222 Dr. A. Glinther on Ceratodus, 



Nauphceus mi'Iiari's. PL XVI. fig. 3. 



N. oblongo-oboratus, niger, supra gramilis nitidis nigro circumdatis 

 confertini maculatus, interstitiis griseo-squamosis, medio protho- 

 racis eljtrorumque antice liuea grisea notatis ; capite supra oculoa 

 dense squamoso, maculis duabus fuscis decorato ; rostro prothorace 

 multo breviore, testaceo, subtilitor remote punctulato, basi squa- 

 moso ; antennis testaeeis ; prothorace pone apicem utrinque ma- 

 cula obliqua nigra ; scutello distincto, orbiculari ; elytris lateribus 

 modice rotundatis, basi pone scutellum paulo gibbosis, in medio 

 dorsi utrinque perparum longitudinaliter excavatis, striato-pun- 

 ctatis, interstitiis latis, vix convexis, confertim uniseriatim granu- 

 latis, medio macula rotundata nigra ad suturam approximata, pla- 

 gisque duabus oblongis margine externo, ornatis ; corpora infra 

 femoribusque deusissime ebumeo-squamosis ; tibiis tarsisque 

 squamis filiformibus minus dense vestitis, his infra flavo-tomen- 

 tosis. Long. 4^ lin. 



Hab. Waigiou, My sol. 



[To be continued.] 



XXV. — Ceratodus, and its Place in the System. 

 By Dr. Albert Gunther, F.R.S. 



The general external appearance of this most remarkable fish 

 has been described by Mr. Kreift in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, 

 p. 221. My observations* are based on three specimens, 

 viz. one without intestines, one fully developed male, and one 

 female which does not appear to have attained to maturity. 

 Differences in the number and microscopical structure of the 

 scales seem to indicate the existence of a second species beside 

 that described by Mr. Krcfft as Ceratodus Forsteri. Its scales 

 are considerably smaller and more numerous ; and it may be 

 named Ceratodus miolepis. 



The skeleton represents the type whicli is so well known 

 from Owen's, Bischoff's, and Hyrtl's descriptions of Lepido- 

 siren and Protopterus. In certain points of detail, such as the 

 arrangement of the bones of the skull, the form of the cerebral 

 and acoustic cavities, the development of the first rib and 

 apopliyses generally, tlie structure of the scapular arch and 

 pelvis, the resemblance of the genera named is perfect ; and 

 from an examination of the skeleton alone the conclusion 

 might have been drawn that they belong to the same natural 



* The foUowiug notes arc a sliort resume of a memoir presented to the 

 Koyal Society at the beginning df last month, nnd coiitaining a detailed 

 description of the entire organization of Ceratodus, with the exception of 

 the nervous system. 



