60 " THETIS " SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



" I was fortunate in obtaining a fine specimen of Centriscus 

 scolojjax .... captured at Port Sorell. All my doubts 

 about its existence in Tasmania are now set at rest." 



It seems possible that M. gracilis, Houtt., is more pelagic in 

 habit than M. scolopax. The former species has been at odd times 

 taken in Port Jackson and on the beach at Maroubra Bay by my 

 colleague, Mr. T. Whitelegge ; it has never been taken in deep 

 water. M. scolopax, on the other hand, is known on our coast in 

 not less than 23 fathoms, as recorded above. While, as also 

 shown, it was freely taken in 84 fathoms. It would certainly be 

 found at much greater depths if trials were made, for on the 

 Banc d' Arguin the members of a French exploring expedition 

 obtained it from 130 fathoms. In this connection it is mentioned 

 as surprising that " as many as ten individuals were caught." 



Gunther* draws attention to the variability of the relative 

 length of the second dorsal spine. Our examples are characterised 

 by the extreme length of the spine and the greater height of the 

 body as compared with European specimens. In the latter the 

 height of the body is rendered as half the length of the head, or 

 four-sevenths to three-fifths of the distance from the operculum 

 to the base of the caudal. Similarly the length of the dorsal 

 spine is given as three-fifths to three-eighths of the same. 



In Australian representatives the height of the body is 1"42 in 

 the length of the head and 1-55, or fully two-thirds, in that of the 

 body as above measured. A greater disproportion is exhibited by 

 the spine ; whereas in the Old World form its length is three- 

 fifths to three-eighths the length of the body, in ours it is 1 "3 or 

 about five-sixths of the length ; when adpressed it extends to or 

 be3^ond the caudal rays. 



As it is easier to grasp proportions as projected in an illustration 

 than the numerical proportions not so projected, the accompanying 

 figure (PI. vii., fig. 1) may be compared with those rendered by, 

 say Dayt and Goode & Bean.j 



Our race, with extreme development, perhaps bears the same 

 relationship to M. scolopax that M. gracilis does to M. jajjonicus, 

 and as the latter has received a name since regarded as varietal, 

 I propose for the Australian representative of JI. scolojxix the 

 term elevatus. 



The radial formula is : — 



D. 5/12. A. 19. V. 1/5. P. U. C. 6 + 94-6. 



* Giinther— Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., iii., 1861, p. 520. 

 t Day — Fishes of Great Britain and Ireland, i., 1880-84, pi. Ixix. 

 J Goode & Bean— Oceanic Ichth., sp. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus., 1895, 

 pi. cxviii., fig. 396. 



