THE PROCEEDINGS OF THK LINNEAN SOCIETY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. FOR THE YEAR Vol. XXII. "^ATIXH FORTY F^LA-TES. (Plates I. -XXXIII., xxxiii.6w-xxxix.) (SBbrtci) : PRINTED AND PUBLISHED FOK THE SOCIETY BY F. CUNNINGHAM E & CO., 146 PITT STREET, AND SOLD BY THE SOCIETY. SYDNEY : T. CUN-NINGHAMK AND CO., PKINTEKS, PITT STREET. CONTENTS OF PROCEEDINGS, 1897. PART I. (No. 85.) (Issued September 17th, 1897.) PAGE Descriptions of New Species of Australian Lepidoptera, with Notes on Synonymy. By Oswald B. Lower, F.E.S ^. 10 Studies in Australian Entomology. No. viii. — Descriptions of Two New Tiger Beetles. By Thomas G. Sloane ... .S3 New South Wales Fungi. By D. McAlpine. (Plates i.-ii.) .. 36 On the Fertilisation of Eupomatia laurina, R.Br. By Alex. G. Hamilton. (Plate hi.) 48- Descriptions of the Nests and Eggs of three Species of Australian Birds. By Alfred J. North, C.M.Z.S., Ornithologist, Austra- lian Museum, Sydney ... ... ... .. ... ... ... 56 New Genera and Species of Australian Fishes. By J. Douglas Ogilby .. 62 On the Development of Heterodontus (Cestracion) PhiUipi, Part i. By PROFES.SOR William A. Haswell, M.A., D.Sc. (Plates iv.-v.) 96 Australian Land Planarians : Descriptions of new Species and Notes on Collecting and Preserving. By Tiios. Steel, F.C.S., F.L.S. (Plates VI. -VII.) 104 Land Planarians from Fiji, with Descriptions of new Species. By Thos. Steel, F.C.S., F.L.S. (Plate vii., figs. 9 and 11.) ... 120 Description of a new Species of Land Shell. [Helix (IladraJ yep- poonensis]. By C. E. Beddome ... 123 Notes upon the Formicidoi of Mackay, Queensland. By Gilbert TORNER .. 129^ Descriptions of two new Species of Cyprcea from Western Australia. ■ By Agnes F. Kenyon ... • 145 Notes from the Botanic Gardens, Sydney. No. i. By J. H. Maiden and E. Betche 146 DdS.n-iptions of three new Species of Australian Plants. By J. H. .Maiden and E. Betche 150 Descriptions of two new .Species of Acacia from New South Wales. By R. T. Baker, F.L.S., Assistant Curator, Technological JNliiseum, Sydney. (Plates viii.-ix.) ... ... ... ... 153 27780 \ IV. CONTENTS. PART I. (continued.) PAGE On a Larval Teleosi from New South Wales. By J. Douglas Ogilby 1.58 Revision of the Genus Paroj)sis. Part ii. By Rev. T. Blackburn, B.A., Corresponding Member ... ... ... ... ... ... ICIi On the Carenides (Fam. Carabidce). No. iii. By Thoma.s G. Sloane 190 Elections and Announcements ... ... ... ... ...45,126,162 Donations 1,45,126,162 Notes and Exhibits 44,124,161 PART II. (No. S6.) (Issued October 25th, 1S07.) PAGE Contributions to a Knowledge of the Flora of Australia. No. i. By R. T. Bakbr, F.L.S., Assistant Curator, Technological Museum, Sydney. (Plate x.) 2.S0 The Genus Heteronympha in New South Wales. By G. A. Water- HOU,SE 240 The Life-history of Apaustus lascivia, Rosenstock. By G. A. Water- house 244 Some new Genera and Species of Fishes. By J. Douglas Ogilby 245 On the Occurrence of the Genus Palcechinus in the Upper Silurian Rocks of New South Wales. By John Mitchell 258 Two Ornate Boomerangs from North Queensland. By R. Etheridge, Junr., Curator of the Australian Museum, Sydney. (Plate xi.) 260 New Australian Lepidoptera. By O.'^wald B. Lower, F.E.S. ... 263 On the Cinnamomums of New South Wales : with a Special Research on the Oil of C. Oliveri, Bail. By R. T. Baker, F.L.S., Assistant Curator, Technological Museum, Sydney (Plates xii.-xiii.) ... 275 The Rhopalocera of Lord Howe Island. By G. A. Waterhouse ... 285 Stray Notes on Papuan Ethnology. Part ii. By C. Hedley, F.L.S., Conchologist to the Australian Museutn. (Plates xiv.-xv.) ... 288 Descriptions of Australian Micro-Lepidoi'tera. xvii. Elachistidcv. By E. Meyrick, B.A., F.Z.S 297 CONTENTS. V, PART II. (continued.) TACK Note on the Occurrence of Sponge Remains in the Lower Silurian of New South Wales. By W. S. Dun ... .. • 436 Donations 2.55, 293 Notes and Exhibits 252,292 PART III. (No. 87.) (Issued, February 11th, 1S9S.) PAGE Descriptions of two new Species of PuUencea. By R. T. Bakek, F.L.S., Assistant Curator, Technological Museum, Sydney. (Plate XVI.) 4,38 Note on an exhibit of feathered arrows from the New Hebrides. By Norman Hakdy 442 Revision of the Australiaa Cnrcidionidce belonging to the Subfamily Cryptorhynchiden. Parti. By Arthur M. Lea ... ... ... 449 Descriptions of some new Araneidie of New South Wales. No. 8. By W'. J. Rainbow, Entomologist to the Australian Museum. (Plates XVII. -XVIII.) .. .. ... .. .. 514 Notes on the Genus ^4 j^/^?•^Y^.