o7 
BlILES CHEISTTI. 
D. 10—11 ? C. 17. A, f. 
Height three times and one-fourth in total length ; head four 
and one-sixth times in the same ; orbit Aur and one-half in the 
length of the head, the latter very cavernous. The superior 
profile is very much elevated, almost gibbous behind the eye. 
The highest part of the body is at the base of the pectorals. 
The prseoperculum is straight, finely and equally denticulated 
behind, with its angle rounded and slightly protuberant ; the 
denticulations become gradually rather stronger in this part, and 
on the inferior edge they are still stronger, and present one or 
two interruptions. The operculum terminates with two flat, 
broad, serrated appendices, placed somewhat obliquely ; the 
caracoid presents a long series of denticulations. The teeth are 
very numerous, villiform ; the vomer bears some teeth, but none 
are visible on the palatines ; the lateral line follows the profile of 
the back ; it runs over fifty-two series of scales ; the transverse 
line numbers eight above it, and eighteen below. These scales 
are rather large, and ciliated on their edge. The dorsal is 
formed of ten spines, the fourth being the longest, and the first only 
about one-half of the second. I cannot ascertain with certainty 
the number of the soft rays, my specimen being deficient in this 
part. The caudal is rounded ; the anal has three spines, of 
which the second is the longest. On the soft part of the dorsal, 
on the anal, and on the caudal, numerous scales are seen on the 
membranes, up to about one-third of their length. The spine of 
the ventrals is strong ; the pectorals have about two-thirds the 
length of the head. 
The upper parts of the body are of a brownish purple, and the 
lower white. The only specimen I have seen was kindly sent to me 
by Mr. Thomas Christy, from the Edwards River, near Deniliquin. 
It measured 14 inches long ; when I received it, it had been some 
time preserved in salt, and I could not form a very good idea of 
its original colours. It is so much like M^un'rayia Cyprindides in 
form that I should have thought it belonged to the same species, 
had it not been for the difference in the number of the spines of 
its first dorsal. 
