236 



one-sixth of the total height ; it is strongly bilobed ; the anus is 

 rather long but narrow ; it is formed of three spines and six soft 

 rays ; the first spine is very minute, the second about three times 

 its length, and the third about four times as long as the second ; 

 this third is slender, and has some very feeble denticulations on 

 its inner side ; the pectorals are contained one and one-half times 

 in the length of the head ; it has a first hard ray and fifteen soft ; 

 the ventrals have one spine and eight soft rays, the spine being 

 about two-thirds of the length of the first soft ray. 



The general colour is of a beautiful yellow brown, with golden 

 tinges ; it degenerates into a brilliant white on the belly, the 

 edge of which is rather yellow ; the pectoral is bordered superiorly 

 with black ; the caudal tinged with red. The mouth has no 

 teeth, and there are no barbels ; the operculum and scales are 

 covered with fine concentrical stria? ; the eye is of a pale 

 yellow ; the mouth is extensible ; the eye of moderate size ; the 

 second portion of the air-bladder is very elongate, and about two 

 and one-half times as long as the other. 



I have only seen one specimen in the Melbourne Market. It had 

 been found in the Mordialoc River ; but several others were sent to 

 the Acclimatisation Society from Sydney, and there is no doubt 

 that it is an introduced fish, but I do not know from what 

 country it came direct. 



Apart from this variety, which seems remarkably constant, the 

 common Chinese Auratus is very widely spread in Melbourne, and 

 presents all its usual beautiful colours. 



3.— NEOCORASSITTS. 



This is the only Cyprinoid sort on which I have considerable 

 doubts as to its having been imported. The two specimens 

 I have seen of it were caught in the Saltwater River, at 

 Eootscray, during the cold weather. The first was found a 

 year ago, and I was so convinced that no fish of this family was 

 to be found in Australia, that I thought it belonged to some 

 imported sort of Gorassius, of which it has the general appear- 

 ance ; but a second specimen having been recently found in the 

 same locality, I examined it with more care, and I find it 

 impossible to place it in any of the groups mentioned by Dr. 

 Gtunther, or any other author. I cannot, on the fresh specimen, 



