142 



caudal is yellow, bordered posteriorly with black ; the anal white ; 

 there are very faint longitudinal lines on the sides ; eye gilt. 



Yery common all the year round ; they rarely exceed 12 or 13 

 inches. This is a sea sort, and Forsteri is said to inhabit the 

 fresh waters of New Zealand. 



AGONOSTOMA LACTJSTRIS. 



{Lake Mullet.) 



Height five and a-half times in the total length ; head five 

 times in the same ; orbit four and a-half times in the length of 

 head. This latter is not so pointed as in Tasmanicus ; the teeth 

 are deficient at the lower jaw, but very visible on the upper one, 

 as also on the palatine and vomer. The prseoperculum has four 

 lines of rather large scales. The body is elongate, covered with 

 rather large scales, of which sixty-two are on the longitudinal 

 line and sixteen on the transverse one ; they do not fall so easily 

 as in most Mugilidce ; most of them have a very short longitudinal 

 ridge, not extending over more than one-third of the visible por- 

 tion of the scale, and forming fifteen longitudinal series ; they 

 have radiated striae on their posterior part, and their edge is 

 slightly ciliated. The first dorsal is formed of four spines, of 

 which the two first are joined at the base, and the third is a little 

 more apart ; the second dorsal is composed of nine soft rays* 

 The caudal has fourteen long rays and four short ones on 

 each side ; it is rather strongly emarginated, the ends termi- 

 nating in points ; the tail is covered with minute scales, which 

 extend on the first part of the membranes, and even on the 

 external rays. Anal with three spines and twelve rays — the first 

 spine very short, the second one-half of the third ; the fin is 

 strongly emarginated ; the spine of the ventrals is long and 

 slender ; the pectorals have fourteen rays. 



Of a greyish green on the upper parts ; white on the lower ; 

 each scale with an obscure margin ; a reddish spot on the back 

 part of the head ; the upper part of the head and lips of a dark 

 violet colour • fins greyish ; caudal with a black posterior margin ; 

 eye of a very bright orange yellow. 



Brought to the Melbourne Market from the Gripps Land lakes. 

 Scarce. 



