ereee aaenenene seene site aeaeeneee hee eeee ere cc aan eeee et cane T eae ene ane eee ere ne eee weheneee oon tee eee Penni Ce peeeennet onee . “ sHeeerer sone enna nnene anentenes * vee “ 04 0.008 Oe ae cneeeeee at eheneeene oe eee pane bib ioe kek pne-od PP) cone peerorerere Tir isle seilaeied ev eleieenes io teen Oe Ce Ee Fe ee baie ei UU adasasee . ded isles helt Ajejane shale DOU C tk lads . eee e ewe : vee e enema sais Pe ded eee nee eee ee eb eee ee ec eraee eee 4.0 0.0 ee lelele eee ley enews Jeeletin eee a! eet eieieee seine eeeee alee tie ebereeie! caneenee errant eee OT Un task esa daaee ae OOOOOuG seeeee SOU cn hse tee) tee ne ee ee jalaleie ele tie elsteleiele © * ene eeeenee ane eenenet on seneeeeseet aneeee oenneere one 7 eee ee aeeeeeere onere . aeaenes DUA eee Pir te eases Te eae ee nel® take! ene gent a FOR THE PEOPLE FOR EDVCATION FOR SCIENCE LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vot.. VI. THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM, BRISBANE (Gregory Terrace Frontage). MEMOIRS OR iE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM WO) eee NAL WITH PLATES AND FIGURES IN THE TEXT. EDITED’ BY THE DIRECTOR, HEBER A. LONGMAN, F.L:S. ISSUED DECEMBER 19, 1918. EpitortaL Note.—Owing to the exigencies of war time, the publication of these Memoirs has been in abeyance. Several of the articles here printed were received early in 1917. BY AUTHORITY: ANTHONY JAMES CUMMING, GOVERNMENT PRINTER. BRISBANE, Rea NOAA D ED ShGK (Gr a Sas) ) MUSEUM TRO TRER, 9h = n E : | YAOTEU JARUIAK 40 ‘ a & + —* ; ' i CONTENTS. Notes on Certain Human Crania.in the Queensland Museum— Plates I to V = = = = = = =! es Queensland Ethnological Notes—Plates VI to X — - - On Messages and “Message Sticks’ employed among the Queensland Aborigines — = a = a = Notes on Some Queensland and Papuan Reptiles—Plates XI to XV - = = = = - - - Edible Fishes of Queensland—Plates XVI to XXVI - = Four Queensland Fishes—Plates XXVII to XXX — - Ichthyological Notes (No. 4) - - - - - - Entomological Contributions—Plates XX XI and XXXII - Some Bees Collected in Queensland - - - - - New Genera and Species of Australian Thysanoptera - - Australian Blattidee — - - - - = - - The Endoparasites of the Domestic Pigeon in Queensland - PAGE. Heber A. Longman, F.L.S. - 414 R. Hamlyn-Harris, D.Se. — =— 5-12 R. Hamlyn-Harris, D.Se. — - 13-36 Heber A. Longman, F.L.S. — 37-44 J. Douglas Ogilby = — - — 45-90 Allan R. McCulloch — - — 91-96 J. Douglas Ogilby — - — 97-105 Henry Hacker, F.E.S. - — 106-111 T. D. A. Cockerell (University of Colorado) — - - — 112-120 Capt. J. Douglas Hood = — 121-150 Eland Shaw, M.R.C.S., F.E.S. — T. Harvey Johnston, M.A., D.Sc. 151-167 168-174 Te ow . Frontispiece Plates I to V Plates VI to X — Plate XI Plate XII Plate XIII Plate XIV Plate XV Plate XVI Plate XVII Plate XVIII Plate XIX Plate XX Plate XXI Plate XXII Plate XXIII Plate XXIV Plate XXV Plate XX VI - Plate XXVII Plate XXVIII Plate XXIX Plate XXX Plate XXXI Plate XXXII Queensland Museum, Brisbane (Gregory Terrace Frontage). Human Crania - - - Queensland Ethnology — = Nephrurus asper Giinther - Lialis burtonii Gray = = Egernia bungana De Vis sg Pseudelaps harriette (Krefit) Furina annulata (Gray) — - Paraplesiops bleekeri (Gimther) Paraplesiops jolliffei Ogilby Paraplesiops poweri Ogilby Nemipterus theodorei Ogilby = — Otolithus argenteus Cuvier & Valenciennes Sciena antarctica Castelnau — Scicena australis (Ginther) - Sciceena nove-hollandie Steindachner Sciceena soldado (Lacépéde) = Scicena leptolepis eis - - Cantherines maynardi Ogilby — Pomacentrus apicalis De Vis — Teuthis grammoptilus Richardson Notograptus guttatus Giinther — Cantherines brunneus (Castlenau) Monerebia ephippium Fabr. = Lestis bombylans Sm. - - LIST (OF ePEATES: “i > za) - — 7 ee re ee a 1 p Ae MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vot., VI., Puate I. ABORIGINAL CRANIUM, Q. E, 1157. The specimen is tilted slightly from the basal plane. NOTES ON CERTAIN HUMAN CRANIA_ IN THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. By HEBER A. LoncmAn, F.L.S., DIRECTOR. (Plates I to V.) ALTHOUGH no special attention has been given in the past to the collection of aboriginal and other crania in the Queensland Museum, a considerable number of specimens have been acquired. No opportunity of securing additional material is now being lost, and it is hoped that the collection will be largely augmented as time goes on. During the re-registration of our ecrania, each has been carefully examined for unusual features, and certain measurements, mainly those involving cephalie and vertical indices and the cubic capacities, have been tabulated. Some of the specimens are of such interest that it is desirable to record a few notes regard- ing them with the illustrations now published. Later on, perhaps with the assistance of other workers, it is hoped that our series will be dealt with in the adequate way that Professor R. J. A. Berry and Dr. A. W. D. Robertson have treated Australian and Tasmanian aboriginal skulls, descriptions being supple- meuted by dioptrographic tracings in various norme. A male aboriginal cranium (Q.E. 16/1157), from an unknown locality unfortunately—illustrates a palate with approximately parallel sides, recalling those of the anthropoid apes (Plate I). This characteristic has, of course, been previously noted for certain Australian and Tasmanian erania, but in this specimen it 1s present to a surprising degree. The palato-maxillary region is dolichuranie ; the incisors are in the one straight line, and the molar series are almost parallel. The length from the anterior alveolar border between the median incisors to the extremity of the posterior nasal spine (which is decidedly long) is 70 mm. On each side the maxilla extends 11 mm. beyond the alveolus of the third molar. The breadth of the palate is 37 mm. between the second premolars, and this only increases to 40-5 mm. between the third molars. The combined length of the molars and premolars is 49-5 mm. on the right and 48 on the left. The masticatory area is thus above the average. The palate is unusually deep anteriorly, the sides near the first molar being 20 mm. The external pterygoid plate is considerably extended, and on each side there are traces of ossifications between it and processes from the border of the foramen spinosum. For an aboriginal the mastoid processes are well developed. Although the dental arcade is of unusual size, the area in front of the third molars lies within the dimensions of the cast of the Talgai cranium, described by Dr. 8. A. Smith. DO AN bo MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. The cranium has a maximum length of 191 mm., a parietal breadth of 128, and the basi-bregmatic height is 137. The specimen is markedly prognathous. The basion-nasion diameter is 102 and the basion-prosthion 107, giving a gnathic index of 104-9. The distance from the bregma to the prosthion is no less than 216 mm. There is a fronto-squamosal articulation on the right side. Plates IT and III illustrate a male skull (Q.E. 16/858) discovered in the sand-dunes at Pialba, Queensland, the outstanding features of which are the asymmetrical condition of the foramen magnum and the breadth of the first upper molars. Klaatsch states: ‘‘The original power of natural regenera- tion, not yet disturbed by the fortunes of civilisation, renders intelligible the otherwise almost incredible, recuperative powers of cranial traumatisms.’’? He also quotes an example of an aboriginal at the Yarrabah Station with a sear in the region of the vertex so deep that a finger could be inserted in it, and yet he lived with no disturbance of health or of mental processes. Although we have no knowledge of the condition in life of the aboriginal represented by the skull illustrated, yet it is evident that he lived for years with the foramen magnum in this abnormal condition, probably with associated partial degenera- tion of the spinal column—apparently the result of osteo-arthritis. The right condyle is enlarged posteriorly and is produced laterally almost to the sagittal plane. The articular surface is somewhat irregular and is slightly cancellous. Anteriorly it somewhat overhangs the hypoglossal canal, which in comparison with its fellow is restricted. The lateral portions of the occipital bone are unusually rugose, and the condyleid canal has three external openings. The labio-lingual surface of the upper dental arch is remarkably oblique, the outer or labial facies being much more worn than the inner. Unfortu- nately, the incisors and the right canine have been lost post mortem. Evidently the mandible had a transverse movement through a wide are. The crowns of all the teeth have been worn away by mutual attrition. The excess in width of the upper dental arcade over the lower in the molar region of Australian aborigines was noted by Turner,? who found a maximum difference of 8 mm. and a mean of 4 mm. in his series. In the abnormal specimen under present consideration, the width of the upper areade at the first molar is no less than 64 mm. The roots of the molars appear externally on each side of the maxillx, and the width here reaches 71 mm. These roots are plainly visible on Plate IIT. The occlusal surface of these remarkable first molars is 16 mm. wide on the left and 15 on the right. The width of the lower arcade at the first molars is 55:mm, This skull has a maximum length of 185 mm.; the parietal breadth is 128, and the basi-bregmatic height is 182. A microcephalie cranium (Q.E. 16/999), bisected in the sagittal plane, is the subject of Plate IV, fig. 1. The cubie capacity is only 980, as ascertained 1 Klaatsch, Rep. Path, Lab, Lun, Dep. N.S.W., i, pt. 3, p. 152, 1908. *Turner, Journ. Anat, & Phys., xxv, 1891, p. 461. MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vot.. VI., Puate II. ABORIGINAL CRANIUM, Q. E. 858, v 9 Face page 2 7 ke ~ = ma? 2 ert FP ok MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vot. VI., Puate ITT. ABORIGINAL CRANIUM, Q. E. 858, MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vou. VI., Puate IY. Fig. 1—ABORIGINAL CRANIUM, Q. E. 999, Nig, 2.—PAPvA CRANIUM WitH BrEGMATIC BONE HUMAN CRANIA IN QUEENSLAND MUSEUM.—LONGMAN, 3 prior to dissection by using No. 8 shot. This specimen is one of a series of mierocephalie erania from Wright’s Creek, North Queensland, collected by Mr, J. Campbell. Several of the teeth have been lost post mortem, and those remain- ing in the moiety not illustrated are greatly decayed. In Plate IV the third molar is in place but unworn. The cranium has a fronto-squamous articulation on each side. The average thickness of the cranial wall is 7mm. The maximum length is 173; the parietal breadth is 117; and the basi-bregmatic height 125-5, Although superciliary ridges are slightly developed and muscular prominences are present to a degree unusual in a female skull, it has been registered as such because the male erania from the same district are very strongly marked in their sexual characteristics. Two erania (E. 800 and N.G.E. 170) from the Fly River district, Papua, have been selected to illustrate in our galleries typical dolichocephalic and brachyeephalic skulls, the respective indices being 74-6 and 86. As long ago as 1882, Miklouho-Maclay recorded the wide range of a well-marked brachycephalie population in Melanesia. Turner actually quotes the Fly River district as a locality where many races or varieties have come into contact. Seligmann has also recorded brachycephalic crania (‘‘average 82, min. 79, max. 84’’) from Orangerie Bay.° We have four skulls from the Fly River district with a cephalic index of over 80. Three (and a fourth which is also credited to the Fly River but was not clearly labelled) come within the dolichocephalic range, whilst four are mesaticephalic. The broad skulls are markedly postero- brachyecephalic, the maximum breadth being found across the parietal eminences, whilst in the frontal region they are comparatively narrow. In the dolichocephalic specimens the great length of the parietals is the outstanding feature. These divergent crania are probably associated with marked other differences, and it is interesting to note that His Excellency the Hon. J. W. P. Murray, Lieutenant-Governor of Papua, has recorded the existence on tne Fly River of individuals ‘‘who, if they may be taken as a fair type of their tribe, might possibly be classified as pygmies, or, more probably, as a mixed race descended from pygmies and people of ordinary stature.’”’? (‘‘Man,’’ March, 1918, p. 43.) Opportunity is taken to illustrate (Plate IV, fig. 2) an immature cranium (N.G.E. 17/179) from the Fly River, Papua, which has a large oval bregmatic bone, or os fronto-parietale, 58 mm. in length and 46 mm. wide. This evidently was formed from a separate ossification in the frontal fontanelle in embryonic life. The same specimen has also several large wormian bones in the lambdoid region. The basilar suture is open, and the third molars are just appearing through the alveolar margins. On each side a frontal process from the temporal 3 Proce, Linn. Soc. N.S.W., vi, p. 172. 4 Challenger Reports, x, p. 90. ° Melanesians of British New Guinea, 1910, p. 24. 4 MEMOIRS OF TIIE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM, bone forms a fronto-squamous articulation. Maximum length 160, maximum breadth 128; basi-bregmatie height 129. The cranium is probably that of a female. G. G. MaeCurdy has stated that the Papuans are noted for the relatively large number of irregularities in the pterionic region.® This is fully borne out by our Papuan erania. In our series no instance has been found of such antero- posterior parietal sutures as those figured by Hrdlicka in his elaborate study of the parietal bone.* An incomplete cranium (Q.E. 14/561) found at Wynnum, Queensland, is of interest because it represents the longest specimen in the collection. This is badly damaged in the region of the foramen magnum, and the basilar portion is missing together with most of the bones below the orbital plates of the frontal. The maximum length is 202 mm., which is identical with No. 2101 in Duck- worth’s list.S The ophryo-ocecipital length is 200 mm. The supraciliary ridges are not so pronounced as in many of our erania, but there is an unusually large torus occipitalis transversus, and the thickness of the cranial wall at this part,- as ascertained by sliding callipers, is no less than 15 mm. The maximum breadth (parietal) of the cranium is 140 mm., and as the basi-bregmatic height must have been at least 130 mm. (ecaleulated from the position of the jugular pro- cesses), it has dimensions which are considerably above the average. The cranium is evidently that of an aged male. A mandible from an unknown locality has on each side a deep alveolus for the accommodation of a fourth molar. (Plate V, figs. 1 and 2.) Klaatsch considers the presence of this molar, ‘‘even if all other proofs are cast aside, as constituting an extraordinarily primitive type of mankind.’’ This mandible is remarkably robust, and in profile it greatly resembles the one figured by Keith for divergent comparison with the Heidelberg jaw.’ The ramus is almost at right angles with the body, and its width in line with the molar series is no less than 40 mm. The sigmoid noteh is very shallow, especially on the right side. The anterior surface of the mandible forms a right angle with the alveolar border. The dental areade is almost rectangular, and the incisors and canines are practically in the one straight line. The distance between the second premolars is 30 mm., and this only increases to 39 mm. opposite the third molars. The combined length of the premolars and molars is 50 mm. on the left and 51 mm. on the right, this bemg well within the range of Duckworth’s figures (loc. cit.). The right canine and left inner incisor have been lost post mortem. Duckworth states that accessory molar teeth occur in nearly 50 per cent. of male orang-utans. ® MacCurdy, Univ. Penn. Anth. Pub., xi, No.1, 1914, p. 6. \ 7 Hrdlicka, Bull. Amer, Mus. Nat. Hist., xix, 1903, p. 231. * Duckworth, Studies from the Anth, Lab., Camb., 1904, p, 122. ® The Antiquity of Man, 1915, fig. 84, p. 240. MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vot.. VI., Puate V. Fig. 1.—MANDIBLE E944 wirH ALVEOLI ror ACCESSORY MOLARS. Fig. 2.— PROFILE oF MANDIBLE E944, Face page 4. MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vot. VI., Puate VI. ‘SdOg ODNIQ ONOOK ONITHOAY FAILVN ANVIST NOLONINUOTY -ojoyd “Napyorgy “AAP Pa Ue page Face QUEENSLAND ETHNOLOGICAL NOTES.—HAML YN-HARRIS. or QUEENSLAND ETHNOLOGICAL NOTES (2). By Ronatp Hamiyn-Harris, D.Sc., PRA Jes ke), (Plates VI to X and Three Text-figures.) NATIVE DOGS. Primitive people in many parts of the world have been known to specially prize their dogs, and to bestow on them attention and caresses reserved by less be- nighted folks for children. It has been observed that young girls are more often than others disposed to go beyond the recognised limits of familiarity with such pets. On account of its utility for hunting, the native dog is a possession of considerable value, and though it may be lean and mangy and have a downcast air and be repulsive generally, it beds with the best of the camp though deprived of its due share of the fruits of the chase. It has been quite a common practice for the blacks of North Queensland, not only to admit dogs to the freedom of their beds, but for the women to suckle pups,! and I am fortunate in being able to illustrate a concrete instance of an act which may almost seem incredible unless supported by well-authenticated and graphic testimony.* During the recent visit of the Chief Protector of Aborigines (Mr. J. W. Bleakley) to Mornington. Island (Gulf of Carpentaria) he was fortunate enough to surprise a woman in the act, but as soon as Mr. Bleakley was observed the inbred shyness of the race manifested itself and the woman tried to hide the puppies—which were about a week old—under her legs, and it was only with great persuasion that she was induced to allow the animals to continue their feeding undisturbed.2 This enabled Mr. Bleakley to obtain the accompanying photograph (Plate VI), to whom I am indebted for its loan. ‘In making this statement, however, there is nevertheless just a vague possibility that the native may be aware that by prolonging the period of lactation the possibility of pregnancy is correspondingly reduced. * [Mitchell recorded this practice in 1838 (Three Exped. Int. Eastern Australia, IT., p. 341), whilst Gerard Krefft noted it in his article on the Aborigines of the Lower Murray and Darling in 1865 (Trans, Phil. Soc. N.S.W., 1866, p, 372).—Ept1rTor. | *I have confirmation of this practice from Captain Malcolm Smith of the ‘ Melbidir,” E. J. Banfield, Northern Queensland, and M, J. Colclough, Northern Territory, as well as Northern and Southern Queensland. 