96 



SPHYE^NA. 



Though one sort of these fishes is found in the Mediterranean 

 they may be considered as belonging more to the warm than to 

 the temperate climates, the great majority of their sorts inhabit- 

 ing below the tropics. 



SPHYE.2ENA. NOY-ZE-HOLLANDLE. 



Sphyrsena novse-Hollandise, Gunther, Gatal., v. ii., p, 335. 

 {The PyTce.) 

 This sort is well described by Dr. Grunther, with the exception 

 of the teeth, which are not those of the adult specimens, but of 

 the young ones. 



Teeth of the upper jaw small, equal, numberiug thirty-eight or 

 forty on each side ; two pair of fangs, of which the posterior 

 are much the largest and strongest ; the palatines have three 

 small teeth at their posterior part, and seven strong ones more 

 forward ; these are very acute and conical, the third of them 

 being often a little longer than the others. At the lower jaw 

 there are, in front, a strong fang on each side, and a dozen 

 straight, acute, canine teeth placed on each side ; they are distant 

 one from the other, small in front, and becoming larger as they 

 extend backwards. 



The colour is of a slatey grey on the upper parts, with the sides 

 and belly white ; the back and upper part of the head are some- 

 times almost black ; the sides of the head and sometimes the 

 lateral hue have a copper tinge ; the fins are of an olive green, 

 changing to yellow in some parts ; eye silvery. 



The fishmongers say that, some years ago, this fish used to be 

 generally larger than now, and that it was quite common to get 

 them over a yard long. It is only rarely that such specimens 

 appear on the market. The Pyhe is one of the best and most 

 wholesome of the Melbourne fishes. I only find 126 to 129 

 scales on the lateral line. 



NEOSPHYE^NA. 



This genus has entirely the general appearance of Spliyrcena, 

 but the ventrals are situated almost under the pectorals ; the 