^;, C.V. By J. Douglas Ogilby 554 On a new Species of Eucalyptus from the Sydney District. By Henry Deane, M.A., F.L.S., and J. H. Maiden, F.L.S. (Plate XIX.) 561 Notes on Species of Cyprciea inhabiting the Shores of Tasmania. By C. E. Beddome, R.N. (Plates xx.-xxi.) 564 Descriptions of new Species of Australian Coleoptera. Part iv. By Arthur M. Lea .. ... ... ... ... ... ... .584 On the Lizards of the Chillagoe District, N. Queensland. By R. Broom, M.D., B.Sc 639 On a Trachypterun from New South Wales. By J. Dougla.s Ogilby 646 Donations 446, 579 Elections and Announcements ... ... ... ... 579 Notes and Exhibits 441,577 VI. CONTENTS. PART IV. (No. 88.) (Issued June /,, 1S9S.) PAGE Contributions to a more exact Knowledge of the Geographical Distri- bution of Australian Batrachia. No. V. By J. J. Fletchkr ... 660 Plants of New South Wales Illustrated. By R. T. Baker, F.L.S., Assistant Curator, Technological Museum, Sydney. (Plates xxii.-xxv.) 693 New South Wales Fungi. By D. McAlpine. [Communicattd by R. T. Baker, F.L.S.]. (Plates xxvi.-xxviii.) 69S Observations on the Eucalypts of New South Wales. Part iii. By Henry Deane, M.A., F.L.S.,and J. H. Maiden, F.L.S. (Plates xxix.-xxxiii. and XXXIII. ?«s) 704 Australian Termitidce. Part iii. By Walter W. Froggatt, F.L.S. (Plates XXXIV. -XXXV.) 721 New Species of Australian Fishes. By J. Douglas Ogilby 759 A Contribution to the Zoology of New Caledonia. By J. Douglas Ogilby 762 Observations on Papuan Land and Freshwater Shells, with Descrip- tions of new Species from New Guinea and Western Australia. By C. F. Ancey. [Communicated by C. Hedley, F.L.S.] (Plate XXXVI.) 771 New Marine Shells from the Solomon Islands and Australia. By John Brazier, F.L.S., CM. Z.S 779 On some Australian ^'/eoirmff. Part ii. By J. Dodglas Ogilby ... 783 On the Evidence (so-called) of Glacier Action on Mount Kosciusko Plateau. By the Rev. J. Milne Curran, Lecturer in Geology, Technical College. (Plates xxxvii. -xxxix. ) ... 796 Donations ... ' . .. ... ... .■ •.. 690 Elections and Announcements ... ... ... ... ... ... 689 Notes and Exhibits 685,810 Presidential Address. By Professor J. T. Wilson, M.B., Ch. M. .. 812 Elections to the Council, 1898 847 Title-page, Contents, Index, &c. LIS^T OF PLATES. PROCEEDINGS, 1897. Plates I. -II. — New South Wales Fungi. Plate III. — Fertilisation of Eupomatia laurina, R.Br. Plateg IV. -V. — Early stages of Heterodontus (Cestracion) Phillipi. Plates VI. -VII. — Australian and Fijian Land Planarians. Plate VIII. — Acacia Daiosoni, sp.nov. Plate i^. — Aca/^ia dijformis, sp.nov. Plate X. — Argoplii/Umn nitidum, Forst., and A. sp., Forst. Plate XI. — Ornate Boomerangs from North Queensland. Plate XII. — Cinnamomum Oliveri, Bail, Plate XIII. — Cinnamomum virens, R.T.B. Plate XIV. — Palu Hook from New Guinea. Plate XV. — Waist-band knot from New Guinea. Plate XVI. — Pultenoia Deanei, R.T.B. Plates XVII. -XVIII. — New South Wales Spiders and Nests. Plate XIX. — Eucalyjjtus >iquamosa, Deane and Maiden. Plates XX. -XXI. — Tasmanian Cypra^as. Plate XXII. — Acacia gladii/o7-7nis, A. Cunn. Plate XXIII. — Acacia obtusafa, Sieb. Plate XXIV. — Acacia ruhida, A. Cunn. Plate XXV. — Acacia triptera, Benth., var. Lyndoni, R.T.B. Plates XXVI. -XXVIII. — New South Wales Fungi. Plates XXIX. -XXXIII., and xxxiii. his. — New South Wales Eucalypts. Plates xxxiv.-xxxv. — Australian Termites (Termes and EuterviesJ. Plate XXXVI. — Papuan and West Australian Land Mollusca. Plates XXXVII. -XXXIX. — Views and Maps illustrative of the Physiogiapliy and Geology of Mt. Kosciusko. CORRIGENDA. Page 41, line 11 — for Tuhernaemontana read Tahernaemontana. Page 181, line 10 — for M.fuscum read M-fmcum. Page 641, line 24 — for Urnysem read Umyetm. I=I?,OCEEIDIISrG-S OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY OF n>TEi-\7;7- SOTJ-TS: ^^;77".^^LES. WEDNESDAY, 31st MARCH, 1897. The Ordinary Monthly Meeting of the Society was held in the Linnean Hall, Ithaca Road, Elizabeth Bay, on Wednesday even- ing, March 31st, 1897. Professor J. T. Wilson, M.B., President, in the Chair. DONATIONS. (Received since the Meeting in November, 189G.) American Geographical Society — Bulletin. Yol. xxviii. (1896), Nos. 3-4. From the Society. American Museum of Natural History, N, York — Bulletin. Yol. viii. (1896). Signs. 13-21, pp. 193-327 (Oct.-Dec). From the Museum. American Naturalist. Yol. xxx. (1896), Nos, 359-360 (Nov.- Dec). Yol. xxxi. (1897), Nos. 361-362 (Jan.-Feb.). From the Editor. 