1870.] MR. G. KREFFT ON CERATODUS FORSTERI, 223 
nostrils just below the upper lip, communicating by a short tube 
with the roof of the mouth. 
The skeleton is partly ossified, partly cartilaginous, the vertebrae 
being pure cartilage, and the ribs hollow tubes filled with a carti- 
laginous substance. The palate and upper part of the skull are 
bone, and the head is covered with two enormous scales. The 
tongue is very small, and attached to what I believe to be a large 
hyoid bone ossified externally. The rays which support the dorsal 
and caudal fins consist of two or more quill-like hollow tubes filled with 
and held together by cartilage. Numerous rays branch off from the 
limbs, forming broad flappers, which have some resemblance to those 
of a Porpoise, but are covered with small scales. The teeth are 
very interesting; and the dental plates will be found in form (and 
substance, probably, also) to approach the teeth of the geuus with 
which I have provisionally classed this animal. 
The incisors are two, restricted to the upper jaw; they are flat, 
slightly bent, with the upper front margin cut away and the hinder 
one denticulated. A little behind the incisors the first and largest 
limb of the dental plate appears ; it is almost parallel with the palate ; 
the second joint or limb branches outward, being smaller than the 
first, and so on to the sixth and last, which is only half the size of 
the fifth. The inner margin of the dental plate is rounded off; and 
the two together form a triangle (if a line is drawn at their base) 
with serrated outer sides. The lower jaw (fig. 2) is provided with 
corresponding plates ; the incisor teeth are wanting, and the two rami 
are only joined by tough skin. The opening of the mouth is not 
very large; and the jaws appear to work in a curious manner, which 
is best described by working two sections of a cog-wheel horizontally, 
one down upon the other, to which motion the flexibility of the lower 
jaw appears to be well adapted. 
This short description of one of the most interesting animals ever 
discovered in Australia must suffice at present. I have no doubt 
that many and better accounts will be given of it when well-preserved 
spirit-specimens have come to hand. 
Postscript.—lt is strange that a curious creature like this, which 
was well known to the early settlers at Wide Bay and other Queens- 
land districts, should so long have escaped the eyes of those inter- 
ested in natural history. I remember that Mr. William Forster men- 
tioned a “fish” with cartilaginous backbone years ago, and that I 
expressed an opinion that he must be mistaken. This animal is 
excellent eating, has Salmon-coloured flesh, and at certain seasons 
will rise to a fly; so that the northern squatters have named it the 
Burnett or Dawson Salmon, from its habits and from the rivers in 
which it is principally found. The poor bush-cooks who dressed 
these “Salmons” could have made a small fortune, had they pre- 
served the heads and sent them to Sydney. 
It is only during certain seasons that this amphibian takes bait ; 
at other times it cannot be induced even to nibble. I think, how- 
ever, that during this latter period the animals are buried in the 
