OF AUSTRALIA. 
127 
follows regularly the profile of the back to base of the caudal ; 
dorsal having a spinous portion, shorter than the other and 
formed of eight spines ; the first of which is short, the second 
about twice its length, the third the longest of all, and the 
others becoming shorter as they are situated further back- 
wards ; the soft portion of the fin composed of sixteen rays ; 
the first seven going gradually on increasing ; the following 
at least one-third longer ; these are about one-half the length 
of the head ; the caudal is rather large, rounded, and is formed 
of sixteen rays ; the anal has three spines ; the first of which 
is very short, and the two others about equal ; the soft part 
is formed of eleven rays ; they grow longer as they extend 
backwards and become as long as those of the correspondent 
dorsal ; but the last are rather shorter ; the ventrals are below 
the pectorals, and have a rather long spine and five rays ; the 
pectorals are rather large, with twelve rays. 
Colour of an uniform dark brown, with the fins black. 
Length of the largest specimen, a little over five inches. 
Found by Mr. Bostock in the small water-courses of the 
interior of Western Australia. 
ARRIPIS TRUTTACEUS. 
Centropristes ? Truttaceus, Guv. and Vol., iii., p. 50. 
Two specimens about ten and eleven inches long. 
Called at Freemantle Sea Herring. 
THERAPON ELLIPTICUS. 
Therapon Ellipticus, Rich., Ereb. and Terror, Fishes,. 
p. 118, pi. 52. 
I received with much pleasure several specimens of this 
fish, as it allows me to ascertain that I was right in separating 
it from the sort inhabiting the Murray (Th. Richardsoni). 
In • Th. Ellipticus the body is more elongate j the back less 
convex, and the head more so and much higher ; thus the 
upper profile is more of a regular elongate oval than in the 
Murray sort. 
The height of the body is contained less than three and 
a-half times in the total length ■ the head a little more than four 