6 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Dogs are mainly responsible for the prevalence of hydatids. These animals: sleep under the blankets with the blacks and lick their mouths and sores ; frequently they also use the same drinking and food utensils. FOLKLORE. Blacks in their primitive state were fond of their children and allowed them to take great liberties with them without rebuff or angry word, and in shifting camp the men would hoist the youngsters on their shoulders, who would secure themselves with a good grip of the hair and would thus sit comfortably and be safe. On one of these outings, an old man who was very fond of his grandson took him into the scrub. The day was very hot and by and by a storm arose, and the thunder and lightning became terrifying and rain fell in torrents. The old man, who had hastened a long distance, had to cross a creek which he feared would block him as he was handicapped with the boy, so he stripped some bark for a temporary shelter for the night. All night long the rain poured down, and the man, who realised — that he could not swim the flooded creek and carry the boy, made up his mind to leave him in the humpy and return to the old camp for food. Having told the little chap to wait until he returned he enclosed him in the temporary shelter with bark, and put sticks against the bark to prevent it from being blown down. Having thus made all secure, the old man started off at as quick a rate as the weather permitted, and on reaching the camp had some food and, with some for the boy, set out with a mate on his second journey. But to their astonishment they could find no trace of the little humpy or the sticks or the boy. Everything had disappeared, search as they would, and though they cooeed and shouted they got no reply. At last they found dangling from the limb of a tree a laree chrysalis,* and so came to the conclusion that the boy had been changed into a grub securely housed in what represented the humpy and its protective sticks.* THE ORIGIN OF THE MUMGOOBURRAS. A long time ago, one hot day, one of the yellow seed-pods® growing on Prairie Creek opened and out of it came a young gin, plump of body and clear of eye. She looked around and found things pleasing to her; the season was good, the lagoons *The chrysalis is that of the case-moth (similar to the so-called “ Faggot cage-moth”), Entometa clongata Saunders. I believe that the Singalese call the same kind of chrysalis by a name which means “ billet of wood,” and believe that the insects were once human beings who stole firewood on earth and are forced to undergo appropriate punishment in the insect world. *On the authority of T. Dlidge (St. Lawrence, 30 years ago). °The yellow seed-pods above referred to are those of the *‘ Cattle bush,” Pittosporwm phillyreoides Benth, cH a o ’ ies Pec roe ey _ ey ‘ D it @ es : : 4 SCAG, MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—YVot, VI., Puate VII. *suotiod pouyep-[jas O4 oqut Ayperoysodns ysvorq oy} Sutyeredos poursoy si Snojns oytuyep B 4Y4 peounouOsd OS SI B[OeTBe oY], “PUBS! SII uo suits Sunok oy} jo ysour Aq poaeys Apyuoredde ‘sqysveiq oy} JO YZMOIS [eULIOUGe yeyMetOS B SULMQTY ‘AHANVIST NOLONINUOTY DNOOK VW ojoyd ‘hajyvalg “AC ff Face page QUEENSLAND ETHNOLOGICAL NO TES.—HAMLYN-HARRIS, 7 full, and the herbage green. She took up her residence just above where the Plains homestead now stands, and finding food in plenty lived there alone. One day as she was walking along the creek she passed another kind of shrub with big seed- pods, and lo, as she passed, one of these seed-pods opened and out of it came a fine young blackfellow, whom she greeted gleefully and invited to her camp on the lagoon, and there he remained with her and they lived happily as man and wife. In due time she bore a piccaninny, and that was the beginning of the aboriginal race, or at any rate of the Mumgooburras.® SUPERSTITION AND MAGIC (illustrated by specimens in the Queensland Museum collections). Women in the uppet part of the Cape York Peninsula (Pennefather River district) wear string necklaces ornamented with interwoven bird feathers and down in sign of mourning, while the old women regard them as charms and firmly believe that they are able to prevent evil spirits and sickness from approaching them (Plate VIII, fig. C). The ornamentation of the necklaces is not restricted to any particular kind of feather. We have several in which feathers from other birds. such as the mountain parrot for instance, have been used. Similar charms are to be found in various parts of Queensland, particularly _ in the North and Western districts, in the shape of human hair cord,’ but these are mostly used to dispel pain or sickness. Such instances as have come under my notice are—(1) Human-hair twine worn by both males and females for tying round the affected parts (Q. E. 14/283, Western Queensland) ; (2) Similar example from Palmer River employed for all kinds of pain and sickness (Q. E. 14/279); (3) As a charm against headache on the Mitchell River’ (Q. E. 15/732). In our collections we have quite a number of mourning string ornaments which have been prepared as a circlet, and represent a chain and overcast variety of stringwork. Samples were procured from the following localities -—Bentinck Island (Roth), Maytown (Roth), Bathurst Head (Roth), Butcher Hill (Roth), Cardwell — (1879, collector unknown) ; also a plain mourning string, looped and worn by women only, comes from Maytown (Roth). ® Tam indebted to Mr. J. R. Chisholm, Prairie Tableland, for this version of the origin of the native race, his informant being an old man who died some 35 years ago. * Tt is also interesting to record that similar specimens are worn by initiated men to show their social standing. * In referring to these medicinal charms, reference should here be briefly made to the emu feather charm referred to by Dr. Roth, a similar specimen of which is in our collections and was collected by him at Carandotta, and is marked as “a roll of emu feathers placed on parts affected for aches and pains.” See paragraph 154, Roth, W. E., N. Q. Ethnography, No. 5, 1903. i] Text-figure 1—A Woopen (SpATULATR) CHARM. MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Text-figure 1. A wooden (spatulate) charm. Evidently connected with revenge. Q.E. 15/786. Marlborough District. Collector, T. Illidge. The flat stick worked down to almost a thin slab has stretched along a portion of its surface pieces of human skin, which are kept in position by strips of a species of pliable cane, the whole having been daubed with white ochre, which has with use become more or less obliterated. Text-figure ?. “A Bora Stonr.”’ Found in a grave near camping-ground, 3undaberg district (Q. E. 15/787). The whole surface of this stone is pitted with marks which were evidently made when the clay was soft. Its cireumference is 64 inches and its length about 3 inches. MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vot. VI., Puate VIII. Figs. A and B.—Two ear-ornaments worn by the dead. Fig. C.—A necklace charm, The dumb-bell shaped ornaments with which the dead are decorated in the Cape York Peninsula are made of gum cement and provided with wallaby incisors at each end, which m their turn are surrounded at the base with the gay seeds of Abrus precateyius (Q.E 16/9414, and Q.E 16/9728). The love for the necklace charm is very deep-rooted (see text), Face page 8. MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vot1., VI., Puate IX. Turee Penpanr CHARMS FROM THE NORTHERN PorTION Or CAPE YORK PENINSULA Face page 9. QUEENSLAND ETHNOLOGICAL NOTES.—HAMLYN-HARRIS. 9 PENDANT CHARMS. Tt seems to have been a somewhat popular practice in the Cape York Peninsula to make pendant charms principally with gum cement, and in those regions which have been under Papuan influence it is customary to find them ornamented with the seeds of Abrus precatorius. Several of these are in the Queensland Museum collections which require to be noted. One specimen consists of a long rope of human hair Text-figure 3. A number of CHARMS made of the branchiostegal rays of the eel mounted in gum cement, Atherton District. (Q. EF. 15/715-718.) It would appear that these were in use by young boys when being initiated into manhood. vd 5 v ,—) They are worn hanging on the chest, and the opposing tribe is supposed to throw spears at them during the ceremonies. The native name is “ Wak-kee.”’ wound round with cord, ending in a fusiform mass of gum cement in which Abrus seeds are embedded. The whole is worn suspended by a brown cord around the neck (Q. E. 14/582). This specimen was obtained at Normanton and measures 265mm. (Plate IX, fig. C.) Two further interesting examples are recorded from Cape York (exact locality unknown). These are completely enveloped in gum cement suspended by cords. The presence of one Abrus seed in one of these suggests the abandonment of further decoration to have been an afterthought (Q. E. 16/909—Plate IX, figs. A and B. A measures 140 mm., B measures 168 mm. in length). In this respect it is interesting to record that on the Pennefather River the navel-string (Nggerikudi, ‘* Anombite’’) is covered with beeswax into which the Abrus precatorius seeds are stuck, the article (under the same name) being fixed at one extremity to a loop: the grandfather carried this slung from over the forehead so as to hang between the shoulders, until the child from whom it has been taken is able to walk, when it is buried. So long as it is thus carried about the child grows quickly and healthy, but should death befall it it is burnt.? On the authority of W. E. Roth. Consult N. Q. Ethnography, Bull. No. 5, para. 151. 10 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. MEDICINE. I am indebted to Mr. J. R. Chisholm, The Prairie, for the following informa- tion :— “TI doubt if blacks of my acquaintance ever ‘took medicine,’ but they are always alert to the need of a change of diet. Honey was their aperient, or perhaps they might at times eat a quantity of yam locally known as ‘ Kaalgoolly. It is, I believe, allied to jalap, at any rate it has a purgative effect. They always diluted honey with water, and sucked it out of a sponge or currajong bark or beaten grass. A black is always keen on a bit of green vegetable, and as they walked through the forest were alert to pick a mouthful here and there. I have acquaintance with the desert country tribes from Peak Downs up to this district. On the coasts and well- watered districts they get lots of greenstuff, submerged mostly. When I was a lad I used to go with the blacks a good deal about the Dawson (lower). They ate large quantities of the pink lily seed roasted, and various tubers. About Peak Downs district in the scrubs (brigalow) I’ve gone with myall blacks for days ; study of them was always congenial to me. I have known Western blacks on the Georgina living on that nardoo rubbish. I think great numbers must have died from impaction. There was no honey or other aperient that I knew of in that country. Nardoo is totally indigestible to a white man; so also are many of their other seed-cakes. The nutriment value must be very meagre, and in dry seasons the Western blacks became frequently constipated as a result of their frugal diet.” Most natives know the value of greenstuff for keeping themselves fit, Young pigweed is particularly prized for its blood-purifying properties.1° Probably the use of many herbs may depend on their efficacy for the same _ principle, as for example the following instance recorded from St. Lawrence :— The blacks used to gather a sort of herb like pennyroyal, and make a tea of it and drink some of it. Mr. T. Illidge tells me that he tasted it once and that it was slightly bitter. They used it in cases of fever. The gum of certain trees, which when powdered was very red and astringent, was a common remedy for diarrhea. A little of the powder was mixed with honey and taken several times a day. The bulbs of an orchid which favours the ironbark tree would be roasted in the fire, cooled off, opened, and swallowed with water for bowel complaint.1! DRESSING OF WOUNDS. I have if on the excellent authority of J. R. Chisholm that the awful retri- butive cuts on the muscles of the legs, arms, or back healed very quickly by the application of ashes or clay, and he has often seen common mud from lagoons, which contained much decomposing weed or leaves, used for the same purpose. An instance is recalled on Peak Downs when one man inflicted a dreadful gash on another from) Hamlyn-Harris, R., Anthropological Considerations of Queensland, &c., Proc. R. 8. Q. Presidential Address, vol. 29, No. 1, 1917, 7, 27. 11 On the authority of T. Ilidge. MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vot. VI., PLATE X, A Native Pimtow MADE ENTIRELY Or EMU FEATHERS. Native name “ Hoorburra” (Q.E, 15/728, Mitchell River). The habit of sleeping with only the flat ground beneath the head being universal throughoat Queensland, makes this novel pillow the more interesting, and there can be, I think, little doubt that its make is due to the effects of civilisation. The feathers are securely fastened together with a kind of white ochre which must have been applied originally in a moist condition, the feathers becoming fastened as the white earth dried. Face page 11. QUEENSLAND ETHNOLOGICAL NOTES.—HAMLYN-HARRIS. 11 the knee to the hip parallel with the muscles; the bone was visible and the freed muscles protruded. The wound was tied up in clay and ashes, and it was but a short time afterwards that the boy was about again almost without a limp. Mr. Watson gives the following interesting information re a celebrated black ruffian, Paddy Maloney by name, who chopped his gin’s both legs off about six inches below the knee. The gin survived the operation and lived in the Currawilla Station Camp for years afterwards. It is a pity, however, that no information is forthcoming with reference to the method of cure adopted.” COUNTER-IRRITANTS. The use of counter-irritants for pains is by no means uncommon. An instance was recently brought under my notice by Dr. Kesteven, when a full-blooded black was admitted into the Gin Gin Hospital suffering from abdominal pains and pains in his left shoulder which he had for over two days. Previous to admittance he had scored the abdomen on each side of the mid-line with eight or nine skin-deep incisions from 1 to 14 inches in length, and on the shoulder three long shallow incisions 4 to 5 inches long which extended over the scapule. BORA RING, NERANG. Tam indebted to Prof. 8. B. J. Skertchly (Nerang) for the following notes :— ** Sitwation.—One mile south of Nerang Bridge, a quarter of a mile south of Nerang Railway Station, on the road to Gilston. The road traverses and has nearly destroyed the ring. ““Age.—The Nerang blacks are now extinct. The ring was last used in 1865 for a celebrated corrobboree which Mr. E. Cooper (my informant) attended. “ Position.—The Bora-ground was a noted one because (a) it was situated at what is called ‘The Falls’ on Nerang River, a bar of sandstone where fish were and are easily obtained; (6) it was the last crossing place or ford; (c) though in ‘forest’ it was near “scrub.” “The flat upon which the Bora-ground is situated is covered with alluvium. There are absolutely no stones in it. “ Usage.—The sandstone in the neighbourhood (Paleozoic, probably Car- boniferous) weathers into very peculiar boulder-like masses, which at first deceived me as being waterworn. The river grinds these into still more implement-like forms. The blacks, finding such ready-made stones ready to hand in hundreds, took them to the Bora-ground for temporary use. Hvery stone on the flat is of this quasi- implement form, and has been brought up and at the close of a meeting left as not worth carrying away. “Mr. Cooper and I found twenty in half an hour, and these I have, given to the Queensland Museum. Some of them have been more or less worked. The cruder series form what may be called the Eoliths of the Australian cultus, and should be sought for elsewhere as illustrating a phase of native life.”’ 2 The blacks eventually executed Paddy Maloney in their own way (W. H. Watson). 12 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUS?UM. TUNE SUNG IN AN ABORIGINAL CAMP AT ST. LAWRENCE ABOUT THE YEAR 1870. = D.C. This is sung mostly on moonlight nights, accompanying a sort of ‘“ walk- round ” dance. These blacks were from the Downs country about the Isaacs and Lotus Creeks. Number of performers varies from ten to twenty. The singing is in unison ; some natives beating small waddies together ; time, that of a smart “ quick march.” Step is similar to a “ galopade.” The same foot is kept in front. Final drop to lower key-note is as much of a grunt as a note, but at the same time clear and distinct, and accompanied by a vigorous stamp of the foot. An eclipse of the moon occurred during one of these performances. Directly the shadow was observed both song and dance stopped suddenly, and a cry went up similar to the wailing for the dead, and continued until the eclipse was over. (Horace Burxrrr, Corinda, 31 Dec. $7, D. 9542 ) MESSAGES AND ‘‘MESSAGE STICKS.’’—HAMLYN-HARRIS. 13 ON MESSAGES AND “MESSAGE STICKS” EMPLOYED AMONG THE QUEENSLAND ABORIGINES. Illustrated by Specimens in the Queensland Museum Collections. jee IRE HAMLyYN-Harris, IDSC, JAIRWAGIE, JRILSE Jone: NorHinG appears more natural than that primitive people such as the Queensland aborigines, having an individual or tribal message to deliver, should convey such by means of a definite token, as a guarantee of good faith, both of the message and the sender; and that such a token should be marked to assist the messenger in the delivery of his message. On account of the distance which such messengers would on occasions have to travel, ‘‘ memory sticks’? would become almost a necessity, and there is, I think, little doubt that certain marks are undoubtedly known and recognised by tribal customs, so that, however many meaningless marks such a token might contain, there are nevertheless certain signs which would always be readily understood. Such tokens or so-called ‘‘ message sticks,’’ however, would not be used merely as ‘‘ memory sticks’’ but for other definite purposes, such as, for instance, a summons to an individual or group of individuals (for either private or public reasons) to attend an initiation ceremony or to settle a dispute, or for general purposes of corroboree. Sometimes a ‘‘ message stick’’ is purely an introduction, and at other times may serve as a passport through hostile country. The same token has on occasions a totemic significance, especially when carried in conjunction with the bull-roarer. The fact that a ‘‘ message stick”’ is often retained until the arrival of the sender almost suggests a possibility of its being regarded as a temporary “‘ keepsake.’ It is necessary at the outset to realise one important fact, and that is that these ‘‘ sticks’? must not be interpreted as a white man’s letter would be, nor must it be supposed that the ‘‘ sticks’’ could ‘‘ talk’? in a white man’s language. “Want ’em pretty fellow alonga head, boomerang.’ 3ishop White was so interested in the matter that he undertook to deliver the stick, but withheld the verbal message until he had satisfied himself that the receiver of the message had some knowledge of what the stick was MESSAGES AND ‘‘MESSAGE STICKS.’’—HAMLYN-HARRIS. 