March 9, 1841. 
James Whishaw, Esq., in the Chair. 
A paper by Dr. Richardson, on some new or little known fishes 
from the Australian seas, was read. The following is an abstract 
of this paper. 
1, CuzrnopactyLus cisBosus, formd Cheilodactyli zonati, (h. e. 
capite brevi, ore parvulo, dentibus brevibus setaceis ; dorso gibbo, 
spind quartd longissimd ;) radiis pinne dorsalis articulatis radios 
spinosos numero plus duplo excedentibus. 
Rapu. P.8:VI; D. 17°36; V.1°5; A. 3°8; C. 
This species differs from the ordinary Cheilodactyli, and agrees 
with the Japanese species discovered by the naturalists who accom- 
panied Admiral Krusenstern, in the body being very high in the pec- 
toral region, and tapering away in a lengthened manner posteriorly ; 
in the abruptly and steeply arched form of the spinous dorsal ante- 
riorly, the smallness of the mouth, the slender teeth, and in horn- 
like protuberances on the fore-part of the orbit, and also on the tip 
of the snout, the latter formed by the projecting shoulders of the 
maxillary bones. The Japanese species named zonatus in the ‘ Hist. 
des Poissons,’ has only twenty-nine articulated rays in the dorsal, 
and differs in the distribution of its dark bands of colour, which in 
gibbosus run as follows:—one obliquely backwards over the eye 
and operculum, another over the nape and tip of the gill-flap, 
meeting the former at the base of the pectoral ; a third takes in the 
first three short dorsal spines, and tapers away on the side under the 
middle of the pectoral; while a fourth proceeding from a black patch 
which occupies the fifth and seven following spines, and keeping par- 
allel to the base of the dorsal, runs along the summit of the back to 
the tail. In zonatus there are seven or eight dark stripes running 
obliquely backwards. Both species appear to have spots on the tail. 
The description of Cheilodactylus gibbosus is drawn up from two 
Western Australian specimens brought home by Mr. Gould; and the 
fish also inhabits the seas of New Zealand, Mr. Gray having recog- 
nised a drawing by Parkinson of a specimen which was caught in 
Endeavour River, on Cook’s second voyage, as being a correct repre- 
sentation of this fish. (Vide Banks, Icon. ined. t. 23.) One of Mr. 
Gould’s specimens is deposited in the British Museum, and the other 
at Haslar Hospital. 
2. OsTRACION LENTICULARIS, inermis, ovali-compressus, dorso ven- 
treque carinatis. 
Rapir. P. 12; D. 10; A. 10; C. 11. 
The discovery of this species adds another form to the genus Os- 
tracion, the shapes enumerated in the ‘ Régne Animal’ being trian- 
gular with or without spines, quadrangular with or without spines,— 
Nos. XCVIII., XCIX., & C.—ProcreEpinGs oF THE Zoo. Soc. 
