AUSTRALIAN GOnilP^ McCULLOCH AND OGILPY. 281 



nostrils, over and behind the eye, to the groove above the opercles ; others 

 cross the cheek and operculum, and extend around the preopercular 

 margin and onto the mandible ; no large open pores. Eyes separated by 

 a broad, flat, interorbital space ; some small imperfect scales on the upper 

 part of the eye. Snout broadly rounded, the mandible projecting. 

 Mouth oblique, the maxilla reaching to below the anterior third of the 

 eye. Anterior nostril in a short tube near the lip, the posterior a simple 

 opening on the upper surface of the head. A broad band of villiform 

 teeth in each jaw, palate toothless. Tongue I'ounded anteriorly, and 

 largely free. Grill-openings lateral, and continued somewhat foiward 

 below, the isthmus separating them wider than the eye. Exposed edge 

 of the shoulder-girdle smooth. 



Body robust, compressed posterioi'ly, covered with ctenoid scales, 

 which extend over the breast and bases of the pectorals. They ai'e a 

 little lai'ger posteriorly than anteriorly. Genital papilla well developed. 



First dorsal fin rather low, rounded, and commencing well behind 

 the pectoral base ; the penultimate spine is longest, and reaches beyond 

 the first ray when adpressed. Second dorsal oblong, pointed posteriorly, 

 the margin straight ; the penultimate ray is longest, and reaches the 

 vertical of the hypnral joint. Anal opposite the second doi'sal, and 

 similar in form though a little more rounded anteriorly. Pectoral 

 rounded, the median rays longest, and almost reaching the vertical of 

 the last dorsal spine. Ventral inserted below the pectoral- base, the fourth 

 ray longest, and reaching about two-thirds of its distance from the vent. 

 Caudal broadly rounded. 



Colonr-marl-iinj. — Light brown in alcohol, with numerous darker 

 spots along the middle of the sides, which coalesce posteriorly into two 

 longitudinal lines enclosing large darker and lighter blotches. Two 

 oblique stripes cross the cheek from the eye, and are continued across the 

 operculum ; a third crosses the opeiculum and the base of the pectoral to 

 a dark blotch on the bases of the rays. Fii-st dorsal duskj', with some 

 obscure darker spots, and a white border. Second dorsal dusky, with a 

 white border and numerous large darker spots near the base and on the 

 posterior rays, where they mingle with some lighter markings. Anal 

 with mai'kiugs similar to those of the second dorsal. Caudal with dark 

 spots between the rays on its median portion, which are largest near the 

 base. 



Described from an adult specimen 120 mm. long, from Port Essington, 

 which is somewhat faded, but exhibits all the characters of the species. 



Identiti/. — This specimen, and the others referred to below, differ 

 from Richardson's description of E. mognnnla, also from Port Essington, 

 in having fewer rays in the dorsal and anal fins, but it must be noted 

 that Giinther later re-examined the types and found them consti-ucted as 

 in our specimens. Giinther counted forty-eight scales in a longitudinal 

 series, which is a larger number than we find in any of ours. 



ViirlatioH. — Three specimens, also from Port Essington, 25-42 mm. 

 long without the caudal fin, exhibit some variation in the number of 

 fin-rays and scales; D. viii-ix/12-13 ; A. 12; 38-40 scales between the 