2! DONATIONS. American Philosophical Society — Proceedings. Vol. xxxv. No. 150 (Jan., 1896). From the Society. Boston Society of Natural History — Proceedings. Vol. xxvii. pp. 7-7-i (April, 1896). From the Society. Bureau of Ethnology, Washington — Thirteenth Annual Report (1891-92). From the Bureau. Denison University, Granville, Ohio — Bulletin of the Scientific Laboratories. Title-pages and Contents to Vols, i-viii ] Vol. ix. Part i. (Dec, 1895). From the University. Field Columbian Museum, Chicago — Ornithological Series. Vol. i. No. 1 (March, 1896): Zoological Series. Vol. i. Nos. 3-5 (May-June, 1896). From the Museum. Johns Hopkins University — Circulars. Vol. xvi. No. 127 (Nov., 1896) : Hospital Bulletin. Vol. viii. Nos. 70-71 (Jan.-Feb., 1897). From the University. Michigan Fish Commission — Bulletin. No. 6 (1896). From the Secretary. Missouri Botanical Garden — Seventh Annual Report (1895). From the Director. Museum of Comp. Zool. at Harvard College, Cambridge, Mass. —Bulletin. Vol. xxviii. Nos, 2-3 (Oct.-Dec, 1896) ; Vol. xxx. Nos. 1-3 (Oct.-Nov., 1896): Annual Report, 1895-96. From the Director. New York Academy of Sciences — Annals. Title page and Index to Vol. viii.; Vol. ix. Nos. 1-3 (June, 1896). From the Academy, Rochester Academy of Science — Proceedings. Vol. iii. Brochure 1 (1896). From the Academy. U. S. Department of Agriculture — Division of Entomology — Bulletin. New Series, No. 6. From the Secretary for Agriculture. DONATIONS. 3 U. S. Geological Survey —Fifteenth Annual ReiDort (1893-9-t); Sixteenth Annual Report (1894-95). Parts ii.-iv. : Bulletin. Nos. 123-126, 128-129, and 131-134 (1895-96). From the Director. Canadian Institute — Transactions. Vol. v. Part i. ISTo. 9 (Oct., 1896). From the Institute. 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Department of Agriculture, Brisbane — Bulletin (Second. Series). Nos. 12-13(1896-97). From the Secretary for Agriculture. Geological Society of Queensland — Nine Geological Reports (Nos. 86, 100, 102, 103, 106, 107, 112, 114, and 116): Bulletin. Nos. 2, 3, and 5 (1895-97). From the Government Geologist. 4 DONATIONS. Australian Museum, Sydney — Memoirs. Vol. iii. The Atoll of Funafuti, Ellice Group. Part i. (Dec, 1896), Part. ii. (Feb, 1897) : Records. Vol. iii. No. 1 (Jan., 1897). From the Trustees. Department of Mines and Agriculture, Sydney — Records. Vol. V. Part ii. (1897): "Australian Mining Standard: West Australian, and Sulphide Editions " (Aug., 1896, and Jan., 1897). Agricultural Gazette. Vol. vii. (1896), Parts 10-11 (Oct.-Nov.); Vol. viii. (1897), Parts 1-2 (Jan. -Feb.). From the Hon. the Minister for Mines and Agriculture. Royal Society of New South Wales — President's Anniversary Address (May, 1896). By Professor David, B.A., F.G.S. From the Author. "The Surveyor." 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Naturhistorischer Verein der Preussischen Rheinlande, Westfalens und des Reg.-Bez. Osnabriick — Verhandlungen. 52 Jahrgang, Zweite Halfte (1895) : 53 Jahrgang, Erste Halfte (1896) : Sitzungsberichte der Niederrheinischen Gesellschaft fiir Natur und Heilkunde zu Bonn. 1895, Zweite Halfte; 1896, Erste Halfte. From the Society. Comite Geologique, St. Petersbourg — Bulletins. T. xv. (1896), Nos. 3-4 : Memoires. Vol. xv. No. 2 (1896). Frotn the Society. L'Academie Imperiale des Sciences de St. Petersbourg — Bulletin, v'' Serie. Tome vi. No. 1 (Jan., 1897) : Annuaire du Musee Zoologique. 1896, No. 4. From the Academy. Zoologischer Anzeiger. xix. Band (1896), Nos. 515-520 (Oct.- Dec); Bd. xx. (1897), Nos. 521-523 (Jan.). From the Editor. DONATIONS. y Russisch-Kaiserliche Mineralogisclie Gesellschaft zu St. Petersburg — Verhandlungen (2), xxxiii. Baud, ii. Lief.; xxxiv. Bd. i. Lief. From the ISociety. "Societe Imperiale des aSTatm^alistes de Moscou — Bulletin. Annee 1896, No. 2. From the Society. L" Academic Royale des Sciences, tfec, de Danemark, Copen- hague — Bulletin, 1896. Nr. 5. From the Academy. Kongi. Universitets-Biblioteket, Upsala — Meddelanden fran Mineralogisk-Geologiska Institution. ISTos. 19-22 (1896) : Bidrag till en Lefnadsteckning ofver Carl von Linne. Nos. iii.- iv. (1895-96) : Five Inaugural Dissertations, 8vo. and 4to. (1896): Bulletin of the Geological Institution. Vol. ii. (1895). Part 2. No. 4. From the University. Entomologiska Foreningen i Stockholm — Entomologisk Tids krift. Arg. xvii. (1896). From the Society. \ 10 DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN LEPIDOPTERA, WITH NOTES ON SYNONYMY. Bv Oswald B. Lower, F.E.S., &c. BOMBYCINA. LIMA.CODID^. DORATIPHORA BRACHYOPA, 71. Sp. (J. 25 mm. Head, palpi, and collar dark reddish, face ochreous. Thorax and abdomen ochreous, tinged with fuscous-reddish, thorax lighter in middle. Antennte ochreous, pectinations at greatest length l^, closely set. Legs deep reddish-fuscous, densely haired. Thorax beneath