Zoology.] 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. 



[Fishes, 



The following are the measurements of 5 specimens in the 

 National Museum from the Victorian coasts, varying from 5 feet 

 10 inches to 18 J inches in length : — 



Measurements. 





A. 





B. 



c. 



D. 



E. 





ft. 



ins. lines 



ins. lines 



ins. lines 



ins. lines 



ins. lines 



Length from tip of snout to distal end of middle 

















of caudal 



5 



10 







33 9 



32 9 



25 6 



18 3 



„ from tip to tip of caudal 



1 



9 







9 9 



7 6 



5 6 



6 3 



„ of lobes of caudal 



1 



2 







6 6 



6 3 



4 9 



3 6 



„ of middle of caudal 







3 







1 3 



1 3 



11 



7 



„ from snout to anterior edge of orbit 







7 







3 6 



3 6 



2 9 



1 11 



„ of eye 







2 



3 



1 6 



1 6 



1 3 



11 



„ of head to end of operculum 



1 



7 



6 



10 3 



9 6 



7 4 



5 4 



„ from snout to front of anal fin (measured 

















along ventral edge) 



3 



6 







20 6 



20 6 



16 9 



11 6 



„ from snout to base of pectoral 



1 



8 







10 6 



9 6 



7 9 



5 5 



„ from snout to origin of 1st dorsal 



1 



9 







11 



11 6 



8 3 



6 1 



„ from origin of 1st dorsal to origin of 2nd 

















dorsal 



1 



3 







8 6 



7 6 



6 



4 6 



„ from origin of 2nd dorsal to outer origin of 

















caudal 



2 



3 







13 



12 9 



9 



7 5 



„ of pectoral 







11 







6 3 



6 6 



4 9 



3 3 



„ of 1st dorsal 



1 



3 







7 6 



7 5 



5 7 



4 3 



„ of 2nd dorsal 







5 



6 



3 3 



3 4 



2 1 



2 



Space between dorsals 











9 



6 



2 



3 



3 



Length of anal ... 







4 







2 6 



2 



1 2 



1 1 



„ of ventral 







2 



3 



1 5 



1 



7 



9 



„ from snout to base of ventral 



1 



9 







10 9 



10 3 



8 6 



6 3 



Depth of body in front of dorsal 



1 



4 







10 



8 0? 



6 0? 



5 4? 



Thickness of body in front of dorsal 



1 



1 



6 



8 



5 6? 



4 9? 



4 0? 



Height of 1st dorsal 







7 







3 6 



2 9 



2 6 



2 



„ of 2nd dorsal at highest anterior end 







8 







3 6 



4 



2 5 



1 7 



Depth of anal 







8 







3 6 



3 6 



2 1? 



1 6 



„ of ventral 







6 



9 



3 3 



3 3 



2 6? 



1 6? 



Fin rays— 

















1st dorsal 





14 





13 



15 



14 



15 



2nd dorsal 





15? 





15? 



14? 



13? 



13? 



Pinnules above 





9 





8 



9 



8 



8 



„ below 





9 





8 



9 



8 



8 



Pectoral 





30? 





34 



32 



32 



32 



Ventrals ... 





6 





7 



6 



6 



6 



Anal 





12? 





14? 



12? 



13? 



13? 



Caudal (20 from tip to tip, 9 or more 

















shorter, above and below, outside) 





58? 





40? 



20% 



20{§ 



20{§ 



To give a clearer idea of the proportions indicated by the above 

 measurements, they are approximately reduced in the following 

 table to fractions of the total length, taking that in each case as 

 100. The near identity in most respects, and the comparatively 

 smaller size of the eye and head in the largest specimen, will strike 

 the attention at once in this way ; the latter being a general 

 characteristic difference between old and young individuals to 

 w 7 hich I have often drawn attention in other fishes, where a neglect 



[ 22 ] 



