26 



Dr. Richardson's Contributions to 



operculum. Traces of spots remain on the vertical fins, but the 



spinous dorsal does not appear to have been tipped with black as in 

 S.merra and stctlans. 



Rays:— D. 11|14; A. 3|8 ; C. 15f ; P. 17; V. 1|5. 



Dimensions. incheg lincg 



Length from intermaxillary symphysis to end of caudal 12 4 



" base of ditto 10 .'J 



anus C G 



tip of gill-cover ... 3 10 



Length of pectorals 2 



ventrals 1 q 



caudal 2 1 



Height of third dorsal spine j \ 



soft dorsal ] 4^ 



third anal spine 11 



soft anal 1 5^ 



No. 22, Serranus punctulatus, and No. 24, Serranus margi- 

 nalise of Mr. Gilbert's collection, were procured at Copang, 

 in the island of Timor, and do not therefore come within the 

 scope of this paper. 



Mesoprion yapilli (Cuv. & Val), The Yapilli. 



Yapilli, Russell, pi. 95. 

 No. 21. Mr. Gilbert's list. 



This fish is stated by Mr. Gilbert to be common in all the 

 rocky parts of Port Essington, but he did not ascertain its 

 appellation among the aborigines. The specimen was taken 

 at the Tamar rock in November 1 840. 



The short characters of the Mesoprions noticed in the 

 'Histoire des Poissons* being strictly comparative, and turn- 

 ing much on the patterns of colour, are of difficult application 

 when the naturalist has only a single species before him, and 

 especially when the specimen is, as in the present instance, a 

 solitary dried skin. All the particulars, however, which are 

 mentioned in the work in question of the Yapilli are to be 

 found in our specimen, and the resemblance of the fish to 

 Russell's figure is very close. 



The length of the fish is twenty inches, caudal included. The 

 preoperculum has a slightly arched under-edge continuous with the 

 rounded angle, which appears to project solely from the existence of the 

 re-entering curve above it. The vertical limb is minutely toothed to 

 within one-fourth of its upper end. The teeth are more acute in the 

 sinus ; and on the rounded angle and under edge of the bone, the 

 teeth, though short, are wider, and are separated from each other by 

 obtuse sinuses : two or three of the anterior ones are slightly inclined 

 forwards. The thickening of the interoperculum opposite the pre- 

 opercular sinus is very slight. The bony operculum ends in a flat, 

 tapering, but obtuse lobe, whose lower margin is not concealed by 

 the scales; a re-entering angle above its base forms the rounded upper 

 corner of the bone into a minor and much shorter lobe. The mem- 

 branous flap which tapers from the point of the operculum, but is 



