a fissure penetrating through three-fourths o f its depth.
T h e right lob e is th e th ick e st and large st. Th e re are no
lob u le s. T h e stomach b e in g tender, was torn in th e e x a mination,
bu t appears to h ave b een an ob lon g wid e sac ,
terminating in a narrow in testin e, som ewhat lo n g e r than
itse lf. T o th is su c c e ed s a valvular colon, w h ich is about
as lo n g as the stomach, bu t rallier wider, and la stly , a
smooth rectum, a little shorter than the valvular part o f
the gut.
T h e sp e cim en , after b e in g k ep t in spirits, is reddish-
brown on the upper surface, w ith dark lin e s, disp osed
som ewhat lik e the harness o f a cart-horse, w h en c e the
spe c ific name o f e p h ip p ia tu s . The ir e x a c t form may be
asc er tained more correctly b y turning to the figure, than
from any de scription.
DIMENSIONS.
Length from snout to tip of ta il...................................... 1 l ‘7o inches.
„ „ base of caudal spine ................. 9'2o „
„ „ crescentic edge of ventrals benealb
7-75 „
„ „ binder angles of pectorals 7'o2 „
„ „ axillce of ditto.............................. 6 92 „
„ „ fore point of vent 6-55 „
„ „ posterior gill-opening o‘65 „
„ „ first ditto 2'70 „
„ „ mouth 1-68 „
„ „ middle of nostrils 1-28 „
„ „ centres of spout-boles 2-25 „
„ „ centres of orbits 1'90 „
Width of free edge of nasal flap..................................... 0'75 „
„ between anterior pair of gill-openings ............ 1‘82 „
„ between posterior ditto.......................................... 1'19 „
Longitudinal diameter of eyes.......................................... 0'45 „
„ „ s’pout-holes ......................... 0-72 „
Distance between ditto....................................................... I'lO „
Breadth of disk.................................................................... 8'00 „
H a b . Storm B a y , Van D iem en ’s Land.
Z eus australis. Richardson.
R a d i i:— B r . 7 ; D . 1 0 (2 3 ; A. 4 (2 2 ; C . 1 3 i : P . 1 4 ; V. 1(5.
P la te X X V ., fig. 1.
A s in g le sp ec im en o f this fish, in very bad condition,
was brought home. T h e pectoral, ventral and caudal fins
are mutilated, and much o f th e membrane and filaments
o f the sp in ou s dorsal have disappeared, so that th e se parts
are n o t to be conside red as e x a c tly represented in the
figure.
On comparing the specimen carefully with ex am p le s o f
Z e u s fa b e r , the resemblance o f the two sp e c ie s is found to
b e very great. T h e Australian fish has, howeve r, proportion
a lly shorter and stouter dorsal sp in e s, the soft part o f
the fin o c cu p y in g rather more sp ace . T h e fourth spine is
the tallest, w h ile in Z e u s f a b e r it is the third. T h e sh ield s
at th e b a se s o f the dorsal and anal are more numerous,
bu t m uch le s s a cu te ly spmous in Z e u s a u s tr a lis , wh ich
p o sse sse s sev en sh ie ld s under the soft dorsal, and eight
alon g the corr esponding part o f the anal, b esid e s angular
p o in ts at the root o f the spines. T h e thoracic and abdom
inal sh ie ld s are also scar ce ly spiniferous, while in fa b e r
th e thoracic sh ie ld s have thin, acute, falcate p oints, and
the ventral one s support a cute spines. T h e supra-scapular
sp in e is nearly ob solete in a u s tr a lis , and the coracoid proc
e s s , a b o v e th e p e c to r a l, a s we ll a s th e o th e r a n g u la r h o n e s
a b o u t th e h e a d , a rc le s s a cu te .
T h e su rfa c e s o f th e p r e o p e rc u lu ra , a n d o f th e fro n ta l
b o n e s a re fla t a n d s tria te d . I n Z . f i b e r th e fo rm e r o f
th e s e b o n e s is s tr e n g th e n e d b y a sm o o th , e le v a te d , c e n tra l
r ib , a n d th e fro n ta l b o n e s show a th in ed g e on th e u p p e r
su rfa c e o f th e h e a d , fo rm in g k e e ls , w h ic h e n d in a sm a ll
sp in e o n e a c h s id e o f th e o c c ip u t. T h i s p o in t is sm o o th
a n d fla t in a u s tra lis .
L e n g th , fo u rte e n in ch e s .
T h e sp e c im e n is to o m u c h d e c a y e d to p o s s e s s a n y r e m
a in s o f c o lo u r, a n d th e re is n o v e s tig e o f a la te r a l spot.