densely haired with ashy-grey- whitish. Forewings rather short, costa hardly arched, hind- margin somewhat bowed ; dull silvery- whitish, basal two-thirds occupied by a deep reddish patch, somewhat obscure above inner margin, outer edge somewhat convex, with a fine darker fuscous marginal line; this line is continued right round the patch, but causes a sharp indentation above inner margin at § from base; an obscure ochreous discal dot ringed with deep reddish at about § above middle of disc; a fine blackish line from |- of costa to anal angle, strongly dentate on lower |, almost straight on upper fourth; a fine blackish hindmarginal line more or less interrupted on veins : cilia ashy-grey-whitish with a fine obscure darker line. Hindwings reddish-ochreous, with a darker line along hindmargin; cilia as in forewings. Cairns, Queensland; two specimens in November. SCOLIACMA C?) XANTHODELTA, n.sp. ^. 20 mm. Head, palpi, collar, and abdomen yellow, abdomen infuscated. Thorax leaden-fuscous. Legs yellowish mixed with fuscous. Forewings elongate-triangular, costa somewhat sinuate BY OSWALD B. LOWER. 11 in middle, arched towards apex, apex rounded, hindmai-gin obliquel}^ rounded; leaden-fuscous, markings dull yellow; a small basal patch, outer edge ol:)lique, continued as a fine costal line throughout; a moderate triangular patch on costa beyond middle, beneath which is a moderate roundish spot : cilia leaden-fuscous. Hindwings light yellow; a broad fuscous hindmarginal band, becoming constricted at anal angle; cilia pale yellow. Broken Hill, IST.S. Wales; two specimens (at light) in Septem- ber. The insect under notice is doubtfully referable to Scoliacma. SOROCOSTIA MONOZONA, n.sp. ^. 17 mm. Head, thorax, and abdomen ashy-grey- whitish, antennas fuscous, (palpi broken). Legs fuscous, ringed with white. Forewings elongate, moderate, dilated posteriorly ; ashy-grey- whitish, costa irregularly edged with fuscous throughout; a well- defined short thick black outwardly oblique streak from costa at |^ to middle of disc, ending on second tuft of scales; a faint similar line from middle of costa, extremity lost in general ground- colour; a third similar line from before apex, hardly perceptible; veins towards hindmargin irregularly irrorated with blackish : cilia ashy-grey-whitish. Hindwings fuscous-grey, becoming darker round apex ; cilia pale grey, slightly infuscated round apex. Blackwood, South Australia; two specimens in November. Mr. Mej^rick, to whom this and the following species were sub- mitted, returned them as unknown to him. SOROCOSTIA PLATYGONA, n.Sp. 5. 20 mm. Head, thorax, abdomen, palpi, and legs white, palpi 2, terminal joint very short, legs dusted with blackish. Forewings elongate-triangular, costa gently arched, hindmargin bowed, oblique; white; tufts white, anteriorly slightly infuscated; an obscure fuscous dot on costa near base, a second more distinct on costa at i from which proceeds an outwards-curved twice 12 NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN LEPIDOPTERA, sinuate fine fuscous line to inner margin at ^; three minute black dots on costa in middle; a well-defined broad outwardly oblique fascia from f of costa to middle of disc, thence continued obliquely inwards to just beyond middle of inner margin, outer edge more or less strongly edged with black ; a thick irregular outwards- curved pale fuscous irregularly waved line from just before apex to just before anal angle; a few fuscous scales before hindmargin; a blackish hindmarginal line : cilia whitish. Hindwings white, slightly inf uscated on apical portion; cilia white, with an indistinct grey line at base. Macka}^, Queensland; one specimen in December. It is an easily recognised species by the >-shaped fascia. Anestia trissodbsma, n.sp. (^. 16 mm. Head, antennae, palpi, thorax, abdomen and legs dark fuscous, more or less finely dusted with white, patagia whitish. Fore wings elongate-triangular, strongly dilated, costa gently arched posteriorly, hindmargin obliquely rounded; fuscous; three moderately broad whitish transverse fascite; 1st from ^ of costa to ^ of inner margin, becoming blotch-like on costa, narrowed on lower |; 2nd from beyond middle of costa to middle of inner margin, outer edge marked by an irregularly dentate or waved line; 3rd narrowed from just before apex to anal angle, with a slight indentation above and below middle, and becoming broader at anal angle; space between 2nd and 3rd fasciae pale bluish, excepting upper ^, which is fuscous : cilia fuscous, tijDs darker. Hindwings clear orange, becoming slightly fuscous around apex; cilia fuscous, along inner margin yellowish. Broken Hill, N.S. Wales; one specimen (at light) in June. GEOMETRINA. HYDIlIOMENID.a;. Mesoptila anthracias, n.sp. ^. 