222 Dr. A. Glinther on Ceratodus, 



Nauphceus viiliaris. PI. XVI. fig. 3. 



N. oblongo-obovatii3, niger, supra granulis nitidis nigro circumdatis 

 confertim maculatus, interstitiis griseo-squamosis, medio protho- 

 racis elytrorumque antice liiiea grisea notatis ; capite supra oculos 

 dense squamoso, maculis duabus fuscis decorate ; rostro prothorace 

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

 moso ; antennis testaceis ; prothorace pone apicem utrinque ma- 

 cula obliqua nigra ; scutcllo 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 uniscriatim granu- 

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

 gisque duabus oblongis margine externo, ornatis ; corpore infra 

 femoribusquo dcnsissime eburneo-squamosis ; tibiis tarsisquc 

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

 tosis. Long. 4i lin. 



Hah. Waigiou, Mysol. 



[To be continued.] 



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

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



The general external appearance of this most remarkable fish 

 lias been described by Mr. Krcflft in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, 

 p. 221. My observations* are based on tlrree 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. Krefft as Ceratodus Forsteri. Its scales 

 are considerably smaller and more numerous ; and it may be 

 named Ceratodus miolejjis. 



The skeleton represents the type which is so well known 

 from Owen's, Bischoff's, and Ilyrtl's descriptions of LejJido- 

 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 

 apophyses generally, the structure of the scapular arch and 

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

 from an examination of the skeleton alone the conclusi(in 

 might have been drawn that they belong to the same natural 



* The following notes are a short resume of a memoir presented to the 

 Eoyal Society at the beginning of last month, and containing a detailed 

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

 the nervous system. 