31 supposed to convey. Bishop White said he was no little surprised to find that the boy interpreted the request for head-bands and boomerangs correctly. Since the accuracy of this instance is vouched for by the integrity of such a well-known cleric, we may also presume that the stick probably contained some mention of an exchange and the name of the boy by whom it had been sent. The stick is made of pine and has 22 and 23 notches respectively on each side; for the rest, crosses and a few bats complete the writing, OBVERSE. REVERSE. Text-figure 25. A small pine message stick from the Northern Territory. (No. Q.E. 11/16/1; 70 mm. x 13 mm.) Evidently a hastily prepared and crudely fashioned stick from the Roper River, collected by Mr. M. J. Colclough in 1909. It was sent in connection with the death of a child, notifying the father of its death. There is a custom in this part of the country of passing children temporarily on from one tribe to another, in good seasons, with a view to educating them and teaching them local dialects. Such a child had died, and hence the message. OBVERSE. REVERSE. Text-figure 26. Message stick from the MacArthur River, Northern Territory. (No. Q.E. 11/16/2; 167 mm. x varying from 14 to 21 mm.; ochred.) This contains an invitation to the Boroloola to a ceremony, ‘‘ Jundee,”’ and records the number of boys to be initiated. This stick is made of Leichhardt s] to MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. pine; the lines are cut deeply and irregularly. The obverse surface is convex, and has a number of zigzag with four deeply cut lines in the centre, and on the side fifteen notches. The reverse surface is flat. OBVERSE, REVERSE. Text-figure 27. A very roughly made pine message stick from Mountain Creek, Northern Territory. (No. E. 11/16/4; 115 mm. x 14 mm. Collected by Mr. M. J. Colelough. ) Message unknown. OBVERSE. REVERSE. Text-figure 28. A message stick from the Northern Territory (Roper River). (No. E. 11/16/3; 181 mm. x 17 mm. Collected by Mr. M. J. Colclough.) A definite message accompanied this stick, together with three war-spears, specially made and very straight. The message was something to this effect :— A brother sends warning to his brother (by a third person) about a coming foe, who had set out to spear him owing to a fight over a lubra, and who was approaching by a given route. Owing to the wet season and the fact that the whole country was in flood (‘‘ bie fella wata’’) it would take four moons to cover the journey. : The stick, which is made of Leichhardt pine, is covered with significant marks, On the obverse side the flood-waters are indicated by a deep gash, whilst the four moons are enclosed in a circle by themselves. On the reverse three lines evidently refer to the three spears which accompanied the messenger. For the remainder, the zigzags with their number and variety cover the surface of the stick with the exception of the two ends, which are unmarked. MESSAGES AND ‘‘MESSAGE STICKS.’’—HAMLYN-HARRIS. 33 This stick was obtained by Mr. W. A. Chambers, who was stationed at Wyndham. It was said to be tabu to women, I am, however, inclined to dispute this statement, and beyond placing the remark on record I should hesitate to accept it until such a statement has been definitely confirmed. There are three sinnous (unbroken) lines winding from end to end, reaching to within about one inch of each end. These are interspersed by animal tracks heading in opposite directions. Message unknown. Western Australia.—I am greatly indebted to Mr. L. Glauert. of the Perth Museum, for his notes on Western Australian message sticks, and as they are of value to the student I reproduee the greater part of them here. “ 50 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. reaching to or beyond the middle of the caudal. Caudal rounded, 2-33 to 2.44 in the body-length. Anal with iii 11 rays, originating below the 11th dorsal spine; third spine longest, a little shorter than the last dorsal spine, and 2-11 to 2.37 in the seventh and longest ray, which is considerably longer and reaches further back than that of the dorsal. Pectoral rounded, with 15 (17 to 19) rays, a little shorter than the head. Ventral two fifths longer than the pectoral, the second ray the longest, extending to the sixth to eighth anal ray; ventral spine 1-6 in the length of the head without the opercular flap. Gill-rakers 11 on the lower branch of the anterior arch, the first 4 tuber- cular, the longest one fourth of the eye-diameter. Body purplish black, the last third of the trunk and the tail with six obscure grayish eross-bands, which do not reach the dorsal surface. A blue band from the nostril to the angle of the preopercle, cheeks and opercles sparsely blue- spotted. Dorsal, caudal, anal, and ventral fins purple, the first twe and the posterior rays of the third crossed by a network of grayish lines; pectorals greenish yellow. (Named after its collector, Mr. Edwin Alfred Jolliffe.) Through the fortunate capture by its discoverer of a second example of this beautiful longfin, | am now in a position to give a fuller and more correct description than was heretofore possible, the head of the original specimen being much distorted. The present description, which supersedes the first, is, therefore, taken from two examples, measuring respectively 151 and 125 mm. over all, taken at Green Island, Moreton Bay, by Mr. Edwin Alfred Jolliffe, who generously presented them to the Queensland Museum, and after whom I have had much pleasure in naming it, In shght recognition of his keen interest in all matters relating to marine zoology. Our illustration is taken from the smaller example mentiened above. Reg. No. I. 2669. PARAPLESIOPS POWERI Ozgilby. (Plate XVIII.) Paraplesiops poweri Ogilby, Proc. Roy. Soe. Queensl., xxi, 1907, p. 17. BROWN LONGFIN. Type locality:—Mud Island, Moreton Bay. Body subovate, the dorsal and anal contours subsymmetrical, its width anteriorly about four sevenths of its depth, which is 2-83 in its length and equal to the length of the head. Caudal pedunele about one half deeper than long, its least depth 6-2 in the body-length. Head one third deeper than wide, its upper profile and that of the nape linear and gently acclivous, its width 1-67 in its length. Snout short and blunt, with rounded, subvertical profile, its length 1-33 in the eye-diameter, which is one third of the length of the head; interorbital region feebly convex, its width 5-6 in the length of the head. Jaws equal; cleft of mouth rather strongly oblique; maxillary extending to below the last quarter of the eye, its length about half of that of the head. MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vou. VI., Puate XVIII. QUEENSLAND FISHES. Phyllis F. Clarke, del. PARAPLESIOPS POWERI Ogilby; holotype. Nat. Size. Face page 50. ey) eee a ee a i, - EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND—OGILBY. 51 Dentition as in P. jolliffet. Seales in 33 series along the middle of the side; in 4/1/15 from the base of the first dorsal spine obliquely backwards; tubes of lateral lines 30/12. Other- wise as in P. jolliffed. Dorsal with xii 10 rays, originating above the opercle; first spine short, the succeeding spines gradually increasing in length to the eighth and ninth, which are equal, longer than the tenth and eleventh, but shorter than the last, which is 1-83 in the length of the head; outer border of scft dorsal acutely angulated, the sixth ray the longest, rather longer than the head, and reaching to well beyond the middle of the caudal. Caudal rounded, 2-62 in the body-length. Anal with ii 10 rays, originating below the last dorsal spine ; third spine longest, a little shorter than the last dorsal spine, and 2-37 in the sixth and longest ray, which is longer than and reaches somewhat further back than that of the dorsal. Pectoral obtusely pointed, with 18 rays, a little shorter than the head. Ventral one third longer than the pectoral, the second ray the longest, extending to the second anal ray ; ventral spine 1-6 in the length of the head without the opereular flap. : Gill-rakers 12 on the lower branch of the anterior arch, all but the first 3. tubercular, the longest about one sixth of the eye-diameter. Uniform greenish brown, the upper surface and the sides of the head with a purplish gloss. Sides of head with seattered blue spots, which only become prominent after death. All the fins blackish, exeept the pectorals and the basal third of the ventrals, which are pale yellowish brown. (Named after its collector Mr. Perey Power.) Deseribed from the type specimen, the only one so far obtained. It measures 172 mi. in total length, and was taken at Mud Island, Moreton Bay, by Mr. Perey Power, by whom it was presented to the Amateur Fishermen’s Associa- tion of Queensland. It is now deposited in the type collection of the Queensland Museum, through the favor of the Association. Reg. No. I. 1548. Part XI.—LUTIANIDZ (No. 1). APRION Cuvier & Valenciennes. Aprion Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vi, 1830, p. 543 (virescens); Giinther, Brit. Mus. Catal. Fish., i, 1859. p, 81; Bleeker, Atlas Ichth., viii, 1877, p. 76. Sparopsis Kner, Sitz. Akad. Wien, lviii. 1868, p. 27 (latifrons). Body elliptical, compressed. Seales moderate or rather small, adherent, finely ciliated. Lateral line complete, not extending on the caudal fin, the tube short and simple. Head scaly, except the interorbital region, snout, preorbital, suborbital ring, preopercle, and mandible. Snout moderate; preorbital wide. bo MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Cleft of mouth moderate and oblique, the lower jaw slightly the longer. Canine teeth in both jaws, succeeded by a villiform band; vomer and palatines with villiform teeth; tongue toothless. Eye large. Nostrils contiguous, the anterior valvular. Preopercle entire or finely serrulate posteriorly ; opercle with a blunt point; suprascapula serrated. Dorsal fin with x 11 rays, the spines slender and flexible, naked as also are the soft rays, the last of which is more or less produced. Caudal forked. Anal fin with iii 8 rays, similar to the soft dorsal. Pectoral long and pointed, with 15 to 18 rays. Ventral inserted below or behind the pectoral- base, the outer ray usually produced, without accessory seale. Gill-rakers in moderate number, well developed. (a, priv. ; 7piwv, a saw.) Perciform fishes from the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans. Species 4 or 5. APRION MICROLEPIS (Bleeker). Chetopterus microlepis Bleeker, Versl. Akad. Amst. (2) iii, 1869, p. 80. Aprion (Aprion) microlepis Bleeker, Verh. Akad. Amst. xiii, 1873, Révis. Lutjanus ete. p- 96; id., in Pollen & Van Dam. Faun. Madagascar, pt. 4. 1875, Poiss., pp. 26, 96; id., Atlas Ichth., viii, 1877, p. 78, pl. eeexxxy, fig. 6. Aphareus roseus Castelnau, Proce. Linn. Soe. N. S. Wales, iii, pt. 4, 1879, p. 373; Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, v, 1881, p. 886; Woods, Fish & Fisher. N. 8. Wales, 1882, p. 15; Ogilby, Catal. Fish. N. S. Wales, 1886, p. 13; Waite, Synop. Fish. N. 8. Wales, 1904, p. 33. Aprion roseus McCulloch, Ree. Austr. Mus., xi, 1917, p. 173, pl. xxx. ROSEATE SEA-BREAM. Type localitics:—Amboina (Apr. microlepis). Port Jackson (Aph. roseus). Body elliptical and somewhat compressed, the dorsal profile rather more arched than the ventral, its width 1-63 in its depth, which is 3-57 in its length and subequal to the length of the head. Cauda! peduncle iwo and three fourths times as long as deep, its least depth 3-14 in the depth of the body. Head about two fifths longer than, deep, the upper profile level and gentiy aeclivous from above the nostrils to the occiput, which with the nape is feebly rounded, its width | 1-8 in its length, which is 3-44 in that of the body. Snout rather long, with gently convex profile, its length 2-9 in that of the head. Eye moderate, its diameter 1-3 in the length of the snout, 3-75 in that of the head, and twice its distance from the angle of the maxillary groove; interorbital region convex, its width one fifth more than the eye-diameter and 3-14 in the length of the head. Lower jaw prominent, the maxillary extending to.somewhat. beyond the anterior border of the eye, its length 2-6, that of the mandible 2, in the length of the head. Preopercle feebly serrated, some of the teeth on the rounded angle enlarged; opercle with a pair of small spines. Seales in 63 or 64 transverse series above the lateral line; 7/1/16 scales between the spinous dorsal and the vent ; cheek scales in 7 series. EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND—OGILBY. 52 Dorsal fin with x 11 rays, the soft portion 1-44 in the length of the spinous; sixth spine longest, but scarcely longer than the fourth, fifth, seventh, and eighth, its length 2-44 in that of the head; soft dorsal a little lower than the spinous, one fourth longer than high, the posterior branch of the last ray produced, two sevenths more than the longest spine, but not reaching to the base of the caudal. Caudal deeply emarginate, with the lobes acute, the middle rays one third of the upper lobe, which is 3-33 in the body-length. Anal fin with iii 8 rays, originating below the second dorsal ray, the spines slender and flexible, the third the longest, 3-75 in the length of the head and a little shorter than the first ray; soft anal one sixth longer. than high, the last ray similar to that of the dorsal, and seven ninths more than the second spine. Pectoral with 16 rays, its length 3-55 in that of the body, the fifth ray longest, not reaching to the vertical from the vent; below the fifth the rays rapidly deerease in length, so that the seventh is only three fifths of the length of the Iongest.. Ventral long and pointed, with the outer ray slightly produced, extending as far back as and 1-25 in the length of the pectoral, which is about as long as the head. Gill-rakers of moderate length and strength, 16 on the lower branch of the anterior arch, the longest 1-86 in the eye-diameter. Upper surface and sides roseate, shading into pearly white helow, the upper surface of the head and the snout washed with violet. Fins pinkish, the dorsal with a median saffron band, and with a basal saffron or pearly spot between each pair of spines and rays; anal with a pearly basal and saffron marginal band ; tips of caudal, pectoral, and ventral rays grayish. (ptkpos, small ; Aemis, scale.) Deseribed from a specimen, 395 millim. long, taken in Moreton Bay by Mr. A. E. Wood, and presented by him to the Queensland Museum; Reg. No. TI. 2509. I have also had the opportunity of examining a larger example (482 millim.), caught by Mr. John Colclough on the Snapper Banks off Moreton Bay, and now the property of the Amatev Fishermen’s Association. Historical :—But little is known of this rare and beautiful fish, which was originally described from two small examples obtained at Amboina; some years subsequently its describer included it in the catalogue of fishes, published by Pollen & van Dam in their “‘Faune Madagasear,”’ on the strength of an example received from Réunion. As Aphareus roseus Castelnau deseribed it two years later from Port Jackson, and his type not being available for re-examination, the error was perpetuated in all subsequent lists of New South Wales fishes. It was, therefore, with especial pleasure that I discovered, in the collection of the Queens- land Museum, the specimen from which the above description was drawn up, and am thus enabled to fix the position of Castelnau’s fish. Uses;—Nothing appears.to have been recorded-as to the edible qualities of this species or its congeners, but as it is a fairly large and robust fish, it is doubt less of equally good quality for the table as its lutianoid allies. 54 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM, Range :—EHast Coast of Australia, Amboina, and Réunion. Dimensions :—Attains a length of fully 600 millim. (Castelnau). Remarks :—Since writing the above McCulloch has described and figured this fish as Aprion roseus Castelnau; nevertheless I still hold to the opinion that our fish cannot be separated from that of Bleeker. Part XIJ.—NEMIPTERIDZ® (No: 1): NEMIPTERUS Swainson. Nemipterus Swainson, Classif. Fish., ii, 1839, pp. 172, 223 (filamentosus = nematophorus) ; Jordan & Thompson, Proe. U. 8. Nat. Mus., xli, 1912, p. 563. Synagris Giinther, Brit. Mus. Catal. Fish., i, 1859, p. 373 (fureosus); Day, Fish. India, pt. 1, 1875, p. 90; Jordan & Thompson, ibid. Subgenus. Dentex Bleeker, Atlas Ichth., viii, 1877, p. 80 (teniopterus). Not of Cuvier. Anemura Fowler, Proc: Acad. Nat. Sei. Phila., 1904, p. 527 (notatus = teniopterus) = Synagris. Odontoglyphis Fowler, ibid. (tolu); Jordan & Thompson, ibid. Subgenus. Euthyopteroma Fowler, ibid. (blochit) ; Jordan & Thompson, ibid. Subgenus. Body elliptical and compressed. Seales moderate, adherent, ciliated. Lateral line complete, not extending on the caudal fin, the tubes simple. Head moderate, with wide smooth preorbital, the occiput, opereles (except the preoperele), and cheeks sealy, those of the latter arranged in three series; scales. of head eycloid and smooth, except those of the parietal region, and a row between the occiput and nape, the seales of which are modified so as to form mucigerous organs. Mouth terminal and protractile, with moderate slightly oblique cleft, the jaws equal; maxillary mostly exposed, without supplemental bone. Jaws with a band of villiform teeth, the outer row conical and somewhat enlarged; upper jaw with three or four pais of moderately strong canines; canines of lower jaw, if present, weak. Preopercle entire or feebly serrulate ; opercular spine weak or absent. Dorsal fin sealeless, with x 9 rays, the spines: feeble and sometimes filamentous. Caudal deeply forked, the upper ray some- fimes filamentous. Anal with iii 7 rays, similar to the soft dorsal. Pectoral pointed, with 15 to 18 rays. Ventral inserted below or behind the pectoral-base, with i 5 rays, the outer sometimes produced ; accessory ventral scale present. Six branchiostegals. -Air-bladder notched posteriorly. Pylorie appendages in small Humber, (vipa, a thread ;- arepov, a fin.) : Perciform fishes 6f moderate size, inhabiting the warmer zones of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans, ranging from the Red Sea and East Coast of Africa through the Indian Seas northwards to China and Japan, and eastwards through Malaysia to New Guinea, the Louisiade Archipelago, and the East Coast of Australia. They are panfishes of excellent flavor, and as they are found in MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vou. VI., Puare XIX. QUEENSLAND FISHES. ‘21S “JeN § ‘odAjojoy fAqttSOQ 1ayodoaHL saumLalNaN 19 ‘a44019 ‘A suriud Face page 55. or or EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND—OGILBY. large numbers off our shores in moderately deep water where the sea-bed is smooth, they should at no distant date form a cheap and pleasant addition to the breakfast tables of Brisbane. Five species belong to the Queensland fauna and may be recognized by the following key— a’. Both jaws with distinct canines ; dorsal spines low, the membranes not notched, none of the spines or rays filamentous (Synagris). b'. Seales in transverse series 4/1/14; spinous dorsal higher than the soft; coloration uniform ne po 0 oi ie iB te We lL. guntheri. b2. Seales in transverse series 4/1/11; spinous dorsal lower than the soft ; body with yellow bands .. es o¢ re Ab 50 Sc Bic oe 2. teniopterus. a, Lower jaw without distinct canines; dorsal spines all low, the membranes not notched, the spines scarcely exserted (Huthyopteroma). cl, Median dorsal spines longest. d', Scales in transverse series 3/1/12; upper caudal ray not produced ; coloration uni- form, 5. a a es *. ns nc As a6 3. wpeneoides.? d*. Scales in transverse series 3/1/10; upper caudal ray filiform; body with yellow bands .. ac 30 on uc oo a6 oe mi 4. aurifilum. c*. Posterior dorsal spines longest. e1, Scales in transverse series 3/1/9; upper caudal ray not produced ; body with yellow bands .. ap ic a6 6 56 ah nid ae 5. theodoret. NEMIPTERUS THEODORE! Ogilby. (Plate XIX.) Nemipterus theodorci Ogilby, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl., xxviii, 1916, p. 113. BUTTERFLY BREAM. Type locality :—Caloundra Bank, 8.Q. Body elliptical, the ventral contour as much or a littie more arched than the dorsal, which is linear and feebly declivous behind the origin of the dorsal, its width 1-8 to 2-1 in its depth, which is 3 to 3-2 in its length and as much as to one tenth less than the length of the head. Caudal peduncle slender, its least depth 1-8 to 2 in its length and 2-8 to 3 in the depth of the body. Head one sixth to two ninths longer than deep, its upper profile evenly and gently convex, its width somewhat less than half its length, which is 3-1 to 3-25 in that of the body. Snout with moderately