213 



No sort of Sirenoidoe has been yet found in the southern parts 

 of Australia, and as those known are all from tropical regions, it 

 is not very probable that any do inhabit them. 



Mr. Krefft has made known a sort of Geratodus (Fosteri), 

 found in Queensland by Mr. Masters, which probably belongs to 

 this family. 



Dr. G-uuther, with his usual urbanity, says that I have made 

 some additions to the synonymy of the Lepidosirens in my work 

 on the animals of South America ; I think that I have done 

 something more, in making better known the singular dentition 

 of those animals, in pointing out the curious anomaly they 

 present in the want of symmetry of the position of the anus, 

 which is not situated on the median line of the body, but on its 

 right side. The learned doctor declares also that my Dissimilis 

 is the same as Paradoxa ; but as of each there is only, if I 

 am not mistaken, one specimen known (at least this was the 

 case some few years ago), and as they are in very distant 

 museums, I do not believe he has compared them ; I even doubt 

 very much if he has ever seen one or the other. 



Sub-Class III.— 3ANOIDEI. 



" Not yet discovered in Australia." 



Sub-Class IV.— CHONDHOPTEEYGII. 



"Skeleton cartilaginous; skull witli sutures. Body 

 with medial and paired fins, the hinder pair abdomi- 

 nal; caudal fin with produced upper lobe. Gills 

 attached to the skin by the outer margin, with 

 several intervening gill-openings ; rarely one gill- 

 opening only. No gill-cover. No air-bladder. Three 

 series of valves, in the bulbus arteriosus. Intestine 

 with a spiral valve. Optic nerves commissurally 

 united, not decussating, Ovaries with few and large 

 ova, which are impregnated, and, in some, developed 



