2 FISH AND PISH-LIKE ANIMALS OF N.S.W., 



spared no pains to overcome numerous difficulties in their production ; stains in 

 the paper of the older plates, folds and other surface irregularities, and conflicting 

 colours, have each presented their troubles, which he has consistently disposed of. 



I have further to gratefully acknowledge the loan of numerous originals of 

 the figures quoted, with permission to republish them in reduced form; references 

 to the publications in which they originally appeared are given throughout the 

 text. The greater number of these have been lent by the Trustees and the Director 

 of the Australian Museum, and others by the Director of the Queensland Museum, 

 and the Director of the South Australian Museum ; I am similarly indebted to the 

 Councils of the Linnean and Royal Societies of Xew South Wales. Likewise, 

 equally grateful acknowledgment is here rendered to the numerous authors of the 

 papers quoted, whose figures have been copied on the accompanying plates. 



Finally, I owe much to the Council of the Royal Zoological Society of New 

 South Wales for undertaking the expensive work of publication. 



Keys, and How to Use Them. — Though the accompanying keys may at first 

 sight appear involved, a little practice in their use will prove them to be quite 

 simple. The letters before each section are to be regarded as mere symbols without 

 alphabetical value, which might be replaced by any other set of symbols. The 

 divisions and subdivisions in the keys are always alternative to one another, so 

 that if a species does not have the characters ascribed to any section denoted by a 

 single letter, it should be compared with those in the alternative section denoted by 

 the same letter in duplicate. Thus, if the specimen does not fit into section A of 

 a key, its characters will probably be found under section AA; it may then be 

 further restricted by comparison with sections under AA — say, H, for example, 

 and if it is found to differ from the characters there denoted, it should be compared 

 with HH. ami so on. The relative insetting of the various divisions of the keys 

 further indicates their alternative characters, and also serves as a g-uide to the sub- 

 divisions included within them. 



Key to the larger divisions of the Fish-like Animal . 

 A. Cranium wanting. LANCELET. Subphylutn Acrania or Cephalochordata 



(No. i. only). 



AA. Cranium present. Subphylum Craniata or Vertebrata (No. ii. and onward >. 



B. Nasal apparatus single and median; no lower jaw. LAMPREY. Class 



Cyclostomata (No. ii. only). 

 BB. Nasal apparatus paired; lower jaw present. 



C. Skull without (Plagiostomi) or with only a rudimentary (Holocephali) 

 operculum; males with paired intromittent organs. 



SHARKS and RAYS. Class Elasmobranchii (Nos. iii.-xxv.). 

 CC. Skull with an operculum on each side; males without 

 paired intromittent organs. 



FISHES. Class Pisces (No. xxvi. and onward). 



LANCELETS. Subphylum ACRANIA or CEPHALOCHORDATA. 

 I- Family Branchiostomidae. 



1. Epigonichthys Peters, Monatsb. Akad. Berlin, 1876, p. 325 (ciiltellus). 

 la. E. bassanfs. Lancelot. Branchiostoma bassanum Gunther, Voy. Alert. 

 Zool., 1884. p. 31; Heteropleuron bassanum Kirkaldy. Quart. Journ. 

 Micr. Soc. (n. ser.) xxxvii., 1895, p. 314, pi. 34, 6 (Ph i.). 

 A small semitmnsparent, marine animal, about 1* inches long, which has no 

 back-bone. It burrows in sand. 



