A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ICHTHYOLOGY 179 



In the most important feature, viz. the relative length of the 

 praedorsal space, the type is quite in agreement with my speci- 

 mens, so I think, that the specimens collected by Dr. Dahl are 

 all typical nigrans. As may be seen from the table of measure- 

 ments below, the specimens from Arnhem Land can not be 

 separated from the specimens from Queensland, which I received 

 as "M. nigrans fiUroyensis\ These are consequently identical 

 with true nigrans from Arnhem Land. On the other hand, the 

 specimens from New South Wales represent another species. 

 It is quite possible, that some of the Melanotaeniide species 

 previously described from Australian waters can have been based 

 on specimens of this very species, but as those characters through 

 which this form differs from nigrans have been neglected, it is 

 impossible to indentify it with any of the mentioned species. 

 Therefore I here describe the species represented by the men- 

 tioned specimens from New South Wales as 



Melanotaenia, neglecta n. sp. 



Type locality: Cudgegong River, Ryleston, N. S. Wales. 



Type specimen: 66 mm. (s. c). Twenty-nine cotypes from 

 the type locality. 



Further distribution: Colombo Creek, near Narrandera. Eigh- 

 teen specimens. 



Description: Depth of body 3,5 to 2,5 in the length (s. c), 

 length of head 3,4 to 3,8. Eye 2,9 to 3,1 in length of head, 

 0,8 to 1,0 in snout, and 1,1 to 1,3 in interorbital space. Prae- 

 opercle measured from its angle to border of eye 4,0 to 3,5 in 

 length of head. Length of praemaxillary bone 2,7 to 2,9 in lenght 

 of head. Praedorsal space (measured from tip of snout to inser- 

 tion of first dorsal fin) 45,0 to 40,0% of body-length (s. c), 

 depth of caudal peduncle 9,5 to ll,8°/o of the same. 36 to 37 

 scales in a longitudinal series. First dorsal VI — VII, second dor- 

 sal I. 12—13, anal I. 18 — 20. Color in spirits: Upper half of 

 body dusky with light centers to the .«scales, lower half pale 