In th e th i rd v o lum e o f th e ‘ Z o o lo g ic a l J o u rn a l,’ I d e s
c rib e d a V a n D iem e n ’s L a n d fish u n d e r th e n am e o f Cap
ro s a u s tr a lis , iVom a c o lo u re d d raw in g , e x e c u te d b y a
co n v ic t in th a t co lo n y . I t is p o s s ib le th a t h e h a d th e sp e c
ie s d e s c r ib e d a b o v e b e fo re h im , in w h ich c a s e h e h a s
om itte d th e sp in o u s sh ie ld s , a n d th row n th e d o rs a l fin too
fa r b a c k . T h e d raw in g w a s ro s e -c o lo u re d , w ith o u t a l a te r
a l spot.
H a b . P o r t J a c k s o n , A u s tra lia .
C r e n id e n s t r ig l y p h u s . R ic h a rd s o n .
C u . S p e c . Cr. d e n tib u s tr ic u s p id a tis ; r a d i i s a r t ic u la r i-
hus p in n æ d o r s i sp in a s a l t i tu d in e e x c e d e n tih u s .
R a d i i :— Br. 6 ; D . 1 5 (1 2 ; A. 3 (1 2 ; C . 1 5 4 ; ï*- 1 ^ ; V . 1|5.
P la te X X V ., fig. 2.
T h i s fish h a s th e p h y s io g n om y o f C r e n id e n s fo r s k a li i ,
w ith th e sam e p ro p o r tio n o f h e ig h t to le n g th , b u t w ith a
r a th e r le s s c o n v e x p ro file , a n d som ew h a t th in n e r jaw s.
T h e o u tlin e o f th e d o rs a l fin, a n d th e n um b e r o f ra y s o f
th e tw o sp e c ie s , d o n o t c o rre sp o n d , a n d th e r e a re o th e r
diffe ren c e s.
T h e su b o rb ita r o f Cr. tr ig ly p h u s is s q u a r e , w ith n e a r ly
s tr a ig h t e d g e s , a n d w ith o u t th e sm a ll n o tc h a t th e h e a d o f
th e m a x illa ry w h ich fo r s k a l i i sh ow s . T h e s c a le s o f th e
c h e e k a re sm a ll, a n d d is a p p e a r on th e d isk o f th e p r e o p e r cu
lum a n d u p p e r b o rd e r o f th e g ill- c o v e r ; th e s u b o p e rcu
lum , in te ro p e rc u lum , m o s t o f th e p r e o p e rc u lum , a n d
low e r p a r t o f th e o p e rc u lum , a re c o v e re d w ith sm o o th
sk in , th ic k ly s p r in k le d with m in u te b la c k d o ts . I n th e
figure o f C r. fo r s k a l i i , in th e H is to ir e d e s P o isso n s (pi.
162 q u a le r ), th e whole o p e rc u lum , su b o p e rc u lum , a n d in te
ro p e rc u lum , a re co v e red w ith p r e tty la rg e sc a le s. T h e
d isk o f th e p re o p e rc u lum is sm o o th , a n d in b o th sp e c ie s
th e e d g e o f th is b o n e is tra n sv e rs e ly furrowed, p ro d u c in g
w id e , o b tu s e c re n a tu re s . T h e o p e rc u lum o f Cr. t r ig ly p h u s
en d s in a th in , fla t, a c u te p o in t, a b o v e w h ic h th e b o n e
slo p e s aw ay with a s lig h tly co n c av e cu rv e . I n o u r figure,
th is b o n y p o in t is r e p r e s e n te d r a th e r loo m u c h lik e a sp in e .
A row o f p r e tty la rg e sc a le s c ro s s e s th e s u p ra -s c a p u la r
re g io n , a s in fo r s k a l i i , b u t th e ir d isk s a re co v e red with
sm a lle r sc a le s , so th a t th e y a re r e n d e r e d in co n sp ic u o u s .
T h e r e a re fo rty -s ix s c a le s in a row, be tw e en tlie g ill-
o p e n in g a n d c a u d a l fin ,w h ic h a rc g e n e ra lly o b lo n g , with th e
b a s e tru n c a te d , th e two s id e s p a ra lle l to e a ch o th e r, a n d th e
a p e x ro u n d e d . A m e n is c o id s e gm e n t o f th e lip o f th e s c a le
is ro u g h w ith te e lh , th e o u te r o n e s ve ry a c u te , a n d c ilia tin g
th e ed g e . B e h in d th is th e r e is a sm a ll, sm o o th re c ta n g le ,
away, th e ir p la c e is s u p p lie d b y a row from th e p o s te r io r
E a c h to o th h a s th r e e b lu n t o r sq u a re , from w h ich th o fa n -lik e furrow s, v a ry in g in tip s . T h e to n g u e is
who“ r s i Y d : : ” ‘Y ; r ’l iY e f o ? s S ; “ e ;;v r a n d " g m n n ia r 7 l i e in o f o f th e nm n th is to o th ,es.s .
