74 Records of the S.A. Museum 



is closely covered witli minute spicules; it is uniformly speckled with small 

 brown dots, wliicli extend on to the fins. 



Loc. Both specimens were taken in St. N'incent (iulf, South .Australia. 



HISTIOPHRYNE SCORTEA sp. nov. 



riate vii, W^. 2. 



D.i, i, i, 15: .\..S: I'.ii : Wj : Cs). 



Dejith I ■() in the length to the hyiniral joint: head, to end of operculum, 3-2 

 in the same: eye i '6 in the snout: first dor.^al spine 3 'O in the head. 



Body rather longer than is usual in the family, and compressed : hack 

 elevated anteriorly, head deeper than long: mouth obli(|ue, the gape extending 

 to below the hinder portion of the eye; maxillary hidden by a skinny fold when 

 the mouth is closed: eye small, round: nostrils supero-lateral, the anterior with 

 a low skinny margin : skin leathery, without spines but closely covered with 

 minute dermal tubercles: mucigerous system defined by small pores with skinny 

 lobes on each side of them ■ they commence on the snout and curve over the eye 

 to the shoulder, where they form the lateral line which curves downward to 

 above the anterior portion of the anal and is lost on the lower portion of the 

 tail ; another series extends backward from each side of the mandibular sym- 

 physis, and branching, sends one series aromul the preopercular border and the 

 other around that of the oiierculum : about four pores are present above the 

 upper lip, and some are distributed on the cheeks. 



Upper jaw with two rows of depressible, cardiform teeth anteriorly, which 

 become uniserial on the sides; teeth of the lower jaw similar but much larger; 

 a patch of teeth on each side of the vomer and on the palatines, and a few teeth 

 on each side of the tongue: gill-opening a simijle pore below the middle of the 

 pseudobrachium. 



Fins. First dorsal spine tentacular; a slender rod with a fleshy tip; it is placed 

 just before the base of the second: second spine enveloped in thick, fleshy skin, 

 and free ; its base is in advance of the eye : third spine similar to the second, but 

 smaller and largely united with the back : soft dorsal formed of simple rays, 

 the median of which are the longest ; the last is joined to the base of the upper 

 caudal ray by membrane ; anal opposite the end of the soft dorsal, its last ray 

 almost united with the caudal base : pectorals, ventrals and caudal rounded, the 

 last with bifurcate rays. 



Coloiir-markinys. Dark brown in alcohol, with the tins darker. A white 

 quadrangular patch on the nape behind the second dorsal spine, and an angular 

 white bar from the anterior dorsal rays to the shoulder ; a large white spot below 

 the middle of the soft dorsal, another in the axilla, and a minute one on the 

 caudal peduncle. 



