172 Dr. Ricliardson's Contributions to 



common boar-fish. It stands over the anus and is very tall, though, 

 as it has been curtailed of its proportions in the figure, owing to the 

 smallness of the paper, its exact height cannot be stated. The first 

 ray is the longest, and the others decrease in succession to the last, 

 which is short : none of them are represented with filamentous tips. 

 The membrane ends at the base of the very short ray which begins 

 the second dorsal. The rays of the second fin increase gradually 

 but slightly as they become more posterior. There appear to be two 

 anals, as in the dory, of which the first is very small, consisting of 

 only two spines : the second spine is only half the length of the first, 

 and no membrane is shown connecting it with the second fin, which 

 resembles the soft dorsal in form. In drawing the simple tapering 

 dorsal or anal rays of a dory the articulations are very likely to be 

 overlooked, as is the case in the figure we are commenting upon. 

 The caudal fin is very slightly rounded, as in the dory. 



The scales are represented as considerably smaller than in the 

 common boar-fish. The lateral line is more boldly curved, and ap- 

 proaches nearer the dorsal line anteriorly ; posteriorly it descends 

 verv gradually to assume a straight course through the tail. 



The general colour is a pale straw-yellow, with much metallic 

 lustre, without spots. The fins are pale carmine, and there is a 

 carmine blush on the fore-part of the l)ack, with deeper tints of the 

 same on the tips of the scales, top of the head, scapulars, and some 

 parts of the muzzle. The gill-membrane is deep lake-red, and there 

 are some purplish tints on the gill-flap and humeral bones. 



The figure is said to be of the natural size, and measures 



Dimensions. . , 



inches. lines. 



From the lips, with the jaws protracted, to the end of caudal.. 10 6 



base of ditto... 9 3 



Length of trunk of tail 1 3 



Height of ditto 7| 



body 4 6 



Length of head, jav/s protruded 3 9 



Diameter of orbit 8 



From lips to edge of orbit 2 3 



Amph ACANTHUS NOTOSTiCTUs {Nob.), The Loorooga. 



No. 17. Mr. Gilbert's Hst. 



This Ainphacanthus is named " Loorooga " by the natives 

 of the country round Port Essington, and is said by Mr. Gil- 

 bert to be common to all the shallow parts of the harbour. 

 In general form it resembles marmoratus, and still more nearly 

 guttatuSy but it is unlike the latter and some of the spotted 

 species allied to it in the form of the profile of the forehead, 

 which is not concave above the orbit, but evenly convex. 

 From dorsalis, which exhibits a similar disposition of spots, it 

 differs in the spots being black instead of whitish. 



The profile, excluding the fins and a small part of the tail, is a 

 regular oval, whose vertical axis rather exceeds half the longitudinal 