i f ] T a t ” t l f ‘Y t i f c fm ro fro T tc L f s p f i : r S c o l o f c l
r r f n d ' ’L , o f f f t h S n o f f f s f f t i f f - f h S “
disk ■i s s_e__e_n . M a n y osvmnacllll s c a le s .anrvfet ccrroowwddeedd oonn tthhee sshhoouull- IL ab . R o it J a c k so n ,
d e r a t th e c om m e n c em e n t o f th e la te r a l lin e , mingj^ng
im p e rc e p tib ly w ith th e sm a ll o n e s o n th e h e a d . T h e
s c a le s b e h in d th e v e n tra ls o n th e u n d e r su rfa c e o f th e
b e lly a re lo n g e r a n d naiTowe r. T h e d o rs a l a n d an a l fins
are em b ra c e d a t th e b a s e b y s c a ly fille ts, w h ich F o r sk a l
in d ic a te s w h e n h e s a y s “fo s s u la tn dorso ; th e so ft p a r ts
o f th e s e fin s a re s c a ly b e tw e en th e ra y s , b a li-w a y u p , a n d
th e re a re also s c a ly fille ts a t th e b a s e o f th e spm o u s ray s ,
.; .„1,. -VTcv ../.oI qo
Ì to s ix te e n in c h e s .
, A u s tra lia .
D .u a u s d ie m e n s i s . R ic h a rd so n .
Dajaus diemensis. Bicb. Zool. T r. iii. p. 123.
R a d i i :— B r. 6 ; D . 4]— 1 0 ; A. 3 (1 2 ; C . 1 4 ^ ; P . 1 5 ; V . 1,5.
P la te X X V I ., figs. 1, 2.
T h is m u lle t is fu lly d e s c r ib e d , a n d th e c h a r a c te r s wh ich
n o t a t e v e ry ra y , nov e x a c tly a lte rn a te ly . N o sc a le s a re d is tin g u ish i t from th e p re v io u s ly d is c o v e re d A u s tra lia n
sh ow n in th e fin s o f Cr. fo r s k a l i i , in th e fig u re a b o v e m u lle ts , p o in te d o u t in th e w o rk ab o v e q u o te d . I t was
re fe rred to n o r is m e n tio n m ad e o f th em in th e te x t o f th e p la c e d in th e g en u s D a ja u s , o n a c c o u n t oi its v om e rin e
H is to ir e de s P o isso n s, b u t th o s e o f th e b o d y a re s a id to b e p a la tin e te e th , b u t its m o u th d o e s n o t e x a a ly corre -
“ m in c e s e t lisse s,," so th a t i f th e r e b e n o m is ta k e , th e y s p o n d w ith th a t o f D a ja u s m o n ltc o la , a n d d ifle rs little
diffe r w id e ly from th o s e o f Cr. tr ig ly p h u s . from th a t o f som e tru e m u lle ts . T h e g r e a te r n um b e r oi
T h e b r a n c h io s te g o u s r a y s a re s ix in n um b e r.* T h e firs t its a n a l ra y s d is tin g u ish e s i t r e a d ily from th e o th e r m u lle is
five d o rsa l sp in e s a rc ra th e r a b ru p tly g r a d u a te d , th e five o f th e A u s tra lia n se a s. M a n y o f tb e s c a le s h a d d ro p p e d
fo llowing o n e s a re a l l o f o n e le n g th , a n d th e la s t fo u r a re from th e o p e rc u lum o f o u r sp e c im e n s , be fore th e y io rm ed
aga in g ra d u a te d , b u t ve ry s lig h tly , tb e la s t o u e b e in g a s th e su b je c t o f th e a r tis t’s skill, so th a t ih e ir e x a c t s iz e a n d
t a ll as th e fifth o n e . T h e firs t s h o r t sp in e to u c h e s th e d is trib u tio n o n th a t p a r t m a y n o t b e q u ite co rre c tly r e p re -
s e co n d a t its b a s e , b u t is s e p a r a te d from i t b y m em b ra n e g e n te d ; th e fig u re is e x c e lle n t in o th e r p a rts ,
a t th e tip . T h e so ft p a r t o f th e fin is h ig h e r th a n th e L e n g th , from te n to fo u rte en inches^
sp in e s , a n d th e l a s t r a y is d iv id e d to th e b a s e . T h e s e co
n d a n d th ird a n a l sp in e s a re e q u a l to e a ch o th e r a n d m
some sp e c im e n s , a re a s ta ll a s th e lo n g e s t d o rsa l sp in e s,
h u t in th e o n e from wh ich o u r figure w a s ta k e n , th e y a
little sh o rte r. T h e b a s a l h a l f o f th e c a u d a l is sc a ly, i l i i s
fin is co n c av e o n th e ed g e , e sp e c ia lly in th e sm a lle r sp e c
im en s , b u t in th e la rg e r o n e s , w h en th e fin is s tr e tc h e d
o u t i t b e com e s a lm o s t even.