declivous profile, its length 2-37 to 2-5 in that of the head. Diameter of eye 1-5 to 1-67 in the length of the snout, 3-67 to 4 in that of the head, and subequal to the width of the preorbital. Interorbital region gently convex, its width 1-22 to 1-33 in the eye-diameter and 4-5 to 5 in the length of the head. Jaws equal; maxillary not extending to the level of the eye, its length 2-63 to 2-83, that of the mandible 2-4, in the length of the head. Operele with a small spine. * Bleeker (Atlas Ichth., pl. eeexxviii, fig. 2) figures this species with a large oval blackish shoulder-spot, but no mention is made of it in his original description (Nat. Tijds. Neder. _Ind., iii, 1852, p. 725). Ct a MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Upper jaw with four pair of small canines, the outer pair the longest; lower jaw without true canines, which are replaced by an outer series of enlarged conical teeth, which is continued backward along the side of the jaw, the largest’ teeth being on the middle of the side. Seales in 48 series above the lateral line; 3/1/9 in the series between the spinous dorsal and the vent. Accessory ventral scale slenderly lanceolate, as long as or a little longer than the eye-diameter. Dorsal fin originating above the opereular spine; spinous portion low, the tips of the spimes scarcely projecting beyond the interspinous membrane, the spines gently graded to the last, which is 2-4 to 2-5 in the length of the head and 1-3 to 1-4 in the penultimate and longest ray; soft dorsal one third to two fifths longer than high, posteriorly angulate, its length 1-3 to 1-4 in that of the head. Caudal forked, with pointed lobes, the middle rays 2-55 to 2-67 in the upper and somewhat longer lobe, which is 3-5 to 3-67 in the body-leneth. Anal fin originat- ing below the second dorsal ray, the third spine the longest, 2-88 te 3 in the length of the head; soft portion as long as to one tenth longer than high, the rays increasing very gradually to the sixth, which equals the last and is three tenths to four ninths more than the third spine. Pectoral pointed, with 17 rays, its length 3 to 3-5 in that of the body, the sixth ray the longest, extending to above the vent. Ventral inserted below the pectoral-base, the spine moderate and slender, 1-67 to 2 in the outer ray, which is produced, is a little shorter than the pectoral, and extends to the second anal spine. Gill-rakers 5 + 7 on the anterior arch, short, stout, and strongly spinulose, the longest 5-5 in the eye-diameter. Roseate above, shading imperceptibly through the iridescent pink of the sides to the pearly white of the lower surface; sides below the lateral line with five greenish yellow horizontal bands, each of which oceupies the middle of a series of scales, the upper and lower bands shorter and less conspicuous than the intervening bands; a brilliant crimson shoulder-spot, covering the upper half of two consecutive scales, which vary from the second and third to the fourth and fifth below the lateral line. Upper surface and sides of head with a tinge of lavender overlying the pink; a curved light blue bar from the front of the eye, passing along the upper edge of the preorbital, and anteriorly changing gradually to a deep violet; a similar but less conspicuous bar along its lower edge; upper lip yellow; cheeks and opereles pink with golden reflections, the lower series of cheek-seales with a shimmering violet iridescence; a distinct greenish blue spot, preceded by a purplish spot, behind the upper angle of the preoperele. Lower two thirds of iris vivid scarlet, upper third green, the line of demarcation sharply defined. Dorsal fin pink, bordered by a broad gold-edged puce band; caudal pinkish yellow, broadly tipped with rose, its upper ray edged with gold, its lower with rose; anal with the basal half yellow, the distal half lilaceous silvery, the former traversed by a basal and two median pale blue bands; peetorals and ventrals colorless. (Named after the Hon. Edward Granville Theodore, in recognition of the faet that to him is attributable the formation of a Department oO EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND—OGILBY. of Fisheries, by means of which it is hoped that both the publie and the profes- sional fishermen will materially benefit; and by which it may be expected that the vast importance of our fishing industries, so shamefully neglected in the past, may be brought into adequate prominence. ) Described from three examples, measuring 248 to 267 mm., taken by hook on the Caloundra Bank, and presented respectively to the Amateur Fishermen’s Association by its President, Mr. Thomas Welsby, and to the Queensland Museum by Mr. T. C. Troedson and myself, the largest of the three being seleeted as the type; Reg. No. I. 2648. In elegance of form and beauty of coloration this species equals, if indeed it does not surpass, any other fish of our seas, even the wonderful rainbow-fishes and butterfly-fishes of our coral reefs paling to insignificance before its delicate loveliness. Our illustration is taken from the holotype, and should be studied along with the color-pattern of recent specimens given above for, as with all fishes of similar delicacy, the various tints are extremely evanescent, and disappear almost immediately in preservatives. Note on Synagris furcosus Giinther. After carefully examining the literature of this fish from both points of view, I am unable to satisfy myself as to its identity with the Dentexw furcosus of Cuvier and Valenciennes, because, in the first place, while that fish is said to have been obtained by Raynaud ‘‘in the roadstead of Trincomalee,’’ it has net since been found in Indian waters, and Day has omitted it from his great work on the “Fishes of India, Burma, and Ceylon’’;* and, in the second place, because the deseription of its form, as given by the French authors, does not agree well with that of Giinther. This author, who had before him seven specimens from various eastern localities on which to form an opinion, made the species the type of his new genus Synagris, but kept the eastern fish united to the western and somewhat hypothetical Dentex furcosus, a conclusion which has not been borne out by subsequent research. Bleeker, it may be observed, was also dissatisfied with Giinther’s identification, for he writes—‘‘M. Gunther rapporte cette espece au Dentex furcosus dont cependant la justesse me semble avoir besoin d’étre prouvee.” Since, therefore, the name furcosus was undeniably given in the first place to a western—Ceylonese—species it becomes impossible to retain it for the eastern fish, it seems, therefore, necessary to give a distinctive title to the latter. In 1870 Day described from Andaman specimens a fish which he named Dentex (Synagris) notatus.° Five years later he records the same fish from the ‘‘Seas of India,’’ holding it to be ‘‘a slight variety of S. furcosus Gunther,’’ which name he places with some hesitation in the synonymy of S. notatus, being evidently of opinion that Giinther’s name had no locus standi, since it was doubtful whether * True, Day has doubtfully included Valenciennes’ fish in the synonymy of his S. notatus, but Bleeker has indisputably shown that that supposititious species was identical with S. teniopterus. * Atlas Ichth., viii, 1877, p. 85. * Proc. Zool. Soe, Landon, 1870, p. 684. 38 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. it were identical with the Dentex furcosus of the Histoire Naturelle. Bleeker, however, two years later, as mentioned above, showed that Day’s fish was inseparable from Vemipterus teniopterus,* which identification was subsequently admitted to be correet by Day himself. In view, therefore, of the failure of Indian naturalists to rediscover the true D. furcosus, the question arises as to whether D. teniopterus was not founded on a more carefully preserved specimen of the former fish. The eastern form has been recorded from Amboina, the Louisiade Archipelago, Damlay (? Darnley) Island, and Australia (Giinther) ; Palm Islands, Cape Grenville, North and North-East Austraha (Wacleay). There is, therefore, a wide and unbridged gulf between the reputed ranges of the two forms; nor should it be forgotten that Bleeker, with the Jlimitable resourees at his command, never got either species. I, therefore, propose to separate the eastern fish as Vemipterus gtintheri, with the following synonymy, leaving to my Indian confreres the task of clearing up the mystery of D. furcosus. NEMIPTERUS GUNTHERI nom. nov. Synagris furcosus Giinther, Brit. Mus. Catal. Fish., i, 1859, p. 373; Alleyne & Macleay, Proe. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, i, 1877, p. 271; Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soe. N. 8. Wales, vy, 1881, p. 383; id., ibid., viii, 1863, p. 262. Not Dentex furcosus Cuvier & Valenciennes. Dentex furcosus Bleeker, Verh. Akad. Amst. xiii, 1873, Rev. Espéec. Dentex, ete., p. 12; id. Atlas Ichth., vili, 1877, p. 85. After Synagris furcosus Ginther. I append here the description of a unique specimen of Nemipterus in the collection of the Queensland Museum, in order to call the attention of northern observers to this extraordinarily deep form, and perehance obtain further examples. McCulloch suggests that the example has suffered an injury to the spine, which might account for the depth of the body, but the specimen is in good condition and well nourished, and shows no external sign of injury. Should MeCulloch’s suggestion be correct the fish would be classed as N. giinthert NEMIPTERUS sp. Lutianus rubicundus de Vis; nom. mus. Genyoroge rubicauda Kent, Great Barrier Reef, 1893, p. 369; nom. nud. This fish was caught at Somerset, N.Q., by Mr. Kendal Broadbent and measures 218 mm. Reg. No. I. 2580. Body subovate, the dorsal contour much more arched than the ventral, its profile evenly rounded from the nape to the caudal fin, the highest point being above the base of the pectoral fin; width of body 2-17 in its depth, which is 2-6 in its length and a little more than the length of the head. Caudal peduncle moderately stout, its least depth 1-44 in its length and 3-17 in the length of the head. Jlead three tenths longer than deep, the upper profile feebly convex, its width about half its length, which is 2-8 in that of the body. Snout with strongly declivous profile, its length 2-5 in that of the head. Diameter of eye 1-48 in the " Dentex taniopterus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vi, 18380, p, 246. EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND—OGILBY. 59 length of the snout, 3-55 in that of the head, and one eighth more than the least width of the preorbital; interorbital region feebly convex, its width a trifle less ‘than the eye-diameter and 3-75 in the length of the head. Jaws equal; maxillary extending to the vertical from the anterior border of the eye, its length 2-77, that of the mandible 2-3, in the length of the head. Opercle with a small spine. Each jaw with 3 pair of moderate canines, the outer the longer. Seales in 50 series above the lateral line, in 4/1/14 between the spinous dorsal and the vent. Accessory ventral scale slenderly lanceolate, rather less than ‘the eye-diameter. Dorsal fin originating above the angle of the preopercle, the spinous portion high, the spines searcely projecting beyond the interspinous membrane, the 5th and 6th the longest, 2-22 in the length of the head, and two ninths more than the four anterior rays, which are equal, those succeeding them gradually decreasing in length; soft dorsal three fourths longer than high, posteriorly ‘rounded, its length two thirds of that of the head. Caudal deeply forked, with pointed lobes, the middle rays 3-25 in the upper lobe, which is rather the longer and is one third of the body-length. Anal fin originating below the Ist dorsal ray, “the 3rd spine the longest, 3-75 in the length of the head; soft anal two fifths longer ‘than high, the three anterior rays subequal and longest, one fourth more than the 3rd spine; last ray slightly produced, nearly as long as the anterior rays. Pectoral *pointed, with 17 rays; its length 3-75 in that ef the body; 5th ray longest, ‘extending to above the origin of the anal. Ventral inserted below the inferior ‘axil of the pectoral, the spime moderate and slender, 1-56 in the 2nd and lungest ray, which is 1-45 in the length of the head and extends to a httle beyond the vent. The colors of our specimen have faded to a rusty yellow, but we learn “fromm Giinther that it is ‘‘uniform,’’ while we may infer from de Vis’ 1manuseript name that its general tint is reddish. Part XIII.—SCIAENIDZ (No. 1). wSciwnoides part. Cuvier, Regne Anim.; Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 1830, p. 1; Miller, Abh. Akad. Berlin, 1844, p. 201. Scienide part. Owen, Lect. Comp. Anat. Vert., Fish., 1846, p. 49: Scienide Richardson, Ichth. China & Japan, 1846, p. 223; Giinther, Brit. Mus. Catal. Fish., ii, 1860, p. 265; Day, Fish. India, pt. 2, 1876, p. 181; Jordan & Evermann, Fish. North & Mid. Amer., pt. 2, 1898, p. 1392. Scienoide Cantor, Catal. Malay. Fish., 1850, p. 56. Scienoidei Bleeker, Arch. Néerl. Sci. Nat., xi, 1876, p. 323. THE JEWFISHES.— Body elliptical or subovate, compressed, covered with adherent ctenoid or eycloid seales. Lateral line complete, mostly following the curvature of the back, and extending on the caudal fin. Head large, with moderate, more or less obtuse 60 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. snout, almost wholly sealy, the mucigerous system strongly developed. Mouth terminal and somewhat protraectile; maxillary wholly or partly concealed beneath the preorbital, without supplemental bone; chin usually porigerous, sometimes with a barbel. Teeth in the jaws usually in villiform bands, with or without an outer enlarged row, sometimes uniserial; canines present or absent ; roof of mouth and tongue toothless. Two approximate nostrils on each side. Preopercle usually with a feeble serrature; opercle with two flat points. Dorsal fin divided into two portions by a deep notch, the soft portion the lenger, the spinous depressible in a more or less complete groove. Caudal usuaily rounded or cuneate. Anal with one or two spines, much shorter than the soft dorsal.’ Ventrals inserted below or behind the pectoral-base, close together, each with i 5 rays, and with or without an axillary seale. Gill-openings wide; gill-membranes separate, free from the isthmus; seven branchiostegals; pseudobranchiw usually present; gills four, a slit behind the fourth. Air-bladder, when present, mostly large with many lateral appendages; otoliths of large size. Stomach exeal; intestinal canal with two convolutions; pyloric appendages usually in small number and weak. Suboeular shelf, when present, consisting of a small and usually slender process of the second suborbital. Vertebre 24 to 30; anterior precaudals without parapophyses and with sessile ribs, the posterior vibs on parapophyses. A large and important family of perciform perecoids, inhabiting the sandy shores of all warm seas, except those of the Pacific Islands, from which, though abundant on both shores of that ocean, they are unaccountably absent. They freely enter estuaries, through which they make their way upwards, eventually ascending the rivers to far beyond the influence of the tide. These exeursiens are not, however, undertaken for the purpose of depositing their spawn, as in the case of the iene and shad, but primarily as predatory raids on the schools of small mullets, herrings, and prawns, which swarm at certain seasons in the extratidal reaches. Some species are, however, wholly confined to fresh water, and it is possible that the ancestral scixenids were purely fluviatile, in whieh ease the excursions above referred to may be the outcome of an instinctive desire to get back for a time at least to their original environment. Dr. Giinther takes a converse view of the case to that which I have here advanced; he writes—‘‘ The fishes of the ‘Meagre’ family are chiefly coast-fishes of the tropical-and sub- tropical Atlantic and Indian Oceans, preferring the neighbourhood of the mouths of large rivers, into which they freely enter, some of the species having become so completely naturalised in fresh water that they are never found now-a-days in the sea.””** | think, however, that to those who have practical experience of these fishes, the theory put forward by me above will appei il more strongly. Some of the species, such as the Hastern Atlantic ‘‘maigre’’ (Sciwna hololepidota),™ our “ Exeept in Seriphus Ayres (Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., ii, 1861, p. 80), in which the anal fin is at least as long as the soft dorsal. “Study of Fishes, 1880, p. 427! “ Labrus hololepidotus Lacépede, Hist. Nat. Poiss.; iii; 1802, Pe 517.- ‘This name > as @ a year’s preference over Chetlodipterus aquila of the same author—ibid., , 1803, p. 685. EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND—OGILBY, 61 own ‘‘jewfish’’ (S. antarctica), the Californian “‘white sea-bass’’ (Cynoscion nobilis), ete., attain a very large size, specimens exceeding one hundred pounds having been recorded, but the majority of the species do not exceed a foot or eighteen inches in length; most of them, however, are valuable as food-fishes. All the jewfishes are carnivorous, and as they bite greedily and struggle hard for freedom when hooked, they are alike favorites with the angler and the epicure. The large and complicated air-bladder, common to most of these fishes, is used extensively in the manufacture of an inferior brand of isinglass,*® and so adds materially to the value of the fish; so much so, indeed, that Day, writing of the Indian species, states—‘‘The air-vessels of many of these fishes are extensively collected along the coast of India as they afford isinglass, which is exported to China and elsewhere. As food, however, their flesh is rather tasteless when young and coarse when large, consequently in many localities, as Kurrachee or in Beloochistan, the sounds or air-vessels are as valuable as the whole of the remainder of the fish.’’ The otoliths or ear-bones of these fishes are very large and are often beautifully seulptured, pitted, or papillated, differing so mueh inter se that the various Australian species may be readily distinguished from an examination of these bones alone. Many of these fishes are capable of producing sounds so plainly, while still at some distance below the surface, that these are readily perceptible by the occupants of a boat passing above them; the method by which the sound is produced has not been definitely decided, though several theories have been propounded ; some authorities suggest that it is caused by the clashing together of the pharyngeal teeth, but I am more inchned to bebeve in the theory advanced by Jordan and Evermann ™ that it is ‘‘caused by forcing the air from the air-bladder into one of the lateral horns.’’ This theory is supported by the fact that in the two species most widely credited with this accomplishment, the ‘‘maigre’’ and the ‘‘drum’’ (Pogonias chromis)** of the Eastern United States, the air-bladder is exceptionally large and complicated. The same authors also assert—‘‘ None occurs in deep water and none among rocks.’’!* While the former statement is irrefutable, the latter, though in the main correct, needs some modification. I have personally seen fine jewfish taken close in to Wolf Rock, an outher of Double Island Point and a noted haunt of the jew; also at ‘‘Jewfish Shoal’? some miles further south, where, according to Mr. J. Hirst Stevens, Inspector of Fisheries for the State of Queensland, the bottom is ‘‘mixed rock and coarse shingle, the rock predominating.’’ The same gentleman also informs me that jewfish may be taken on rocky ground in many parts of the South Queensland Coast. As regards the breeding of these fishes I must confess myself to be quite in the dark. The young of all our other edible estuarine fishes— whiting, flathead, bream, ete—are well known from their earliest stages, but ce * Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., 1860, p. 78. * The most highly prized isinglass is that which is procured from the air-bladders of the ““tassel-fishes’’ (Polynemide). *“ Fish. North and Mid. Amer., pt. 2, 1898, p. 1392. * Labrus chromis Linneus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, 1766, p. 479. 62 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. I am unable to find anyone who has ever seen a baby jewfish; when they make their first appearance in our estuaries they are about a foot long, but where they came from is a question to which I can find no answer. About thirty genera and one hundred and fifty species of sciznoid fishes are recognized by Jordan and Evermann™ and Boulenger,** the majority of which belong to.the typical genus Sciena. Key to the Australian Genera. a’. Precaudal vertebree more numerous than those of the caudal (Otolothine). bt. Canine teeth present in both jaws =: = a3 Ne + 1. Otolithus. b?. No true canine teeth in either jaw aS +3 ae Bec 65 2. Atractoscion. a2. Precaudal vertebre fewer than those of the caudal. (Scicenine). cl. No true canine teeth in either jaw rts oe ae Rte ee 3. Scicena. OTOLITHUS Cuvier. Otolithus part. Cuvier, Régne Anim. (rwber); Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., y. 1830, p. 59; Cantor, Catal. Malay. Fish., 1850, p. 56; Gimther, Brit. Mus. Catal. Fish., ii, 1860,. p. 305; Day, Fish. India, pt. 2, 1876, p. 195. ; Body elliptical or elongate-elliptical, compressed. Scales moderate or small, adherent, cyeloid. Lateral line gently curved to below the middle of the soft dorsal, thence straight along the middle of the tail, and extending to the tip of the caudal fin; tubes profusely ramose, not quite reaching to the border of the scale. Head moderate, with pointed snout and rather narrow preorbital, almost wholly scaly, the mucigerous system well developed. Mouth terminal, with wide oblique cleft, the lower jaw projecting. Premaxillaries with a narrow band of villiform teeth, an outer enlarged row of subulate teeth, and a strong eurved canine on either side of and some distance from the symphysis; mandibles some- what similarly armed, but the villiform band, if present, is reduced to a small anterior patch, while there may be only a single median canine, or if a pair inserted close together, so as to fit between the premaxillary pair and enter a groove or even a socket in the upper lip when the mouth is closed; roof of mouth and tongue smooth. Nostrils approximate, close in front of the eye, the posterior the larger. Eyes rather small and anterior. Preopercle feebly denticu- late in the young, smooth or crenulate in the adult; opercle with two weak points: Two dorsal fins, united at their bases, with x (rarely ix or xi) 1 25 to 31 rays, the spines weak and flexible; second dorsal lower but much longer than the first. Caudal cuneate. Anal short, with ii 7 to 11 rays, the spines weak. Pectoral obtusely pointed, with 16 to 18 rays. Ventrals thoracic, close together, each with a feeble spine and five soft rays, the outer the longer; a small accessory ventral scale. Gill-rakers in rather small number, short and slender. Pylorie appendages few. Shore fishes of moderate or rather large size, inhabiting the warmer parts of the Indian and Western Pacifie Oceans, freely ascending rivers for predatory * Fish, North and Mid. Amer, pt. 2, 1898, p.. 1392. ” Cambr. Nat. Hist., vii, 1904, p. 663. MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vot. VI., Puate XX. SHES. D FI QUEENSLAN ‘azIg “JUN & ‘SOUUSTOUITBA PUY JOIAND SNALNADUY SANLIIOLO "Jap “a4D1D “A sUliud Face page 63. EDIBLE FISHES OF QULENSLAND-—OGILBY. 63 purposes. These fishes are of considerable value for the table, and the isinglass obtained from their air-bladders or ‘‘sounds’’ is of good quality. I recognize only the following species as belonging to the restricted genus Otolithus. 1. argenteus. v. supra. 2. lateoides Bleeker, Nat. Tijds. Nederl. Ind., i, 1851, p. 98; id., Atlas Ichth., viii, 1876, pl. ceelxxxiy, fig. 1. 3. maculatus (Kuhl & van Hasselt) Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 1830, p. 64; Bleeker, ibid., fig. 3. 4. ruber Schneider, in Bloch, Syst. Ichth., 1801, p. 75, pl. xvii. Note:—Otolithus leuciscus Gunther,*® from Manila, is referred to this genus by Jordan and Richardson,** but since its describer expressly writes ‘‘the lower jaw without canines in front’’ I can not admit the correctness of their identification. Also Seale describes two Bornean species as O. dolorosus*® and O. orientalis ??; unfortunately the paper in which they are described is missing both from our library and that of the Australian Museum, Sydney, and I am, therefore, perforce, obliged to omit them, owing to the loose way im which the generic name has been applied in the past. OTOLITHUS ARGENTEUS Kuhl & van Hasselt, (Plate XX.) Otolithus argentews (Kuhl & van Hasselt) Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 1830, p. 62; Richardson, Ichth. China & Japan, 1846, p. 225; Bleeker, Verh. Batav. Gen., xxiii, 1850, Scien. p. 15; Cantor, Catal. Malay. Fish. 1850, p. 61; Ginther, Brit. Mus. Catal. Fish., ii, 1860, p. 310; id., Proe. Zool. Soc. London, 1861, p. 222; Day, Fish. Malabar, 1865, p. 58; Kner, Zool. Novara, i, Fisch., pt. 2, 1865, p. 135, pl. vi, fig. 4 (air-bladder) ; Playfair, Fish. Zanz., 1866, p. 53; id., Proc. Zool. Soe. London, 1868, p. 9; Bleeker, Verh. Akad. Amst., xiv, 1874, Scivn., p. 9; id., Atlas Ichth., viii, 1876, pl. eeclxxxv, fig. 5; Day, Fish. India, pt. 2, 1876, p. 197, pl. xlv, fig. 3. SILVER TERAGLIN. Type locality :—Java. Body slenderly elliptical and compressed, the dorsal contour considerably more arched than the ventral, which is gently rounded between the isthmus and the anal fin, its width 1-75 in its depth, which is 3-8 in its length and 1-16 in the length of the head. Abdomen long, its length from ventral-base to vent 2-75 in that of the body and as long as the space between the vent and the root of the caudal. Caudal pedunele one third longer than deep, its least depth 3-38 in the length of the head. Head about one fourth deeper than wide, the fronto-occipital profile lmear and but little acclivous, passing imperceptibly into the gentle occipito-nuchal convexity, its width one half of its length, which is 3-33 in that of the body. Snout pointed, with convex profile, its length one fourth of * Ann & Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) x, 1872, p. 398. * Check-List Fish. Philipp. Arch., 1910, p. 33. ~ Philipp. Journ. Sci., 1911, pp. 280, 281, pls. ili, iv. 64 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. that of the head. Diameter of eye 1/25 im the length of the snout and 4-67 in that of the head. Preorbital narrow, its width 2-17 in the eye-diameter. Interorbital region moderate and convex, its width equal to or a little more than the eye-diameter. Nostrils approximate, the posterior somewhat the larger and situated directly in front of the eye, the anterior on a higher level. Lower jaw slightly projecting; cleft of mouth oblique, rising to the level of the middle of the eye. Maxillary extending to below the middle of the eye, its length 2-5 in that of the head, the width of its obliquely truncated distal extremity about four sevenths of the eye-diameter. Vertical limb and angle of preopercle with a few weak and widely separated denticles, that on the angle being the largest ; hinder limb subvertieal; operele with two feeble points. Both jaws with a row of short stout subulate teeth, behind which in the premaxillaries is a narrow band of villiform teeth; these are not present in the mandible; a long curved canine on each side of the symphysis in the upper jaw, and a single median and somewhat stronger one in front of the lower. Seales eycloid, in 72 to 75 series above the lateral line, in 8/1/19 below the spinous dorsal; head almost entirely sealy, the scales varying greatly in size, the largest being on the middle anterior area of the opercles and along the infero- posterior borders of the eye. One or two series of minute scales along the bases of the soft dorsal and anal, the interradial membranes naked ; basal half of caudal fin scaly. Lateral line forming a gentle curve to above the origin of the anal, thence straight and extending to the end of the caudal fin, the tube-bearing body- seales 50 to 52, the tubes profusely arborescent along the posterior two thirds of the body. Snout with a pair of ineosnspicuous pores, situated above the bases of the canine teeth; chin apparently poreless. Dorsal fins with x or xi, i 29 rays, the first originating above the ventral- base, the last spine united to but barely half so long as that of the soft dorsal ; spines slender and flexible, the first short, the fourth the longest, 2-16 in the length of the head and 1-38 in its base, which is 2-14 in that of the second dorsal, the rays of which inerease slightly in length to about the eighteenth, which is 1-37 in the fourth spine and one third of the length of the head; length of its base 2-5 in that of the body; last ray divided nearly to the base. Caudal fin cuneiform, the lower median rays the longest, 5-44 in the body-length. Anal with 11 7 rays, originating below the thirteenth dorsal ray; spines weak, the first excessively small, the second about half the length of the second ray, which is the longest, 2.57 in the length of the head; base of anal 5-43 in that of the second dorsal. Pectoral pointed, with 16 rays, the sixth the longest, 1.44 in the length of the head, and extending to below the tenth dorsal spine. Ventral inserted a little behind the pectoral-base, and about one eighth shorter than that fin, the first ray the longest, not extending midway to the vent. Gill-rakers 3 +- 10, the longest two fifths of the eye-diameter and five sevenths of the longest fringes. Air-bladder rather small, with 25 to 32 fringed appendages on either side. Six pyloric ceca. EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND—OGILBY. 65 Silvery, washed with blue above the lateral line. Described from two specimens, measuring respectively 260 and 275 mm., trawled by the Endeavour in Edgecumbe Bay at a depth of fourteen fathoms on sand and mud. Variation:—Although after an exhaustive comparison of our fish with Day’s description and Bleeker’s figure I have no hesitation in identifying it as O. argenteus, it is interesting to note that in both my examples there is an eleventh spine interpolated between the spinous and the soft dorsals, with both of which it is united, its length being subequal to the tenth spine of the first dorsal and rather less than half the spine of the second. Mr. MeNeill, however, tells me that the other specimens, eight in number, have the ordinary number of ten spines in the first dorsal. Historical:—The Silver Teraglin is yet another of the fishes, which were first brought to the notice of European scientists through the indefatigable labors of those industrious Dutch naturalists Messrs. Kuhl and van Hasselt, who sent home a painting of a specimen taken at Batavia; this drawing subsequently came into the hands of Valenciennes and formed the basis of his deseription of the species, the name inscribed upon the painting being retained by him. From the same source we gather that Dussumier found the fish upon the Malabar Coast of India, and further that Major Farquhar figured it from an example captured in the Straits of Malacca, and which forms one of the collection of drawings of Indian animals made by him and deposited in the brary of the India House, London. From Canton it was recorded by Richardson, while Cantor writes— ‘“at Pinang this species is taken in numbers from June tili August.’’ Giinther next listed a British Museum example from Ceylon, and durirg the following year reported the occurrence of ‘‘this marine species’’ in the far-off rivers of Nepal, whence the skin of a large specimen was brought by Mr. B. H. Hodgson and presented to the same institution. Col. Playfair a few years later announced its capture at Aden and off the ‘‘mouth of the Pangani River,’’ an East African stream, which enters the ocean opposite to the northern extremity of the Island of Zanzibar, and the same observer subsequently collected it in the sea at Cape Saint Mary, Madagascar. Bleeker received examples from Celebes, Madura, Borneo, Java, Banca, Singapore, Nias, Sumatra, Pinang, Siam, China, Bengal, and Madagascar. Tenison Woods recorded its presence in Lake Bombon, Luzon, and finally Evermann and Seale reported it from Bacon in the Philippine Archipelago. The present record adds a long stretch of coast-line to its range, the most easterly locality previously reported having been Bleeker’s Celebesian one; incidentally it is also the first notification of the presence of a true Ololithus in Australian waters. The southern fish, described respectively by Giinther and Macleay as Otolithus atelodus and O. teraglin, having proved to belong to the allied genus Atractoscion, now takes its place in our system as A. atelodus.?* * My friend Mr. J. H. Hamson, whose knowledge of our edible fishes is extensive and reliable, assures me that the southern teraglin occasionally occurs in Moreton Bay, but in the absence of a specimen it is impossible to admit it to our faunal list. E 66 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Uses:—Cantor, alluding to Pinang, states that—‘‘it is valued by the natives as an article of food,’’ and goes on to say that ‘‘owing to the small size of the air-vessel it yields but a small quantity of isinglass, the quality of which, however, is considered very good.’’ Food:—From an examination of the stomachs of Pinang examples the same author concludes that its principal food supply was drawn from smaller fishes and crustaceans. Range:—From the East Coast of Africa, Madagascar, and South-Western Arabia, through all the Seas of India to those of Siam, Southern China, the Malay Archipelago, and the East Coast of Queensland. Dimensions :—Attains a length of 800 mm. Tllustration:—Taken from one of the specimens described above. ATRACTOSCION Guill. Atractoscion Gill, Proe. Acad. Nat. Sei. Phila., 1862, p. 18 (e@quwidens). Body elongate-elliptical, compressed. Scales small and adherent. Lateral line forming a long gentle curve to the caudal peduncle. Head conical, with rather long pointed snout and narrow preorbital, almost wholly scaly. Mouth terminal, with very wide oblique cleft, the lower jaw projecting. Teeth in the jaws in cardiform bands, without canines, the lateral mandibular teeth the strongest. Eyes small and anterior. Preopercle feebly denticulated in small, entire in large, examples; operele with two weak spines. Two dorsal fins with x, i 27 to 31 rays, the spines slender and flexible, the soft dorsal lower but much longer than the spinous. Caudal fin lunate. Anal short, with 11 8 or 9 rays, the spines feeble. Pectoral pointed. Ventral inserted below the pectoral-base. Pseudobranchie present. Pyloric appendages in small number. (dtpax7os, a spindle; Sciwna, an allied genus.) Shore-fishes of large size from the Coasts of South-Eastern Australia and South Africa. Like their relatives, the Jewfishes, which they closely resemble in appearance and habits, they are noted for their voracity, but unlike them they confine their depredations to the more open waters of bay and beach. Both species are held in high estimation for the table. I am not altogether satisfied as to the generi¢ position of the Ankeialeam fish. Waite very rightly removed it from the genus Otolithus, with which it has only an external affinity, but in referring it to Cynoscion** he has, I conceive, made an equally grave mistake. That genus, according to its author and all those who follow Gull’s splendid constructional work, invariably possesses a pair of canines in the upper jaw, though they may be small as in C. nobilis’ and its allies. In our fish there are no canine teeth in either jaw at any stage of exist- ence. Being, however, reluetant to establish a new genus for our Australian fish, in a family already overweighted with small genera, I propose to resuscitate * Gill, Proe. Acad, Nat. Sei. Phila., 1862, p. 18. Type Johnius regalis Schneider, EDIBLE FISHES OF QULENSLAND—OGILBY, 67 Gill’s genus Atractoscion, thus associating in a natural group our fish with the Otolithus wquidens®® of the Cape Seas, and removing from that genus all the species of Cynoscion included by Jordan and Evermann under the subgeneric title Atractoscion,?® which, having canine teeth in the upper jaw, manifestly can not be associated with fishes which have the ‘‘teeth cardiform and pluriserial’’ without canines in either jaw. ATRACTOSCION ATELODUS (Giinther). : Otolithus- atelodus Giinther, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (3) xx, 1867, p. 60; Woods, Fish. & Fisher. N. S. Wales, 1882, p. 54, pl. xvii; Ogilby, Catal. Fish. N. S. Wales, 1886, p. 24; id., Edib. Fish. N. S. Wales, 1893, p. 75, pl. xxiii. Otolithus teraglin Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soe. N. 8. Wales, v. 1880, p. 48. Cynoscion atelodus Waite, Synops. Fish. N. 8. Wales, 1904, p. 31; Stead, Fish. Austr., 1906, p- 113; id., Edib. Fish N. S. Wales, 1908, p. 67, pl. xxxviii; Roughley, Fish Austr., 1916, p. 115, pl. xxxvi. TERAGLIN. Type localities:—Australia (O. atclodus). Sydney Market (0. teraglin). Body slenderly elliptical and compressed, the ventral contour mueh more arched than the dorsal, which is but gently rounded from the occiput to the pedunele, its depth about one fourth of its length and a little less than the length of the head. Abdomen long, its length from ventral-base to vent 2-25 in that of the body and four fifths more than the space between the vent and the root of the caudal. Caudal pedunele about one third longer than deep, its least depth 3-6 in the length of the head. Head with the upper profile linear or feebly emarginate, its length 3-5 to 3-67 in that of the body. Snout slightly blunt anteriorly, its length 3-67 in that of the head. Eye small, its diameter 1-5 to 1-67 in that of the snout, and 5-8 to 6-25 in that of the head. Preorbital narrow, its width about one half of the eye-diameter. Interorbital region rather wide and convex, its width from one third to one half more than the eye-diameter and 4-12 to 4-38 in the length of the head. Nostrils moderately approximate, pierced in a naked groove directly in front of the eye, the anterior small and cireular, the posterior elongate-oval and vertical. Lower jaw projecting; cleft of mouth wide and but little oblique, rising to the level of the middle of the eye. Maxillary extending to below or a little beyond the hinder border of the eye, its length 2 to 2-25 in that of the head, the width of its rounded distal extremity nearly equal to the eye-diameter. Preoperele rounded, the vertical limb and angle with a few small slender distant teeth, which usually disappear with advancing age; opercle _with two feeble spines. Premaxillary teeth in a villiform band, broadest in front, and a sym- physial patch of much stronger recurved cardiform teeth, and with one or two rows of stout teeth along each side ; mandible with a large anterior patch of teeth * Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vy, 1830, p. 66. ** Fish. North & Mid. Amer., pt. 2, 1898, pp. 1413 to 1415 inel. 68 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. similar to that of the premaxillaries, and two lateral series, the imner of which contains the strongest teeth in either jaw. Seales small and eyeloid, in 74 to 77 series above the lateral line, in 16/1/33 below the first dorsal. Dorsal fins with x, i 29 to 31 rays, the first originating slightly behind the opercular flap, the last spine united to and not much shorter than that of the soft dorsal ; spines slender and flexible, the first very small, the fourth the longest, 2.5 to 2-75 in the length of the head, and 2 to 2-2 in its base, which is 1-5 to 1-67 in that of the second dorsal, the rays of which increase very graduaily in length to about the seventeenth, which is 1-33 in the fourth spine and 3-67 in the length of the head; length of base 2-67 in that of the body. Caudal fin lunate, the lobes equal and pointed, the upper 4-33 to 4-67 in the body-length. Anal inserted posteriorly, with ii 9 rays, originating below the nineteenth or twentieth dorsal ray, the spines short and weak, the second rather more than half the length of the first ray, which is the longest and somewhat less than the length of the head; base of anal about two ninths of that of the second dorsal. Pectoral short and pointed, with 19 rays, its length 1-6 to 1-9 in the length of the head, and extending to below the eighth dorsal spine. Ventral inserted below the pectoral-base and a little shorter than that fin, the outer ray the longest, 1-86 to 2 in the length of the head, and reaching about one third of the distance between its origin and the vent. Upper surface and sides silvery, the former with bluish reflections ; throat and abdomen white. Cheeks washed with gold; inside of mouth and inner edge of opercle orange; irides golden. Dorsals yellowish gray, with darker spots at the base; caudal greenish yellow, with the outer edges and the tips darker; anal silvery, the anterior rays clouded ; pectorals gray, with a black spot in and behind the axilla; ventrals pink. Described from several specimens obtained in the Sydney Market. The above is a rearrangement of my original description (Ogilby 2), with which are embodied a number of fugitive notes taken at various times. Remarks:—The Teraglin is universally admitted to be one of the most delicious of the food-fishes of New South Wales, in this respect far outrivaling its relative the jewfish at any stage of the latter’s existence. In connection with this Stead remarks—‘‘It is looked upon as a fine edible fish, and when more is learnt in regard to its movements it will probably be numbered among our most important food-fishes.’’ Roughley tells us that ‘‘the supply of this fish to the markets is considerably less constant than that of the Jewfish owing to its habit of dwelling in water too deep for the fishermen’s nets. Still in spite of this there is a fairly big supply, the catches of the line fishermen being often forwarded for sale.’’ It is a most. voracious fish, and will greedily snatch at almost any ordinary fish bait, such as mullet or shark, while squid seems to be irresistible ; but among its good qualities must be placed that it does not ascend rivers to the same extent that the jewfish does, and is not, therefore, so great a pest to the estuarine and fluviatile nursery grounds. EDIBLE FISHES OF QUHENSLAND—OGILSY., 69 Reproduction:—As regards this important phase of its life-history nothing seems to have been learnt since I wrote the following twenty-five years ago—‘The difficulty of formulating any general rule as to the breeding season of our marine fishes, and especially of those which, like the present species and the jewfish, are confirmed wanderers, is well exemplified by the examination of several specimens recently obtained in the market, which led to the following results :—During the earlier part of September examples, forwarded for sale te the Sydney Market from Lake Macquarie, were found to be in an advaneed stage of spawning, the ova being almost fully developed, whilst in others, taken in Port Jackson during the following November, the contents of the ovaries were not more than half developed.’’ As with the jewfish the spawning grounds are quite unknown, but it is probable that the ova are pelagie and are shed in the open sea. ‘‘The whereabouts and manner of life of the young fishes are equally unknown, all we can be certain of being that they appear from seaward in large shoals during the late winter and the spring months, varying at this time from one to three feet in length, the smaller fishes usually preceding their more mature brethren. ’’ Range :—So far as is known the Teraglin is confined to the coast of New South Wales. : Dimensions :—Attains a length of 900 mm., but the ordinary market size is 600 mm. and under. SCLANA Artedi. Sciena (Artedi) Linneus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 1758, p. 289 (wmbra); Day, Fish. India, pt. 2, 1876, p. 184; Ogilby, Edib. Fish. N. 8. Wales, 1893, p. 72; Jordan & Thompson, Proce. U. S. Nat. Mus., xxxix, 1911, p. 244. Johnius Bloch, Ichthyol., x, 1793, p. 107 (carutta) ; Cantor, Catal. Malay. Fish., 1850, p. 64. Bola Buchanan, Fish. Ganges, 1822, p. 78 (coitor). Corvina Cuvier, Régne Anim., ed. 2, ii, 1829, p. 173 (nigra); Boulenger, Catal. Fr. Wat. Fish. Afr., iii, 1915, p. 115. Argyrosomus de la Peglaie, Compt, Rend., 1835, p. 534 (aquila). Cheilotrema Tschudi, Faun. Peru., Fisch., 1845, p. 13 (fasciatum). Rhinoscion Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sei. Phila., 1861, p. 85 (saturnus). Pseudosciena Bleeker, Neder]. Tijds. Dierk., i, 1863 (aquila); fide Jordan & Thompson, ibid.; id., Arch. Néerl. Sei. Nat., xi, 1876, p. 329. Pscudotolithus Bleeker, Nat. Verh. Holl. Maatsch. Wet (2) xviii, p. 59 (typus). Callaus Jordan, Rep. U. 8. Fish. Comm., 1889, p. 395 (deliciosus). Nibea Jordan & Thompson, ibid., p. 246, subgenus (mitsukuriz). Othonias Jordan & Thompson, ibid., subgenus (manchurica) . Pseudomycterus Ogilby, Proce. Roy. Soe. Queensl., xxi, 1908, p. 84° (maccullochi). Body elongate-elliptical to subovate, more or less strongly compressed. Seales moderate or small, usually adherent. Snout variously formed, with conspicuous slits and pores; chin usually porigerous. Cleft of mouth moderate or rather small, low and usually oblique, rarely rising to the level of the eye. * For notes on the synonymy see Jordan and Thompson, ut supra. 70 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Jaws with bands of villiform teeth, the -outer and inner rows more or less enlarged. Dorsal fins separated by a notch, the first of nine or ten flexible spines, the second with i 22 to 33 rays. Caudal fin varying with age. Anal short, with ii 6 to 9 rays, the second spine varying from weak to very strong. Pectoral pointed, with 16 to 19 rays. Gill-rakers in small number, short and stout. (cxlatva, the Greek name for a Mediterranean species.) A large genus, composed of fishes very variable in size and appearance, inhabiting nearly all warm seas, and of considerable economic importance. Key to the Australian Species. Second anal spine short and weak. b snone more or less pointed. a, . Preorbital and interorbital region narrow, the former about 2-5 in the eye- ‘aint the latter about 5:25 in the length of the head aX ai .. 1. antaretica. c?. Preorbital and interorbital region wider, the former about 1:5 in the eye-diameter,. the latter about 3-75 in the length of the head 6 do .. 2. qustralis. a®, Second anal spine strong. d@. Snout swollen; second anal spine rather short, about one-third of the length of the head .. oe ane ae ete é -. 3. novee-hollandie. d*, Snout not swollen; second anal spine long Jabdut halt the length of the head. ' el, Body subovate, its depth more than one third of itslength .. on 4. soldado. e®, Body elliptical, its depth less than one third of its length. Pp. Soft rays of dorsal 24 or 25 Se 50 5 AG a on 5. albida. /?. Soft rays of dorsal 31 Gd 25 os Bi ne 40 .. 6. leptolepis. SCIZNA HOLOLEPIDOTA ANTARCTICA Castlenau. (Plate XXT.) Sciena aquila McCoy, Rep. Melb. Intern. Exhib., 1866, p. 317; Ogilby, Edib. Fish. N. 8. Wales, 1893, p. 72, pl. xxii; Zietz, Trans. Roy. Soc. 8S. Austr., xxvi, 1901, p. 266. Sciena antarctica Castelnau, Proc. Zool. & Accl. Soc. Vie., i, 1872, p. 100; Macleay, Proe. Linn. Soe. N.S. Wales, v, 1881, p. 520; Woods, Fish & Fisher. N. S. Wales, 1882, p. 53, pl. xvi; Stead, Fish. Austr., 1906, p. 113, fig. 42; id., Edib, Fish. N. 8. Wales, 1908, p. 66, pl. xxxvil; Ogilby, Commer. Fish. & Fisher. Queensl., 1916, p. 23; Roughley, Fish. Austr., 1916, p. 112, pl. xxxv. Sciena aquila? Castelnau, Proce. Linn. Soc. N. 8S. Wales, ii, 1878, p. 232; id., ibid., iii, 1879 p. 381. Corvina axillaris de Vis, Proe. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, ix, 1884, p. 538. Sciena neglecta Ramsay & Ogilby, Proc. Linn. Soe. N. 8. Wales, xi, 1886, p. 941. JEWFISH. Kingfish (Melbourne and Adelaide) ; Jewfish (Sydney and Brisbane)2%; Silver Jew (young at Sydney) ; Mulloway (Aborigines of the Lawer Murray). Type localities:—Bass Strait (S. antarctica). : 3risbane River (C. axillaris). Broken Bay (S. neglecta). sody elliptical and compressed, moderately robust, the dorsal contour much more arched than the ventral, which is nearly linear from the isthmus to: the anal fin, its width rather more than half its depth, which is 3-4 to 3-9 in its * Sometimes erroneously written ‘‘ dewfish.’’ MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vou. VI., PLate XXI, QUEENSLAND FISHES. Phyllis F. Clarke, del. Scr@NA ANTARCTICA Castelnau. Face page 70. 7? EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND—OGILBY, 71 length and equal to or somewhat less than the length of the head. Abdomen moderate, its length from ventral base to vent 3-28 to 3-37 in that of the body and 1-25 to 1-33 in the space between the vent and the root of the caudal. Caudal peduncle a little longer than deep, its least depth 2-8 to 3 in the length of the head. Head about one half deeper than wide, its upper profile linear or feebly concave, that of the nape gently rounded, its width 2 to 2-25 in its length, which is 3-25 to 3-4 in that of the body. Snout pointed, with scarcely’ a trace of anterior gibbosity, its profile moderately acclivous, its length 3-5 to 3-63 in that of the head. Diameter of eye one fourth to three fifths less than the length of the snout and 4-44 to 5-5 in that of the head. Preorbital narrow, its least width 2-5 to 2-75 in the eye-diameter. Interorbital region of moderate width and convex, equal to or a little less than the eye-diameter, and 5 to 5-33 in the length of the head. Nostrils approximate, the posterior much the larger and situated directly in front of the inferior moiety of the upper half of the eye. Upper jaw slightly overhanging; cleft of mouth oblique, rising to well above the lower border of the eye; maxillary smooth, extending to below or a little beyond the hinder border of the pupil, its length 2-4 to 2-5 in that of the head, the width of its undulous hinder border about half of the eye-diameter. Preopercle with the angle and hinder limbs sparsely serrated, the serrse disappearing with age; opercle with two flexible points; posttemporal feebly crenulate. Upper jaw with a band of small teeth, triserial in front, narrowing to uniserial behind, and an outer row of strong, hooked, widely set, subulate teeth, of which the second anterior tooth on each side is the largest; lower jaw with a similar band, but the outer is enlarged anteriorly only, while laterally the inner row is similarly enlarged and subulate. Seales of body small and finely etenoid, in 85 to 90 series above the lateral line, in 11 or 12/1/19 to 21 below the spinous dorsal; scales of head, except those of the opercle and occiput cycloid; only the tip of the snout, preorbitals, and chin naked; on the body they are arranged in oblique rows both above and below the lateral line, except on the breast. A single series of seales forms a sheath at the base of the soft dorsal, and another series of smaller scales covers fully one half of the membrane between the rays; small seales cover the basal two thirds of the caudal, and the bases of the anal and pectoral fins are sparsely scaly. Lateral line forming a long gentle curve to below the middle of the soft dorsal, thence horizontal and extending to the tip of the caudal fin, the tube-bearing scales 51 to 54, the tubes, which do not quite reach to the border of the scale, each provided with several ascending and descending tubules of varying length. Tip of snout with a pair of median pores arranged longitudinally, and two lateral pores on each side; mandibular pores arranged in three pair, the anterior pair being the smallest and round, the others increasingly apart and slit-like. Dorsal fins with x, i 27 or 28 rays, the first originating above the pectoral- base, the last spine partly united to but much shorter than that of the soft “1 to MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. dorsal; spines weak and flexible, the third er fourth the longest, 2 to 2-4 in the length of the head and 1-33 to 1-5 in the length of the base, which is 1-9 to 2-1 in that of the second dorsal, the rays of which, except the last two or three, are nearly equal in length, one ninth to one fourth lower than the longest spine, and 2-4 to 2-57 in the length of the head; length of its base 2-37 to 2-6 in that of the body; last ray, like that of the anal, divided nearly to its base. Caudal fin varying with age from obtusely cuneiform to truneate, its length 4-4 to 5-25 in that of the body. Anal with ii 7 rays, originating below the tenth dorsal ray, the spines short and weak, the second 3-5 to 4 in the length of the head and 1-67 to 1-9 in the first ray; base of anal 5 to 5-25 in that of the second dorsal. Pectoral pointed, with 17 rays, the fifth and sixth the longest, 1-4 to 1-55 in the length of the head, and extending to below the tenth dorsal spine. Ventral inserted a little behind the pectoral-base, its length a little more im the young to a little less in the adult than that fin, the first ray longest and terminating in a short filament, which disappears with age. Gill-rakers short and moderately stout, 4-+ 9 and some rudiments on the anterior arch, the longest about two fifths of the eye-diameter. Air-bladder with numerous fringed processes on either side. Eight pylorie cea. Steel-blue above in the young, becoming dark gray-blue or grayish brown in large examples, shading through the silver-gray of the sides to the pure white of the throat and abdomen; the young usually with narrow oblique bars directed obliquely upwards and backwards, and following the borders of each row of seales above the lateral line, and sometimes with a few horizontal series of obscure spots below it; a large blackish axillary blotch. Head rather less brilliantly tinted than the back, the sides suffused with gold; mside of mouth and inner border of opereles orange. Fins grayish or grayish brown, except the ventrals, which are white. (Antarctica, belonging to the south.) Described from seven examples, measuring between 277 and 525 mm. in total length, all obtained in Moreton Bay and the Brisbane River. Historical—Our jewfish is the Australian representative of the European “maigre’’ (Sciwna hololepidota), an important food-fish of the Eastern Atlantie, which ranges northward to the southern shores of the British Isles and south- ward to the Cape of Good Hope, round which it passes, ascending the Hast African Coast to Natal, and branching off thence to Mauritius, from which Commercon obtained the specimen, the deseription and figure of which were afterwards reproduced by Lacépéde under the name of Labrus hololepidotus. With this species our fish is so closely allied that it does not seem advisable to consider it as of higher than subspecifie rank, if even it be entitled to so much consideration. The first intimation, which T can find, of the presence of this noble fish in Australian waters comes, strangely enough, from Victoria, where it is only a rare and occasional visitor, Prof. MeCoy having, under the name of S. aquila, placed on record the capture of an example in those seas in his ‘‘ Notes on the Zoology of Victoria,’’ published in the Reports of the Melbourne Inter- national Exhibition, 1866. Castelnau, however, six years later separated the EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEELNSLAND—OGILBY. 73 Australian from the Atlantic fish giving to the former the name of S. antarctica, by which it is generally known at the present time, but it must be confessed that he does not give any very convincing reasons for his action. His decision was based on a single large specimen, fifty-seven inches long, captured in Bass Strait, where, he says, it seems to be an accidental visitor, appears exclusively in the colder months, and only of a very large size. Subsequently, influenced by McCoy, he reverts to the name S. aquwila, and states that, during a six years’ residence in Melbourne, he had only seen two examples, ‘“‘both of enormous size, weighing about eighty pounds”’ apiece. And just here we come upon the first of the fascinating mysteries, which enshroud the history of the jewfishes in these waters; the others will disclose themselves in due course. In his paper last referred to Castelnau, writing in 1878 of a recent visit to Brisbane, states that he ‘‘was astonished to find that a Sciena was amongst the most common fishes of Moreton Bay, and is considered the best edible fish of the country. It is called Dewfish, because of its beautiful silvery gray colour’’; and further on he writes ‘‘It attains the weight of fifty pounds. During my stay in the months of June and July, numerous specimens of all sizes were caught every day; the great majority were of a foot long or even less.’’ My first impression, on reading these lines, was that Castelnau, like so many others after him, had confounded the little Brisbane River ‘‘perch’’ (S. australis) with the young of the true jewfish, but after intimate conversations with several old Brisbane anglers with thirty to forty years’ experience of the river, I am convineed that by so doing I would have made a serious mistake and that the small fishes, to which Castelnau refers, were in very truth the young of the large jewfish. Regarding this Mr. J. Trevethan, who is supported by all the older angling identities, kindly writes to me as follows:—‘‘On the first appearance of these fishes-in the upper reaches?® they were of from one pound to six pounds in weight, and were to be caught in such large numbers that one could hardly get rid of them, even as gifts to friends, so common were they. I have known as many as sixty or seventy of these fishes to be ereeled by a single angler in a very short space of time, by which you may judge what jewfishing was like in those days. Later on a second run of these fishes commenced, those composing it being of a much larger size, varying in weight from ten to over fifty lb.’’? The largest jewfish Mr. Trevethan was at the catching of weighed fifty-seven lb. after it had been cleaned. As a further instance of their abundance before the great flood of 1893 he states that ‘‘even the prawners used to zatch them in their nets up to thirty lb. weight, and were glad to get rid of them for a couple of shillings after carrying them from one restaurant to another before they could get a purchaser.”’ Uses:—As a foodfish this species is of considerable importance, although there is at present no regular fishery for it, most of those which appear in our shops being taken by hook. Up to 25 lb. weight it is an excellent table fish, but beyond that it becomes coarse and somewhat rank. However, as it * My. Trevethan is alluding to the river reaches from the Dry Dock in Brisbane to above the railway bridge at Indooroopilly. 