EDIBLE PISHES OP NEW SOUTH WALES. 91 



they might have been expected to form no unimportant item among the food- 

 producing resources of the northern parts of the Colony at least ; they are 

 abundant in Torres' Straits, and along all our northern and north-western 

 seaboard, while in West Australian seas they may safely be predicted to 

 extend at least as far to the southward as we know them to do on the east 

 coast. This species ranges westward through the seas of the Malay Archi- 

 pelago to those of India. 



The Dart grows to the length of twenty two inches in tropical seas, but on. 

 our coast rarely attains to more than half that length. 



Day states that Tmcliynotus russelli may be easily distinguished from the 



closely allied T. hailloni by the position of the lateral series of spots, which 



on the former are above, on the latter across, the lateral line, and by the 



development of the ventral fins, which are much longer in T. russelli than 



n its congener. 



Genus V.— PSETTUS. 



Psettus (Commerson) Cuv. & Val. Hist. ISTat. Poiss. vii. p. 240, 1S31. 



Branchiostegals six: pseudobranchioe present. Body much compressed 

 and elevated. Cleft of mouth small : snout short. Eyes lateral. Yilliform 

 teeth on the jaws, vomer, palatine bones, and tongue. One dorsal fin 

 with seven or eight spines : anal continuous, with three spines : ventrals 

 rudimentary. Scales small, covering the vertical fins. Lateral line unarmed. 

 Airbladder bifurcate posteriorly. Pyloric appendages numerous. 



Geographical distrihution. — From the Red Sea, east coast of Africa, 

 and the Mascarene Archipelago through the seas of India to those of China, 

 Malaysia, and Australia, and eastwards to Samoa and Eiji : Avest coast of 

 Africa. 



PSETTUS AEGENTEUS. 



Chobtodon argenteAis, Linn. Ann. Acad. iv. p. 249 ; Bl. Schn. p. 230. 



Psettus rhombeus, Cuv. & Yal. Hist. Nat. Poiss. vii. p. 245. 



Fsettus argPMteus, Hichards, Voy. Erebus. & Terror, Fish. p. 57, pi. xxxv. ff. 



1-3 ; Guth. Catal. Fish. ii. p. 487, Fisch. de Sudsee, p. 140, and Study 



of Fish. ff. 19S, 199 ; Kner, Voy. Novara, Fisch. p. 164 ; Day, Fish. 



Ind. p. 235, pi. li. B. fig. 5 ; Casteln. Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. AYales, ii. 



p. 235; Macleay, Catal. Austr. Fish. i. p. 181, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. 



"Wales, iv. p. 63, and viii. p. 266 ; Woods, Fisher. N. S. Wales, pi. xlv. 



Batlish. 



B. vi. D. 8/28-29. A. 3/28-30. V. 1/ 2-3. P. 16-17. C. 17. L. lat. 68-75. 

 L. tr. 18/50 ca. Ccec. pyl. 120 ca. Vert. 9/14. 



Length of head 3-80^-40, of caudal fin 4-00, height of body 1-60-1-85 in 

 the total length. 'Ejq large, 2'50-2"75 in the length of the head : snout 

 short and obtusely rounded, 1'50-1"75 in the diameter of the eye : inter- 

 orbital space convex, 1"10-1"25 in the same. Nostrils approximate, oval, 

 the anterior not much smaller than the posterior. Jaws equal. Cleft of 

 mouth small and oblique, the maxilla extending to beneath the anterior margin 

 of the orbit or a little further, and expanded behind. Upper profile of head 

 very slightly convex ; occipital ridge obtuse, inconspicuous. Angle and 

 lower portion of the posterior limb of the preopercle feebly serrated, the 

 denticulations lost with age. Villiform teeth in a narrow band in both 

 jaws, in a subcircular patch on the vomer, and a short band on the palatines ; 