H ab” V a n D iem e n ’s L a n d a n d W e s t A u s tr a lia ; K in g
G e o rg e 's S o u n d ; P o r t A rth u r.
L-a t r is c il ia r i s .
C h . S p e c . L . c a p ite q u in tam p a r tem lo n g itu d im s p is c is
to tiu s e ffic ie n te : r a d iis s e x in fe r ia r i lu s p i n n x p e c to r is
in d iv i s i s ; c a u d d em a r g in a ta lobis ine cqualibus.
’^ ì n Ù \7H is io ir e d e s''P oissons , th e d e n titio n o f Cr. f o r s - . _ r q . p), 1 7 m . A. 3 (3 2 ; C. 1 3 | ; P . 11 ef 6 ;
l-ah'i is d e s c rib e d in th e fo llow in g te rm s _ ’ A. 1(5.*
I I y a d e u x ra n g é e s de d e n ts in c is iv e s à c h a q u e m û -
ir e , l'e x te r n e d e d i x d e n ts , l'in te r n e d e v in g t. Ces
i s sont la rg e s, a p la tie s , insé ré e s v e r tic a lem e n t s u r la
choire.
dents
Sciivna c ilia ru , Descr. An. J . B . Forsteri, cu ra H . Liclit. p. 138, pai
Icon In ed . Georg. Forst. No. 209 in Bibl. Banks, serv.
m â c h o ir e ; le u r bord e s t fe s to n n é e t d e n te lé p a r c in q
d e n iic u le s , d o n t les tro is d u m ilie u d ép a s s en t d e beaucoup
7, tiiag n ificd
les late ra le s. D e r r iè r e ces in c is iv e s i l y a de p e tite s den ts
g r en u e s e t a r ro n d ie s s u r p lu s ie u r s ra n g s . L e s p h a r y n -
" 'Y w . X a re « re anged n e a r l , a a ed k ev aa a s u k d iv ia ic , „ f C o r
P la te X X V I ., fig. 6 , o n e - th ird u a t. siz'
I n th e ‘T ra n s a c tio n s o f th e Z o o lo g ic a l S o c ie ty ’ (v o l.iii.
p . 106), 1 g av e a n a c c o u n t o f th e c h a ra c te rs o f iM ir is ,
. . . a ____ ;-1___ -1 ..I,!...» ce. n cm n
a b i ; : m S S i S linil? o f lo d a x iy u J , o r a s 7 - P ^ y - u s , ^ c ^ r d i . ^ t o
e a ch jaw , a n d h e r e a n d th e r e th e row is d o Ju u b u le ieu d , n ui r ev en v .iew iew s s o f sy s tem a tic •..............w n te is . -
A d e ta ile d a c c o u n t of a
tr e b le d , b u t n o t in a r e g u la r m a n n e r. B u t* th ’- e '
in n e r te e th , s tr ip e d sp e c ie s , n am e d L a t r i s h e c a ie ta , a c cm n p am e d b y a
th o u g h 'm u c h sh o rte r Uian th e o u te r o n e s , ai-e e x a c tly c o r r e c t figure , is th e r e givem
a lik e in form, p re s s e d c lo s e ly w ith in e a c h o th e r in five o r V an D iem en s L a n d , th e fish m In c h is ^
s ix row s , so th a t on ly th e e x trem e tip s p ro je c t b e y o n d th e c o lo n y lo r its e d ib le q u a litie s . F is h o f th e sam e g en u s
gum, a n d give th e a p p e a r a n c e o f a c lo se v illiform surfa c e , h a d b e en o b s e iv e d on th e c o a s t o f N ew Z e a la n d , by th e
wh ich is s e p a ra te d b v a furrow from th e lo n g e r te e th o n n a tu r a lis ts w h o a c c om p a n ie d C o o k o n In s firs ^ n d
th e ed g e o f th e law , p ro d u c e d b y th e fo rw a rd in c lin a tio n v oyage s. O n e sp e c ie s w a s ta k e n m Q u e e n C h a r lo tte s
o f th e la tte r . I't is ev id e n t th a t, a s th e lo n g e r te e th w e a r S o u n d , a n d n am e d
le lt no d e s c rip tio n of it , a n d a ll th a t rem a in s 101 u s la e im -
* The te x t of th e Histoire des Poissons mentions five gill-rays, while
th e formula, a few lines lower, marks six.
c
Th e figure represents 0 ; dorsal spine loo many.