74+ MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. takes salt well, the larger examples might be preserved by that process, and if the fishery were developed on more business-like lines, they would in time take the place of the vastly inferior imported article, more especially because, as remarked by Mr. Welsby, they do ‘‘not become rancid and strong by long keeping as other varieties do.’*° An accessory product of the jewfish, which is totally neglected by our fishermen, is the large, fringed air-bladder; though these require but little care, beyond drying, in their preparation for the market, and are of considerable importance in the manufacture of isinglass, they are invariably thrown away as worthless in these States. ; Food :—Nothing that it can master comes amiss to this cunning, powerful, and voracious prowler, for though the bulk of its food consists of other fishes, it also consumes large quantities of cephalopods, crustaceans, and the like. Being gregarious it is very destructive to spawning fishes, and especially to the sea mullet, rounding them up in shallow water, and when they are thus huddled together making savage and concerted assaults on the massed shoals, killing and maiming many more than they are able to consume, carried away apparently by the lust of slaughter for slaughter’s sake. It follows its prey into the estuaries, and even ascends rivers far beyond the influence of the tide. Mr. Welsby records the occurrence of specimens from the basin at Ipswich. Range:—Shores and estuaries of Temperate Australia. On the Queens- land Coast I do not know certainly of its occurrence further north than the Mary River, while during the six weeks’ researches carried out by the Endeavour in our waters it only occurred on one oceasion, when two large examples were taken by hook and line at the Wolf Rock. As we proceed further south it rapidly becomes more abundant and is, as has been shown, a common fish in the Moreton district. Regarding this Mr. Welsby writes—‘‘Jewfish of large size come im from sea in attendance upon the schools of whiting in the months of September and October, and are caught both by the line and in nets up to 60 or 70 Ib. in weight, but these extra large ones do not appear to go very far up the Bay.”’ It is abundant everywhere along the coastline of New South Wales where, according to Stead (2) it ‘‘is, at present, one of our most important food-fishes, and it is likely in the future to be of still greater value, as the demand for it is constantly increasing, while our resources, as far as its supply is concerned, are but just tapped.’’ Further south it is reported to be rare on the coasts of Tasmania and Victoria; possibly this may be due to the absence of large rivers, the estuaries of which it loves to frequent, for passing westward we learn from Zietz that it ‘is sometimes found in great numbers’’ in the Lower Murray, where it goes by the native name ‘‘mulloway.’’? Fraser includes it in his list of West Australian Fishes, but nothing is known as to its distribution or abundance in that State. Dimensions :—Attains a weight of 125 lb. with a length of over 6 ft., but the usual run of market fish is under 30 Ib. Illustration:—Vaken from a young specimen, 275 mm. long, in the collection of the Queensland Museum; Reg. No. I. 2893. ” Schnappering, p. 80. MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vot. VI., Puate XXII. QUEENSLAND FISHES. ‘OZIS “UN ¢ *(qoyjuny) SIIVYLSAY VNWIOg yap ‘ayo “a suiyd EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND—OGILBY, ~ ii SCIZNA AUSTRALIS Giinther. (Plate XXII.) Corvina australis Giinther, Zool. Challenger, i, 1880, Shore Fish., p. 33. Corvina canina de Vis, Proe. Linn. Soe. N. 8. Wales, ix, 1884, p. 538. LESSER JEWFISH., The ‘‘Pereh’’ of the Brisbane fishermen; Little Jew-Perch. Type localities:—Mary River at Tiaro (C. australis). Brisbane River (C. canina). Body elliptical and compressed, somewhat robust, the dorsal contour rather more arched than the ventral, which is nearly linear from the isthmus to the anal fin, its width 1-62 to 1-77 in its depth, which is 3-25 to 3-5 in its length and equal to or a little less than the length of the head. Abdomen short, its length from ventral-base to vent one third of that of the body and a little less than the space between the vent and the root of the caudal. Caudai peduncle one third longer than deep, its least depth 3-22 to 3-43 in the length of the head. Head about one third deeper than wide, its fronto-occipital profile feebly concave, that of the nape as feebly convex, its width 1-7 to 1-88 in its length, which is 3-17 to 3-33 in that of the body. Snout pointed, its profile Lnear and moderately acclivous, forming with the frontal region a slight protuberance in front of the upper border of the eye, its length 3 to 3-25 in that of the head. Diameter of eye about two fifths less than the length of the snout and 4 to 4-67 in that of the head. Preorbital deep, its least width 1-33 to 1-55 in the eye-diameter. Interorbital region wide and convex, its width about one fifth more than the eye-diameter and 3-6 to 3-86 in the length of the head. Nostrils approximate, the posterior much the larger and situated directly in front of the middle of the eye. Upper jaw slightly projecting; cleft of mouth oblique, but not quite rising to the level of the eye; maxillary extending to below the middle of the eye, its length 2-33 to 2-44 in that of the head, the width of its obliquely truneate distal extremity five ninths of the eye-diameter. Preopercle armed with well-developed but slender spines; opercle with two short blunt points; posttemporal bordered with membranous crenule. Premaxillaries with a triserial band of minute teeth, and an outer row of about thirteen much larger subulate teeth, which decrease in size from the front : mandible with an outer row of small curved teeth and an inner row of about ten enlarged teeth, which are longest mesially and gradually decrease thence to the front and rear, but are nowhere so long or strong as the anterior premaxillary teeth; roof of mouth and tongue smooth. Seales of body moderate and finely ctenoid, in 54 to 56 series above the lateral line, in 9/1/16 to 18 below the spinous dorsal ; scales of head cycloid; only the tip of the snout and the chin naked; on the body they are arranged in regular oblique rows both above and below the lateral line, except on the breast and 76 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. eaudal peduncle. Two or three series of small elongate scales form a sheath at the base of the soft dorsal, the interradial membrane of which is almost com- pletely covered by more or less acuminate minute scales directed outwards; base of caudal scaly, smaller scales extending between the rays to about two thirds of the length of the fin; basal half of anal, pectorals, and ventrals scaly. Lateral line following the curvature of the back to about the middle of the soft dorsal, beyond which it runs straight to the extremity of the caudal fin; tube-bearing scales 48 to 50, the tubes, which do not extend to the border of the seale, each with an ascending and a descending tubule. An arcuate band of three open pores on the snout anteriorly; seven pores across the chin forming two transversely crescentic series, the three anterior small and rounded, the outer pair of the hinder series much the largest and round, the inner pair small and slit-like. Dorsal fins with x, 1 29 to 31 rays, the first originating above the tip of the bony 9perele, the last spine basally united to and but little shorter than that of the soft dorsal; spines weak and flexible, the third the longest, scarcely longer than the fourth, 2-1 to 2-28 in the length of the head and 1-2 to 1-37 in the length of its base, which is about 2-2 in that of the second dorsal, the rays of which, except the last three, are of nearly even length, the postero-median ones somewhat the longest, about one third less than the third spine, and 2-8 to 3-1 in the length of the head, the last ray, like that of the anal, divided nearly to its base; base of soft dorsal 2-37 to 2-55 in the body-length. Caudal fin obtusely cuneate or rounded, its length 4-84 to 5-28 in that of the body. Anal with ii 7 rays, originating below the thirteenth dorsal ray, the spines short and weak, the second 3-67 to 4-1 in the length of the head and 1-6 to 1-8 in the first ray; base of anal 5 to 5-38 in that of the second dorsal. Pectoral pointed, with 17 rays, the sixth the longest, 1-33 to 1-5 in the length of the head, and extending to below the anterior dorsal ray. Ventral inserted below and behind the lower angle of the pectoral-base and about one ninth shorter than that fin, the first ray the longest and ternunating in a short filament. Gill-rakers short and slender, 6 or 7 + 12 or 13 with some rudiments on the anterior arch, the longest about three tenths of the eye-diameter. Lower pharyngeals separate, each with three very strong subulate teeth on its inner anterior angle. Air-bladder pointed posteriorly, with a few simple papilliform appendages on each side. Silver-eray above, shading through the pure silver of the sides to the pearly white of the breast and belly; all the upper and lateral scales are densely powdered with dusky dots, which are so crowded in places as to form four broad longitudinal darker gray bands, two above and two below the lateral line ; most of the scales of the breast and belly with a marginal series of from three to five copper-colored dots; nape purplish brown, forming a triangular blotch on each side. Upper surface of head dark brown, separated from the nuchal collar by a silvery band; sides and lower surface silvery; inside of mouth golden. Dorsal, caudal, and pectoral fins gray, the spinous dorsal so closely dotted as to obseure EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND—OGILBY. “a the ground-color, becoming gradually darker from the base upwards, so that the outer third appears blackish; soft dorsal with the dots much less crowded, only a narrow marginal and a suprabasal band appearing blackish ; tips of caudal rays blackish; a small dark spot in and behind the pectoral-axil; anal and ventrals white. Deseribed from twelve examples, measuring 188 to 276 mm., taken in the upper reaches of the estuary of the Brisbane River by Mr. J. H. Hamson, and kindly given by him to me for the purposes of this paper. Historical:—Our earliest description of this species comes from Dr. Giinther who, in his Report on the Shore Fishes of the Challenger Expedition, shortly described two specimens taken in the neighborhood of Tiaro, a settle- ment on the upper reaches of the Mary River Estuary. Subsequently de Vis redeseribed the fish as Corvina canina, the description, like that of Dr. Giinther, being of little value as a means of identification. The life history of this little Jewfish is interesting in that it is surrounded by a cloud of mystery. None of the specimens which I have examined showed milt or ova in anything but the earliest stage of development, nor has inquiry from many of our joeal anglers, who have been catching the fish for years, elicited evidence contrary to my own experience ; where and how the spawn is deposited or shed is, therefore, a matter of conjecture, some of our best known experts holding that the ‘‘perch,’’ like the salmon, makes its way into the upper reaches of the river for the purpose of depositing its spawn, and this having been accomplished retires to recuperate in the deeper waters of the bay. A few even assert that having left the estuary, and gained the shallower fresh waters of the river sources, they remain there and spawn during the summer months, only dropping down into brackish water on the advent of autumn. I can not, however, find the slightest evidence in support of this view, even its advocates acknowledging that there is no reliable record of its capture under such conditions. The majority of our anglers, however, believe that, like its congener, S. antarctica, it merely resorts to the estuaries during the winter and spring months in search of the food which it finds there plentifully, and that, having gained by the latter part of its sojourn therein the highest condition, it then retires to the deeper parts of Moreton Bay or even to the open sea for the purpose of spawning. With this view I am inclined to agree.** Again in some years it is exceedingly abundant in all the rivers flowing into Moreton Bay, while in others, where the circumstances are to all appearances equally favorable, it only appears in limited numbers, or even in raie cases puts in no appearance. As to the causes which induce this remarkable variatien from year to year no one has as yet given any adequate explanation. The following notes, referring to the Brisbane River, condensed from a letter kindly written for * Since writing the above I have received, through the kindness of Mr. R. Illidge, a young example, measuring 67 mm., taken at Bulimba; this goes far to prove that, like the majority of our edible fishes, this species spawns near the mouths of rivers, and the young. as with mullet, whiting, bream, etc., seek the shallow water at the edges of the estuaries for protection from their enemies. 1 Dn MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. me by Mr. J. H. Hamson, and fully endorsed by Mx. J. 'Trevethan, both perch- fishers of many years’ experience, give practically all the definite information that is known about this species. Mr. Hamson writes :— ‘“With regard to the fish commonly ealled ‘perch,’ there appears to be some difference of opinion amongst anglers as to whether they make their first appearance for the season from the bay or from the upper reaches of the river. For the last two seasons I have caught the first examples early in Mareh (this year on the 4th, in the Hamilton Reach), and the first good catches are usnally made in the Newstead and Mowbray Park Reaches of the river, and gradually the fish travels higher up. On the 20th of last Mareh, while fishing in the reach near the South Brisbane Cemetery, I was told by two old residents of the distriet that ‘the perch had not got up that far yet.’ They, of course, arrived later on, and are even now (Sept. 18) fairly plentiful in the upper reaches, for no later than yesterday a friend and I caught 86. It would be interesting to know where they go during the summer months; do they go out to sea again? or do they remain in the upper reaches? They evidently travel at times in large schools, and at times bite very freely, ‘doubles’ being a common occurrence. It is nothing unusual for a party of three or four anglers to return after a nivht’s fishing with a catch of about 200. One can never be quite sure at what time they will bite freely; sometimes they are at their best just before and after slack water; at other times the running tide seems to suit them best; while generally they feed more freely during the night.’’ Finally there is another remarkable circumstance connected with these fishes which, were it not vouched for by numbers of our most reliable anglers, appears well-nigh ineredible. It is that prior to the great flood of March, 1893, which overflowed all the low-lying lands along the banks of the Brisbane River, and caused great destruction of life and property, this little jewfish was unknown in the river, its place being taken by the ‘‘golden jew,’’ a fish of a bright yellow color, which now oceurs only singly and at long intervals. Follow- ing the subsidence of the waters after the 1893 flood, the present species appeared. Uscs:—Opinions differ as to its value as a foodfish; personally I consider it as a well-flavored and pleasant addition to the menu of the breakfast table. Food:—By common consent prawns are acknowledged to be the most favored bait for the perch, but they will also take a fish or fowl-gut bait. Range:—This is one of those species of jewfishes which have a very limited range. I have notes of its capture at Nerang Creek, Southport Pier, Coomera and Logan Rivers, Cleveland Jetty, Brisbane River, Doughboy Creek, Sandgate Pier, Pine River, and Bribie Island, all in the Moreton Bay District and, as before mentioned, in the Mary River at Tiaro. Dimensions :—Never or very rarely exceeds 300 mm. Our illustration is taken from a specimen in the Queensland Museum. Reg. No. I. 2890. MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—Vot. VI., PLATE XXIII. QUEENSLAND FISHES. ‘azig “JBN & “LOU BPULAS WIGNVTIOH-WAON VN®IO§ yap ‘ayv1O “A suihud Face page 79. EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND—OGILBY. 79 SCIZNA NOVH-HOLLANDIZ Steindachner. (Plate XXTIT.) Sciena (Corvina) nove-hollandiw Steindachner, Sitz. Akad. Wien, liii, 1866, i, p. 445, pl. v, fig. 2. ? Johnnius nove-hollandie Bleeker, Verh. Akad. Amst., xiv, 1874, Seizen., p. 44; id., Atlas Ichth., viii, 1876, pl. ecelxxxvii, fig. 2. Corvina comes de Vis, Proce. Linn. Soe. N. 8. Wales, ix, 1884, p. 538. Pseudomycterus maccullochi Ogilby, Proe. Roy. Soe. Queensl., xxi, 1908, p. 96. BOTTLENOSE JEWFISH. Type localities:—Port Jackson, N.S.W. (S. nove-hollandia). Brisbane River, 8.Q. (C. comes). Logan River, 8.Q. (P. maccullocht). Body elliptical and robust, the dorsal contour much more arched than the ventral, its width 1-7 in its depth, which is 3-28 in its length and a little more than the length of the head. Abdomen moderate, its length from ventral-base to vent 3-25 to 3-4 in that of the body and 1-28 in the space between the vent and the root of the caudal. Caudal pedunele a little longer than deep, its least depth 2-75 in the length of the head. Head two ninths deeper than wide, its upper profile and that of the nape linear and moderately acclivous, its width 1-6 to 1-75 in its length, which is 3-25 to 3-5 in that of the body. Snout obtusely rounded and conspicuously gibbous in front, projecting far beyond the jaws, its length 3-14 in that of the head. Diameter of eye two sevenths to two fifths less than the length of the snout and 4-33 in that of the head. Preorbital deep, its least width 1-1 to 1-28 in the eye-diameter. Interorbital region wide and convex, its width one fifth more than the eye-diameter and 3-60 in the length of the head. Upper jaw the longer; cleft of mouth but little oblique, not nearly reaching to the level of the eye; maxillary extending to below the middle of the eye, its length rather less than a third of the head. Preopercle and posttemporal entire, the former with a narrow crenulated membranous border ; opercle with a single spinous point. Jaws with narrow bands of yilliform teeth, the outer premaxillary row enlarged. Seales in 55 to 58 series above the lateral line, in 7/1/14 or 15 between the origin of the spinous dorsal and the vent; scales of head, except those of the snout, preorbitals, and mandible, ctenoid ; vertical fins scaly almost to their tips. Lateral line with 46 to 48 tube-bearing body-scales, forming a long gentle curve to below the middle of the soft dorsal, the tube straight and not reaching to the border of the scale, each with an ascending and a descending tubule. Antero- inferior margin of snout bearing four broad papilliform processes, which separate and conceal a series of five pores; a single large open pore on the chin, followed on each side by a slit-like pore. Dorsal fins with x, i 28 or 29 rays, the first originating above the pectoral- base ; last spine of first dorsal basally united to and nearly as long as the spine of the second dorsal; second spine slightly longer than the third, 1-4 in the length of the head and 1-12 in its basal length, which is 2-14 in that of the seeond dorsal, so MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. the rays of which, except the last two, are of nearly equal length, about two thirds of the second spine and 2-37 in the length of the head; length of base 2-3 in that of the body. Caudal fin cuneate, 3-8 in the body-length. Anal fin with ii 7 rays, originating below the thirteenth dorsal ray ; spines strong, the second 2-9 in the length of the head and 1-44 in the first ray ; length of anal 3-88 in that of the second dorsal. Pectoral poited, with 18 rays, its length 1-25 in that of the head; fourth ray longest, extending to below the ninth dorsal spine. Ventral fin inserted behind the pectoral, shorter than the pectoral, the outer ray terminating in a short filament, which extends to midway between its origin and the base of the fourth anal ray. ; Gill-rakers short and spinulose, 5 -+ 10 on the anterior arch, the longest about one sixth of the eye-diameter. Silvery, everywhere so clouded with brown dots as to quite obscure the ground color. Vertical fins darker than the body, except the base of the spmous dorsal, which is dull blue. Deseribed from two examples, the type of Corvina comes de Vis, a stuffed specimen in fair condition, measuring 200 mm., not 150 as stated by its describer, and the type of Pseudomycterus maccullochi, 285 mm. long, caught by Mr. C. E. Harris in September 1906, and presented by him to the Amateur Fishermen’s Association, through the courtesy of which it is now deposited in the type collection of the Queensland Museum. Reg. Nos. I. 949 and [. 