24 mm. Head, palpi, antennae, thorax, and abdomen dark fuscous, palpi five times breadth of eye. Antennal ciliations 1^. BY OSWALD B. LOWER. 13 Legs fuscous-whitish, tibije and tarsi blackish, ringed with ochreous-whitish. Forewings elongate triangular, costa nearly straight, hindmargin bowed, waved; dark fuscous, mixed with blackish; a raised tuft of blackish scales in middle of disc; a ridge like tuft of similar scales towards base near inner mai'gin; an obscure thick fuscous curved line from about \ of costa to ^ of inner margin; a small pale yellow cuneiform spot on costa at about |, from which proceeds a dentate double fine black lin^ curved outwards and ending on inner margin at |^; the ground colour on costa beyond the yellow spot much darker, the anterior portion of the double black line not reaching costa, but deflected downwards and continued as a black interrupted line just beneath costa to near base, obscure towards base; veins towards hind- margin neatly outlined with black, each with a minute yellow spot at hindmarginal extremity : cilia dark reddish-fuscous. Hindwings with hindmargin rounded, crenulate ; dark fuscous, becoming lighter on median third; an erect (seemingly expansible) tuft of scales in middle of disc; three well defined wavy black lines from middle of inner margin, two upper terminating in tuft of scales, lower one curved outwards and continued to costa at about ^; cilia as in forewings, hairs on inner margin whitish. This is the second species recorded from Australia. Meyrick was unacquainted with the male and consequently could not give the characters in full; the additional generic characters will there- fore read : — Antennal ciliations of the male 1-^, palpi porrected, about 5, second joint loosely haired, terminal joint distinct, some- what clavifoi'm, and slightly recurved. The forewings appear to have three tufts of scales, one at about J from base in middle, a larger one in middle of disc, and a ridge-like patch towards base near inner margin. The long palpi give the species a most curious and distinct appearance. It is not like Ilydriomena hrugata, Gn., at first sight. Sale, Victoria. The single specimen is in the collection of Mr. G. Lyell, Junr., of Gisborne, Victoria. 14 NEAV SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN LEPIDOPTERA, Heterochasta lasioplaca, n.sp. ^. 30 mm. Head, antennse, palpi, thorax, and abdomen fuscous, palpi about 1^, snow-white at base beneath and at apex of ter- minal joint, terminal joint about ^ length of second. Antennal ciliations ^. Abdomen with pairs of dark fuscous spots on seg- ments. Legs ochreous-whitish, banded with fuscous. Forewings elongate-triangular, hindmargin hardly waved, bowed, oblique; dull fuscous-greenish, with numerous waved darker fuscous trans- verse lines; outer edge of basal patch indicated by a moderately thick correlated band, slightly sinuate outwards above middle, from about ^ of costa to' i inner margin; median band formed by two dark fuscous bands of three lines each, separated by a clear snow-white space, becoming light ferruginous on lower |; anterior edge from just beyond f of costa to middle of inner margin; posterior edge from before f of costa to | of inner margin, with a strong sharp projection in middle and a less prominent one above middle, followed throughout more or less by a fine whitish line; a black lunate discal mark in the white space above middle touching anterior edge of band, subterminal and submarginal lines waved, irregular, blackish, a fine blackish hindmarginal line separated into small spots by minute white spots at extremities of veins : cilia ochreous-grey barred with black. Hindwings with the hindmargin rounded; dull leaden becoming paler towards base; cilia as in forewings. Brisbane, Queensland; one specimen. Distinct by the hind- wings and snow-white spot of forewings. STERRHID5;. Sterrha rhodocosma, n.sp. (J. 24 mm. Head, face, pal pi, and thorax rosy-carmine, abdomen ■whitish. Antennae ochreous, pectinations at greatest length 2. Legs fuscous, anterior coxae tinged with rosy-carmine, posterior pair ochreous-whitish. Forewings triangular, costa nearly straight, apex rounded, hindmargin obliquely bowed; pale whitish-ochreous, thickly irrorated with rosy-carmine, so as to appear rosy-carmine, BY OSWALD B. LOWER. 