127 



others. The caudal is long, rounded, and formed of fourteen 

 long rays and of several others on each side almost as long ; the 

 anal is as high as the body, of one spine and ten rays ; pectorals 

 two-thirds as long as the head, and of eighteen rays. 



The body is of a light olive green, with the lower parts of a 

 blueish white ; the head almost entirely black in the adult ; the 

 edge of the scales is rather obscure ; the dorsals are generally 

 green ; the first has sometimes two series of reddish spots, and 

 sometimes it is white, with two longitudinal broad bands, more 

 or less carmine, the coloured part being covered with very minute 

 black dots. The second dorsal has three or four longitudinal 

 series of red dots, which sometimes unite, and form longitudinal 

 bands. The caudal has numerous transverse series of small, red 

 spots ; the ventrals and anal white ; eye gilt. 



The young specimens have the head less inflated. 



This fish is very common in the lower Tarra ; they are very 

 voracious, and have often in their broad mouth, and partly digested, 

 fishes as large as themselves, and generally of their own species. 

 Sometimes pieces of wood are found in the same way, and held 

 fast by their teeth. 



Mr. Krefft has described, in the " Proceedings of the Zoolo- 

 gicial Society," 1864, p. 183, four Australian sorts of Eleotris, 

 one of which (E. Grandiceps) may be this. There is one ray less 

 at the second dorsal and at the anal, but this may depend on the 

 different ways of counting the last one. It is from the Clarence 

 River. The principal reason for not uniting my sort with his 

 is, that he says, — that the pectorals attain the base of the anal ; 

 while in my specimens they do not. 



BATRACHIDiE. 



" Habitus cottoid ; skin naked, or with small 

 scales ; the system of muciferous channels well 

 developed. Teeth conical, small, or of moderate 

 size. The spinous dorsal very short, the soft and 

 the anal long. Ventrals jugular, with two soft rays ; 