1535. With regard to the latter supposititious genus and species McCulloch informs me (in lit.) that ‘‘there is an outer row of enlarged teeth between the fleshy lp and the villiform band in the upper jaw; it is so well hidden, however, that it may have escaped your notice.’’ This is in fact what actually occurred, and as the supposed want of these teeth constituted the chief reason for the formation of the genus Pseudomycterus, it follows that the establishment of their presence obviates the necessity for the genus, and automatically refers the species to Scia@na proper. Nor could the matter rest there, for this necessitated an inquiry into the status of the species, and a careful comparison with the other Queensland sciwnids quickly made it evident that Pseudomycterus maccullochi could not be specifically separated from Corvina comes. As I had already associated that species with Sciana nove-hollandiw, | am now in a position, through the kindness of Mr. MeCulloch, to clear up the somewhat tangled synonymy of Steindachner’s species. In dealing with that species I have been severely handicapped by my inability to consult Steindachner’s description, but in consideration of the locality whence his holotype came, and the more or less accurate resemblance of Bleeker’s figure to the Brisbane fish, I think it may safely be concluded that the above identifications are substantially correct. There are, however, some conflicting characters which may properly be pointed out here. Giinther,** for instance, gives the number of soft dorsal rays in Steindachner’s fish as 25 only, whereas Blecker (figure), de Vis, and I show respectively 29, 2S, and 29. Again our fish differs markedly in some respects from Bleeker’s figure, which portrays a much more slender species, having a depth of body 3-75 in its length, and a shorter snout, its length being * Zool. Rece., iii, 1866, p. 143. MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM—VoL. VI., Puate XNIV. NSLAND FISHES. y QUEE ‘anig) “Gen — “Avopowyy vazuabun “ FO ad44o400T $(apadeary) OdyaI0S VN®IOg yap ayW1D “A SUIiUd Face page 81. EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND—OGILBY. 81 but one fourth of that of the head. The Australian Museum is fortunate in possessing a second specimen of this interesting and evidently scarce seivenid, of whieh MeCulloch writes as follows:—‘“A nice little specimen, registered as having been collected by yourself in the Brisbane River in 1886, is Pseudo- mycterus maccullochi. 1 had almost identified it with Corvina comes de Vis.”’ This example was taken by hook at the rocks below Thorn street, Kangaroo Point. Many old Brisbane anglers consider that this is, to the best of their belief, the species which was known to them many years ago as the ‘‘golden perch,’ and which disappeared so mysteriously after the great flood of 1893. MeCulloch’s identification of my 1886 fish with P. muccullochi lends color to this suggestion. Our illustration is drawn from the holotype of P. maccullochi. SCIZINA SOLDADO (Lacépéde). (Plate XXIV.) Holocentrus soldado Lacépéde, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 1802, pp. 344, 390. Tella Katchelee Russell, Fish, Vizag., 11, 1808, p. 13, pl. exvii. Corvina® miles Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 1830, p. 94; idd., ibid., ix, 1833, p- 479; Bleeker, Verh. Batav. Gen., xxiii, 1850, Scien., p. 17; Jerdon, Madras Journ. Lit. & Sei., 1851, p. 131; Giinther, Brit. Mus. Catal. Fish., ii, 1860, p. 300; Macleay, Proce. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, ix, 1884, p. 23. Sciena argentea (Kuhl & van Hasselt) Cuvier & Valenciennes, ibid., p. 95. Corvina soldado Cantor, Catal. Malay. Fish., 1850, p. 70. Corvina wolffii Bleeker, Nat. Tijds. Nederl. Ind., ii, 1851, p. 66. Corvina sampitensis Bleeker, ibid., iii., 1852, p. 421. Corvina celebica Bleeker, ibid., vil, 1854, p. 244. Corvina dorsalis Peters, Arch. f. Nat., 1855, i, p. 242. Johnius miles Bleeker, ibid., xvili, 1859, p. 364. Johnius celebicus Bleeker, Act. Soc. Sci. Indo-Neerl., viii, 1860, Borneo, p. 12. Pseudosciena miles Bleeker, Verh. Akad. Amst., xiv, 1874, Scien. p. 23; Atlas Iehth., viii, 1876, pl. ceelxxxvy, fig. 3. Sciena miles Day, Fish. India, pt. 2, 1876, p. 185, pl. xliii, fig. 5; Klunzinger, Sitz. Akad. Wien, Ixxx, 1880, i, p. 372. : Sciena miilleri Steindachner, Denk. Akad. Wien, xli, 1879, i, p. 1; Klunzinger, ibid. Corvina argentea Macleay, ibid., viii, 1883, p. 204. SILVER JEWFISH. Type localities:—Pondicherry (C. miles). Java (S. argentea K. & v. H.). Banjermassin, Borneo (C. wol/fii). Sampit, Borneo (C. sampitensis). Maeassar, Celebes (C. celebicus). Quilimane (C. dorsalis). South Australia (C. miilleri). Lower Burdekin (C. argentea Mel.). Body deep and strongly compressed, the dorsal contour much more arched than the ventral, which is nearly linear from the isthmus to the anal fin, its width * Sciena miles in letterpress by lapsus calami. F MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. aD to 2.75 in its depth, which is 2-88 to 3 in its length and a little more than the lengtk of the head. Abdomen moderate, its length from ventral base to vent 3-37 in that of the body and 1-28 in the space between the vent and the root of the caudal. Caudal peduncle scarcely longer than deep, its least depth 3 to 3-22 in the length of the head. Head about one half deeper than wide, its fronto-oecipital profile linear and rather strongly acclivous, that of the nape evenly rounded, its width a little less than half its length, which is 3-25 to 3-5 in that of the body. Snout but little gibbous in front, its upper profile feebly concave, its length 4 to 4-3°in that of the head. Diameter of eye equal to or a little less than the length of the snout and 4-5 to 4-67 in that of the head. Preorbital moderate, its least width 1-63 in the eye-diameter. Interorbital region narrow and slightly convex, its width five sixths of the eye-diameter and 5-6 in the length of the head. Nostrils approximate, the posterior the larger and situated directly in front of the eye. Jaws equal; cleft of mouth slightly curved and but little oblique, not nearly rising to the level of the eye. Maxillary extending to below the posterior fourth of the eye, its length 2-33 in that of the head, the width of its obliquely truneate hinder border about three fourths of the eye-diameter. Angle and vertical limb of preopercle with a few small remote denticles, the latter directed forwards and upwards; operele with two spinous points. Premaxillaries with an outer row of strong, curved teeth, which decrease in size from the symphysis backwards, and a narrow band of villiform teeth, broadest posteriorly ; mandibular teeth in two series, the inner row somewhat enlarged, but smaller than those of the outer premaxillary row; roof of mouth and tongue toothless. Seales of body etenoid, in 62 to 65 series above the lateral line, in 8/1/16 below the spinous dorsal; scales of head, except those of the occiput, eyeloid ; they are very unequal in size, minute ones being intermingled with the others on the cheeks, occiput and opercular lobes; head almost entirely scaly, only the tip of the snout and the chin naked; on the body they are arranged in oblique rows both above and below the lateral line, except on the caudal pedunele and the breast, and are largest on the middle of the sides. A single row of scales forms a sheath at the base of the soft dorsal and several series of small seales cover about a third of the membrane between the rays; scales cover the membrane of the caudal fin and are present between the vays at the bases of the anal and pectoral fins. Lateral line almost coneurrent with the back from the shoulder to above the anal fin, thence horizontal and extending to the tip of the tail, the tube- bearing body-seales 49 to 51. Tip of snout with a round median pore, on each side of which is a partly concealed slit-like pore; chin with a transversely. oval pore, at some distance behind which is a median circular pore. Dorsal fins with x, i 28 to 32 rays, the first originating above the pectoral- base, its last spine united to but not so long as that of the soft dorsal; third spine longest, 1-7 to 1-87 in the length of the head, and 1-17 in that of its base, whieh is 2 to 2-22 in that of the second dorsal, the rays of which increase slightly in length to about the twentieth, which is 1-5 in the third spine and 2-3 in the EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND—OGILBY, 83 length of the head; length of its base 2-1 to 2-25 in that of the body. Caudal fin bluntly cuneate, the eighth lowest ray the longest, 4-5 to 4-9 in the body-length. Anal with ii 7 rays, originating below the fourteenth or fifteenth dorsal ray, the spines strong and finely striated, the second 2-1 to 2-2 in the length of the head and 1-25 in the first ray ; length of anal 3-7 in that of the second dorsal. Pectoral obtusely pointed, with 16 rays, the fifth and sixth the longest, 1-55 in the length of the head, and extending to below the last dorsal spine. Ventral inserted a little behind the pectoral-base, and somewhat longer than that fin, the first ray longest, with or without a short filamentary appendage. Gill-rakers 6 + 8 with some rudiments on the lower branch, the longest two fifths of the eye-diameter. Coloration, after long immersion in preservatives, almost uniformly silvery, with gray stripes extending obliquely upwards and backwards along the middle of each series of scales on the upper anterior portion of the body. Anterior dorsal dusky, with microscopic brown dots; soft dorsal somewhat lighter, with a dark spot before each ray, forming a horizontal row just abeve the scaly sheath, above which is a second but less definite row. (Soldaddo, the Spanish term for a soldier.) Described from two specimens, one measuring 320 mm. taken at Dunk Island by Mr. Kendal Broadbent, and acquired from him by the Trustees of the Queensland Museum; Reg. No. I. 2901. The second from a 338 mm. example captured in the Lower Burdekin, which belongs to the Australian Museum, and has been chosen as the lectotype from seven specimens, which are cotypes of Corvina argentea Macleay. Variation:—The six other cotypes, measuring 188 to 310 mm. in length, exhibit some slight variation, the depth being a little less in the smaller specimens than in the larger ones. Synonymy :—Mr. McCulloch, who has kindly compared the specimens, obtained from various sources, in the collection of the Australian Museum, writes to me as follows—‘‘Corvina argentea Macleay is evidently synonymous with Sciena soldado (Lacépéde) ; a comparison of one of the smaller specimens of Macleay’s cotypes with an Indian example of S. miles (= 8S. soldado) of about the same size, from Dr. Francis Day’s collection, reveals no appreciable difference between them. S. miilleri Steindachner is said to differ from 8S. soldada principally in having the second anal spine somewhat shorter in relation to the following rays, in the relative lengths of the dorsal spines, and in having the tip of the first ventral ray filiform. All these differences are trivial and are not consistently maintained either in our specimens or in the descriptions and figures of S. soldado. It seems probable that S. miilleri is not distinet from Lacépéde’s species, though it should be noted that Klunzinger, with both forms before hin, maintained them as distinet.’? With Mr. MeCulloch’s conclusions I am thoroughly in accord. S4 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Historical:—Our first acquaintance with this fine species comes through Lacépéde, who tells us that the specimen from which his description was taken was a part of the collection, which he euphemistically deseribes as having been given by the Stadholder of Holland to France, and which undoubtedly came from somewhere in the Dutch East Indies. He also mentions a second specimen as having come from Cayenne, the capital of French Guiana; this is of course a mistake. Russell and Sonnerat obtained it on the Coromandel Coast of India, at Vizagapatam and Pondicherry respectively, while Valenciennes reports that Messrs. Kuhl and van Hasselt sent a Javanese example to the Museum of the Low Countries, and that Dussumier found it abundant at Bombay. Cantor states that ‘‘small individuals occur at Pinang at all seasons; larger ones but rarely.’’ Bleeker received specimens from Celebes, Bali, Borneo, Java, Banca, Pinang, and Bengal, and records that, like many of its congeners, it freely enters rivers. Peters added the width of the Indian Ocean to its range by obtaining specimens at Quilimane, an important centre on the western shore of the Mozambique Channel. Giinther added Ceylon and Tenasserim to the list of recorded localities. Its first occurrence in Australia is contained in Steindachner’s description of a South Australian sciwnid by the name of 8. miilleri, which form was subse- quently reported from the Queensland Coast by Klunzinger. Macleay next redescribed it, under the untenable name of Corvina argentea, from examples, collected by Morton in the estuary of the Burdekin River, where, he states, “‘it is an abundant and valuable fish.’? Finally the Queensland Museum possesses a specimen collected many years ago by Mr. Kendal Broadbent at Dunk Island, «nd a second, which probably belongs here, is labeled ‘‘ Moreton Bay (v. infra).’’ Uses:—Dussumier reported that at Bombay it was considered “‘a good fish,’’? while in regard to Pinang Cantor repeats his usual formula ‘‘eaten by the natives,’’ but adds that ‘‘the few air-vessels procurable are valued as good isinglass.”’ Range:—F rom the East Coast of Africa through the Seas of India and Malaysia to South Australia and the Coast of Queensland. Dimensions :—Attains a length of at least 600 mm. Illustration:—Taken from the lectotvpe above referred to. The following differences, some at least of whieh can hardly be ealled trivial, occur between the Moreton Bay example above inentioned and my description of Sciwna soldado. Nevertheless, although it is a slightly smaller (300 mm.) and much deeper fish than either of the two utilized in preparing that description, I look upon it as merely a somewhat abnormal example of the same species. Depth of body 2-7 in its length and one fourth more than the length of the head. Abdomen short, its length from ventral-base to vent #-8 in the length of the body and 1-5 in the space between the vent and the root of the caudal. Caudal peduncle a little deeper than long, its least depth 2-77 in the length of the head. EDIBLE FISHES OF QUEENSLAND—OGILBY. 85 Fronto-occipital profile much more strongly acclivous. Snout 5-75 in the length of the head. Diameter of eye one fourth less than the length of the snoat. Interorbital region somewhat wider, seven eighths of the eye-diameter and 5-33 in the length of the head. Maxillary extending to a little beyond the posterior border of the eye. Dorsal fin originating in advance of the pectoral-base ; second spine longest, 1-6 in the length of the head. Second anal spine 1-87 in the length of the head and subequal to the first ray; base of anal 4-44 in that of the soft dorsal. Pectoral longer, 1-28 in the length of the head, extending to below the first dorsal ray. Outer ventral ray with filiform tip. Locality :—Moreton Bay. SCIZENA ALBIDA (Cuvier & Valenciennes). ? Bola coibor Buchanan, Fish. Ganges, 1822, pp. 78, 368. Corvina albida Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 1830, p. 93; Bélanger, Voy. Ind.- Orient., Zool., 1834, p. 355; Giinther, Brit. Mus. Catal. Fish., ii, 1860, p. 3045 Day, Fish. Malab., 1865, p. 54; Castelnau, Proc. Linn. Soe. N. 8. Wales, iii, 1878, p. 47; Macleay, Proe. Linn. Soe. N. 8. Wales, v, 1881, p. 521. Johnius anci Blyth, Proe. Asiat. Soe. Bengal, 1860, p. 141. Not of Bloch. Pseudosciena albida Bleeker, Nederl. Tijds. Dierk., i, 18638, p. 145. Corvina neilli Day, ibid., p. 55; id., Proc. Zool. Soe. London, 1869, p. 300. Sciena albida Day, Fish. India, pt. 2, 1876, p. 188, pl. xliv, figs. 4 & 6. INDIAN JEWFISH. Type localitics:—Estuary of the Ganges (B. coriber). Pondicherry (C. albida). Cochin, Malabar Coast (C. neilli). Body slenderly subovate and compressed, the dorsal contour much more arched than the ventral, which is almost level from the isthmus to the anal fin, its depth rather less than one third of its length and subequal to or rather more than the length of the head. Abdomen moderate, its length from ventral-base to vent 3-4 in that of the body and 1-33 in the space between the vent and the root of the caudal. Caudal peduncle about as deep as long, its least depth one third of the head. Head about one half deeper than wide, its upper profile linear or feebly emarginate, that of the nape gently rounded, its width one half its length, which is 3 to 3-5 in that of the body. Snout slightly gibbous in front, its profile moderately acclivous. Diameter of eye as much as to one fourth less than the length of the snout and from one fourth in the immature to one seventh in the adult in the length of the head. Preorbital narrow, its width about three sevenths of the eye-diameter. Interorbital region very slightly convex. Nostrils approxi- mate, the posterior much the larger, and situated directly in front of the eye. Jaws equal or the upper slightly the longer; cleft of mouth but little oblique, not nearly rising to the level of the eye; maxillary extending to below the last third S6 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. or even the hinder border of the eye; a bluntish knob below the symphysis of the lower jaw. Preopercle with some serrations in the young, becoming indistinct in the adult ; opereular spines feeble. Jaws with a band of villiform teeth, the outer row in the premaxillaries and the inner row in the mandibles enlarged. Seales of body moderate and etenoid, in 55 to 60 series above the lateral line, in 7/1/18 behind the spinous dorsal; scales of head eycloid. Fine scales cover the bases of the soft dorsal and anal fins; caudal fin wholly scaly in the adult. Lateral line forming a long gentle curve to above the anal fin, the tube- bearing scales about 52, the tubes arborescent posteriorly. Three pores across the front of the snout; the free edge of the skin of the snout with five orifices and a slight lateral lobe; chin with a large open median pore, and two more on the side of either ramus.