616 MR. J. DOUGLAS-OGILBY ON [DeC. 6, 



rayneri are the most common species, which frequently make havoc 

 of the nets, thereby causiag serious loss to the fishermen, not only 

 by the damage to the nets but also by the loss of all the enclosed 

 fish, which quickly find the rents made by the Sharks and escape 

 through them. I am of course speaking of seine-nets, which are the 

 only kind in general use here. Giinther's species is the half-grown fish, 

 which does not go to the sea but remains in our bays and estuaries, 

 and is therefore about a month earlier on the spawning-grounds, 

 and consequently in the market, where it is called " Hard-gut Mul- 

 let." These fishes after spawning accompany the remnant of the 

 older fishes to the sea, and return during the following equinox as 

 " Sea-Mullet." 



5. On a new Genus of Percidse. By J. Douglas-Ogilby. 

 (Communicated by F. Day, C.I.E., F.Z.S.) 



[Eeceived November 7, 1887.] 

 Chthamalopteryx, gen. nov. 



Branchiostegals six ; pseudobranchise present. Body oblong- 

 ovate, compressed. Mouth protractile. Preorbitals with a blunt 

 bony protuberance in front ; preopercles entire. A band of small 

 teeth in the jaws. One dorsal fin very slightly notched, the length 

 of the soft portion greater than that of the spinous, having the 

 formula j-*^ ; anal yy ; caudal forked. Scales of moderate size, 

 cycloid, deciduous. 



From the above diagnosis it is plain that this proposed genus is 

 closely allied to Gerres ; and it is in fact founded on a species which 

 was described some years ago by Count Castelnau under the name 

 of Gerres mejbournensis, from specimens obtained probably in the 



Chthamalopteryx mclboiirnensk. 



Melbourne fish-market. No other examples seem to have been 

 noticed, at least none have been recorded that I am aware of, since 

 his time, but during the last eighteen months the Australian Museum 