15 three darker rosy-carmine darker transverse fasci?e; 1st from base to i, outer edge nearly straight, somewhat waved, indicating basal patch; 2nd broad from about middle of costa to middle of inner margin, indicating median shade; 3rd narrow, waved from costa at f to inner margin near anal angle; an obscure rosy-carmine dot above middle, midway between last two fascise; subterminal and submarginal lines darker carmine, thick and indistinct : cilia pale ochreous, suffusedly mixed with rosy-carmine. Hindwings pale whitish-ochreous; two obscure fuscous transverse median bands, hardly perceptible in some specimens; cilia pale whitish-ochreous. Torrens Island and Semaphore, South Australia; beaten from Salicornia arhuscula in October. A distinct and beautiful species taken by Mr. Harold Lower. The lustre of the forewings of this species when fresh is magnifi- cent, but after death this fades to a dull rosy-carmine. MONOCTENIAI).ffi. Mnesampela petrochroa, n.sp. 5. 33 mm. Head, thorax, and antennae greyish-ochreous, abdomen white with minute black scattered scales ; five or six pairs of black dots placed laterally on underside at juncture of each segment. Legs whitish, anterior tibiye and tarsi ringed with blackish, palpi blackish. Forewings triangular, apex prominent, hindmargin slightly bowed ; light greyish-ochreous, with fine indistinct irregular fuscous strigulse; costa very finely whitish strigulated with fuscous; an indistinct blackish suffusion on costa at base; a curved series of five small black dots, one on costa at \, two close together immediately below, one in middle, and one above inner margin ; an almost straight series of similar dots edged posteriorly with white and placed on a pale ferruginous shade, from before apex to about \ of inner margin : cilia silvery- white, a pale ferruginous indistinct line along inner margin and more or less continued along basal half of cilia to near apex. Hindwings gre3'ish-fuscous, somewhat purplish-tinged, becoming greyish-ochreous towards inner margin, hairs on inner margin 16 NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN LEPIDOPTERA, white; cilia and markings as in forewings, but dots not placed on ferruginous shade. Hoyleton, South "Australia ; one specimen taken by Mr. E. Guest in May. NOCTUINA, Praxis macropa, n.sp. ^-<^. 40, 42 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax reddish-ochreous, thorax in middle grey- whitish, abdomen grey. Antennae ochreous; ciliations about 6 at greatest breadth. Legs fuscous, posterior pair pinkish-white. Forewings moderate, elongate, dilated pos- teriorly; costa arched at base, thence nearly straight, apex rounded, hindmargin obliquely rounded; ashy-grey, mixed with reddish- ochreous and finely irrorated with black and dark fuscous; a fine black strongly thrice dentate line from about ^ of costa to ^ inner margin; a pale ochreous elongate spot, finely edged with black, touching middle dentation of first mentioned line; a larger more reddish similar spot above and slightly beyond, also edged with black; a reddish-ochreous reniform spot edged with black at end of cell; a strongly dentate black line from beneath costa at about •| to I of inner margin, edged posteriorly by its own width of pale ochreous-reddish; a similar but lighter parallel line (indicating subterminal) near and beyond from costa at |to anal angle, inter- space bright reddish-ochreous : cilia ochreous-reddish, chequered with blackish. Hindwings fuscous-grey ; cilia grey- whitish, reddish-tinged on basal ^. Broken Hill, N.S. W. ; three specimens taken at electric light in May. The antennal pectinations of this species are so filiform that they curl up into an inextricable mass when the insect is dry ; they can, however, be readily rearranged by relaxing. ACONTIA CYANIPHA, n.Sp. ^. 28 mm. Head and thorax white. Antennae fuscous, ciliations ^. Abdomen ochreous-yellow. Legs and palpi fuscous, tibife ringed with white. Palpi strongly recurved, second joint BY OSWALD B. LOWKR. 17 whitish externally. Forewings elongate, dilated posteriori}', costa nearly straight, hindmargin obliquely rounded ; white, slightly ochreous-tinged; a fine blackish dot at base in middle; two narrow elongate, partly connected, fuscous spots along costa, extending from base to before middle and followed on costa by a pale fuscous suffusion to |, terminated by a small dark fuscous spot; a large erect irregular somewhat cuneiform bluish-fuscous patch; from inner margin before anal angle to more than | across wing, apex obtuse; a narrow inwards-curved whitish-ochreous discal lunula, finely edged with black; a moderate somewhat rhomboid pale bluish patch ivmmediately beyond, containing two black teeth, their apices directed inwards, on posterior edge, below which the bluish colour is continued as an irreijular streak to anal angle, hindmarginal area beyond chocolate, with a suffused patch of ground-colour on costa; a hindmarginal row of dentate black dots edged posteriorly by fine dots of ground-colour : cilia chocolate, tips mixed with whitish. Hindwings pale yellow, broadly suffused with light fuscous round hindmargin ; cilia yellowish- ochreous with a fuscous parting line, except towards anal angle. Broken Hill, N.S. Wales ; one specimen in January. Britha C?) cosmopis, n.sp. 2- 23 mm. Head, palpi, and anterior legs fuscous, antenn.