272 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



creeks by hooking, and by the nets which the natives use. 

 It is not uncommon, but is considered unwholesome for 

 food. The skin is taken off and dried, and used for making 

 a small kind of drum. You notice its curious teeth. It 

 has no spines. There are very small, very short, bristles 

 about the side or shoulder ; and a native told me that if 

 these pierce the hand they cause injury, being poisonous, 

 and that those who handle the fish remove the part where 

 these small bristle points lie. I have examined the fish, 

 and felt these same bristles, but have seen nothing danger- 

 ous about them ; and other informants pronounced the fish 

 quite harmless in respect of the little points. I have never 

 seen a large one blown up, but have a very young one in- 

 flated, and will send it to you. The inflation is so great 

 that the dead fish lies on its back. I believe the Etuet is 

 found down near the river s mouth ; it may be called an 

 estuary fish. The etymology of the name I do not know. 

 Most of our names being significant, I presume Etuet once 

 was so ; it would be a part of a verb descriptive of some- 

 thing about the fish. There is a kind of leech found in the 

 marsh pools, which is called by the same name, probably 

 because it becomes enlarged like the fish, when gorged with 

 blood. The colour of the Etuet is lightish brown on the 

 back, and white on the belly, with bright red spots running 

 along both sides. There are darker spots on the back also. 

 There is nothing else remarkable about it known to me. 

 When recently taken out of the water, it inflated itself when 

 struck/' 



This fish seems, therefore, to differ from that described by 

 Mr Murray, in the dilatable belly being quite free from 

 prickles or spines ; should it turn out to be new, which 

 seems not improbable, as I have not been able to find a 

 similar fish described, I would take the liberty of suggesting 

 for it the name of Tetraoclon leiogaster — The Smooth- Bellied 

 Tetraodon. I am unable, however, to decide the question, 

 not having access here to various necessary authorities. 



