28 Dr. Richardson's Contrihuiions to 



Dimensions. l"'^''es. lines. 



Length from intermaxillary symphysis to end of caudal 20 6 



. base of ditto K) 4 



anus 10 2 



. , beginning of dorsal... fi 11 



tip of gill-flap o 



centre of orbit 2 7 



Diameter of orbit 1 



Length of pectoral 5 2 



ventrals 3 4 



dorsal 8 10 



spinous ])art of dorsal 5 6 



. articulated part of ditto 3 4 



. anal 2 4 



caudal 4 2 



Height of tallest dorsal spine (the 4tli) 2 U 



second and tenth spine of dorsal 1 3 



soft dorsal 2 3 



.^— — ^ third anal spine 1 10 



soft anal 2 5 



Length of space between anal and anus 1 



. anal and caudal 2 J> 



dorsal and caudal 1 10 



Height of head at the nape 4 6 



Mesopbion carponotatus {Nob.), The Mungundju. 



No. 20. Mr. Gilbert's list. 



The native inhabitants of the shores of Port Essington call 

 this fish ' Mungundju,' and it frequents the deep water in 

 rocky places at the entrance of the harbour (Mr. Gilbert). 



Cuvier mentions the resemblance between his Mesoprions 

 and fish of the genus Dentex in external form. In the Mun- 

 gundju the sparoid likeness is carried to the utmost by the 

 rounded operculum, the almost entire preoperculum, and the 

 dark spot at the base of the pointed pectoral. Indeed, until I 

 had softened and extended the branchiostegous membrane so 

 as to show its seven rays, and discovered some microscopical 

 teeth on a small part of the edge of the palate bone, I had 

 supposed that this fish might be the Dentex cynodon of the 

 ' Histoire des Poissons.' As the Yapilli of the preceding ar- 

 ticle is the only Mesoprion that I have access to for the pur- 

 pose of comparison Avith the Mungundju, the following de- 

 scription has reference throughout to that species. 



Form. — Having- a close general resemblance to that of Yapilli ; but 

 the lips, which in that species form a broad reverted fold on both jaws, 

 are not so much developed in the Mungundju. There are no jiores 

 on the lower jaw of either, the integument being very smooth and 

 nacry. The preorbitar in both has a perfectly even edge ; and in 

 Yapilli the thick integument passes so evenly from the surface of the 

 bone, over the row of large scales which encircle the lower half of 

 the orbit, as greatly to increase the apparent size of the bone : in the 