-B ochreous. Thorax ochreous-fuscous, median third silvery-white. Abdomen yellow, becoming ochreous-whitish on anterior segments. Forewings triangular, costa nearly straight, hindmargin hardly bowed; ochreous-fuscous; a thick dull leaden-metallic streak along costa from base to apex, attenuated posteriorly, shaded beneath by more than its own width with light ochreous, suffused at extremities; a very broad silvery-white streak along inner margin from base to anal angle, suffused with pale ochreous along extreme inner margin and edged above by a line of darker ochreous-fuscous; two small silvery-white cuneifoi'm spots just above extremity of this streak, upper one largest; a fine curved blackish line from beneath costa just below apex to upper extremity of silvery-white streak ; hindmarginal ai'ea beyond bluish-leaden with a faint 18 NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN LEPIDOPTBRA, whitish median line; a fine blackish line terminating befoi'e hind- margin : cilia bluish-leaden with two darker parallel lines. Hind- wings bright orange-yellow, with a broad blackish hindmarginal band, attenuated above apex; cilia greyish-ochreous with a black median line well defined. Cape York, Queensland; two specimens in January. PYRALIDINA. BOTYDID.a;. Metallarcha zygosema, n.sp. 2- '20 mm. Head and thorax whitish-yellow, abdomen yellowish, antennae, palpi, and legs fuscous, posterior legs ochreous. Forewings elongate-triangular, light brown, with pale yellow markings outlined with darker brown; a large irregular cuneiform patch from base below costa to just before ~ of wing, its lower edge emitting a long slender streak along inner margin to anal angle, posteriorly attenuated; a large irregular lunate mark in middle of wing, connected with basal patch anteriorly by a short bar, very strongly indented on middle portion, upper extremity obtuse, lower acute; a rather broad irregularly edged curved fascia from costa just before apex to inner margin above anal angle but not quite reaching it, anterior edge with a slight projection below middle; a narrow yellowish hindmarginal line : cilia pale yellow, deeper at base. Hind wings pale fuscous, with a pale yellow basal patch sending a projection from below middle towards inner margin; an indistinct elongate black spot in yellow patch; cilia pale yellow, deeper at base. Hoyleton, S.A.; one specimen (Coll. E. Guest) in December. The specimen is somewhat abraded, consequently the description may require some latitude for comparison. SCOPARIAD^;. Scoparia lichenopa, n.sp. (J-^. 18, 21 mm. Head, palpi, thorax, antennae, and legs asliy-grey-whitish, posterior legs grey-whitish, abdomen grey, three BY OSWALD B. LOWER. 19 anterior segments orange-yellowish. Forewings moderate, elon- gate, gently dilated; ashy-grey-whitish; markings black, suffused; a narrow outward-curved fascia from about | of costa to ^ of inner margin, a tine line along median fold from base to fascia but hardly reaching it; a very oblique irregular fascia from costa before apex to about | of inner margin, almost obliterated by ground-colour in some specimens; a small rounded white spot at end of cell, edged more or less with blackish; a hindmarginal row of black teeth : cilia ashy-grey-whitish with blackish points. Hindwings greyish-fuscous, becoming lighter towards base ; cilia greyish- fuscous. Broken Hill, N.S. Wales; four specimens in April and May. The present species is somewhat allied to polysticha, Lower. TINEINA. (ECOPHOEID.ffi. Philobota xanthocoma, n.sp. (^.-5. 13,15 mm. Head, palpi, antennae, thorax, and abdomen dark fuscous, anal tuft yellow. Legs dark fuscous, tibife and tarsi with yellowish bands. Forewings moderate, costa hardly arched, apex rounded, hindmargin obliquely rounded; dark fuscous with yellowish markings; a moderate irregular spot on costa about middle, immediately preceded by two small round black dots; a similar yellowish spot on costa at about f, and another more obscure immediately below on anal angle, separated in middle of wing by a line of ground-colour, with an obscure black spot at extremity; an irregular thick streak along hindmargin, with a projection inwards in middle : cilia dull fuscous tinged with ochreous around anal angle. Hindwings dark fuscous; cilia yellow, becoming fuscous round apex. Semaphore, S.A. ; several specimens taken by Mr. Harold Lower in September. The cilia of the hindwings are a good dis- tinction. LiNOSTicHA cremnodisema, n.sp. $-^. 