PREFACE. 



only been described from preserved specimens. A Prodromus, or 

 preliminary issue, in the form of Decades, or numbers of ten plates, 

 each with its complete descriptive letterpress, will be published, of 

 such illustrations as are ready, without systematic order or waiting 

 for the completion of any one branch. The many good observers 

 in the country will thus have the means of accurately identifying 

 various natural objects, their observations on which, if recorded and 

 sent to the National Museum, where the originals of all the figures 

 and descriptions are preserved, will be duly acknowledged, and 

 will materially help in the preparation of the final systematic volume 

 to be published for each class when it approaches completion. 



This ninth Decade gives figures and descriptions in the first 

 plate of an interesting Lizard, a variety of the Physignathus 

 Lesueri, from the Gippsland Rivers, for specimens of which I am 

 indebted to that indefatigable man of science, Mr. Warden Howitt. 

 It is this rarely -seen creature which has given rise to the rumor 

 that Crocodiles inhabited the almost inaccessible rivers in which 

 it is found. 



The second and third plates figure one of our River Tortoises, 

 generally called the Murray Turtle. 



The fourth plate shows the beautiful Murray Golden Perch of 

 its natural colors for the first time. 



The fifth and sixth plates give the chief varieties and details of 

 natural coloring for the first time of our famous Murray Cod- 

 Perch. 



The seventh plate gives the colored representation for the first 

 time of our commonest Dog-fish, the Australian Smooth-Hound. 



The eighth plate represents the strange form of the Thresher, 

 or Long-tailed, or Fox, Shark, obviously identical with the 

 European examples, and one of rare occurrence amongst the 



Sharks of our seas. 



[ 4 ] 



