OF AUSTRALIA. 70 
better marked on the lower part ; the sides and lower part of 
the head are sprinkled with rounded black dots, which extend 
on the lower part of the four or five first body rings. Small 
and nither faint brown oscellated spots are seen on the sides of 
the body rings ; caudal black ; the dorsal rays are speckled 
with the same colour. Length nine and a half inches. 
NoTA.—In two smaller specimens (seven and five and a 
half inches long) I find that the ventral ridge is much better 
marked than on the large one, that the colour has more of a 
reddish tinge ; the snout is more slender in proportion ; the 
body has none of the oscellated spots ; these specimens are all 
females. 
SYNGHATHUS CURTIROSTEIS. 
Snout contained twice in the remaining portion of the 
head, and only once and a half in the orbit ; head twelve 
times in the total length of the fish ; mouth opening upwards ; 
snout having a strong longitudinal ridge on its upper part' 
and a feeble one on each side ; operculum covered with deep 
punctured, radiated striae, and having its upper edge elevated 
like a curved ridge; but no longitudinal ridge on its surface. 
The anus is situated on the eighteenth body ring ; tail with 
forty-two rings ; it goes tapering towards the end. 
The body is quadrilateral, with a faint ridge on each side, 
which only extends to the vent ; on the first rings of the 
tail an oblique ridge is marked, but it joins the upper 
edge on the fifth ring. The dorsal is inserted on the first 
ring of the tail, and extends on the four following ; it is 
formed of twenty rays. The caudal is longer than the two 
last tail rings ; it is rounded at its extremity and formed of 
six rays. 
After having been in spirits, the fish appears of a dark 
brown, with irregular silvery spots on the lower parts of the 
head and on the two or three first segments of the body ; these 
spots are surrounded by a dark line; the pectorals and the 
dorsal are of a light colour speckled with brown. 
Length a little over four inches and a half. 
