL — Oui' jewfish is the Australian representative of the European 

 "maigre" [ticid'na holok pidota) , an important food-fish of the Eastern Atlantic, 

 which ranges northward to the southern shores of the British Isles and south- 

 ward to the Cape of Good Hojie, 7-ound which it passes, ascending the East 

 African Coast to Natal, and branching off thence to Mauritius, from which 

 (,'ommei-i,-on obtained Ihr spcciineii, tlic (Irscriptidii and figure of wliich were 

 afterwards i-eiifoduce<l by Laceijcde under the name of J.alirus Jiololcpidotiis. 

 With tliis species our fish is so closely allied that it does not seem advisable to 

 consider it as of higher than subspeeifie rank, if even it be entitled to so much 

 consideration. The fir.st intimation, which T can find, of the jircsence of this 

 noble fish in Austi-alian waters comes, strangely enough, from Victoria, where 

 it is only a I'are and occasional visitor-. Prof. McCoy having, under the name of 

 .S'. ai/iiila, ])lace(l on record tin- captui'e of an exami)le in those seas in his "Notes 

 on the /oology of N'ictoria," published in the lieports of the Melbourne Inter- 

 national Exhibition, 1s(i(i, Castcliian, iiowever, six yeai's late)' se|)ara1e(l the 