13, 18 mm. Head dull ochreous. Thorax fuscous. Antennae, legs, and palpi fuscous, palpi greyish internally, middle 20 NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN LEPIDOPTEE.A, and posterior legs ochreous. Forewings moderate, costa gently arched, apex rounded, hindmargin obliquely rounded; dull fleshy ochreous, minutely irrorate'd with black scales which tend to coalesce and obliterate the markings ; an obscurely marked double black dot in disc just before middle ; a similar but more distinct one in a line with first just beyond middle, beneath which the blackish scales coalesce and appear to form a more or less ill-defined blackish suffusion : cilia fuscous mixed with fleshy- red. Hind wings greyish-fuscous; cilia greyish. Broken Hill, N.S. Wales ; two specimens (at light) in April. An obscure species. COMPSOTROPHA HABRODELTA, n.sp. 9. 16 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax snow-white, thorax with a narrow dark fuscous anterior band. Legs ochreous-whitish, anterior pair fuscous, tarsi ringed with white; abdomen greyish. Antenuffi fuscous, basal joint white beneath. Forewings moderate, hardly dilated, costa nearly straight, apex rounded, hindmargin obliquely rounded; snow-white; costal edge posteriorly ochreous;^ a narrow black oblique fascia close to base, somewhat dilated on costa; a narrow oblique irregular orange fascia from costa at f to middle of inner margin, edged on both sides with black, narrowed on costa; a similar short fascia from anal angle to middle of posterior edge of previously mentioned fascia, becoming blackish on anal angle and enclosing a spot of ground-colour on inner mai'gin; a narrowed suffused blackish hindmarginal streak, not reaching anal angle : cilia ochreous-orange, strongly mixed with blackish. Hind wings with apex somewhat pointed; light greyish- fuscous; cilia^ pale yellow. Gisborne, Victoria; one specimen in February (Coll. G. Lyell, Junr.). Near xaiitlioddta, Meyr. CCESYRA HABROPIS, n.Sp. ^. 20 mm. Head and palpi orange-yellow. Legs, thorax, abdomen, and antennse purplish-fuscous, posterior legs orange- yellow. Forewings moderate, costa gently arched, apex round- BY OSWALD B. LOWKR. 21 pointed, hindmargin obliquely rounded; bright orange-yellow; a thick fuscous-purple basal patch continued along costa to slightly beyond middle, posteriorly attenuated, a very broad fuscous-purple hindmarginal band occupying apical third of wing, edged anteriorly by a waved, indented in middle, darker fuscous line ; the central portion of band is occupied by a bright rosy-purple patch : cilia fuscous-purple. Hindwings bronze-yellow ; cilia fulvous, darker at base. Near Rockhampton, Queensland; one specimen in November. Nearest seleniaca, Meyr. CCESYRA GRAMiMOPHORA, n.Sp. ^. 15 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax orange, antennas blackish, ciliations 1; legs ochreous, anterior and middle pair infuscated; abdomen dark fuscous, anal tuft orange. Forewings moderate, costa gently arched, apex hardly pointed, hindmargin obliquely rounded; yellow; markings black, a thick basal fascia, its outer edge hardly curved; a thick somewhat oblique fascia from before middle of costa to middle of inner margin; dilated on lower half; a similar fascia from about | of costa to anal angle, connected above middle by a fine irregular line from middle of former fascia; a fine blackish hindmarginal line joining fascia at anal angle, the markings, with the exception of basal fascia, forming the letter W on w4ng, the yellow spaces on costal and inner margin tinged with orange : cilia blackish on costa and on anal angle orange. Hind- wings fuscous, lighter towards base; cilia fuscous. Gisborne, Victoria ; one specimen on dry grass at dusk in January. At first sight not unlike a dwarfed specimen of Pellophora argutella, Zeller. The curious W-shaped mark on the forewings is a very noticeable characteristic. XYLOEycTiD.a;. SCIEROPEPLA (?) PHOTINODES, n.sp. 2. 22 mm. Head and thorax blackish-fuscous, abdomen fuscous, segmental rings broad, reddisli-ochreous, sides and under- 22 side silvery-white, palpi fuscous, internally snow-white, terminal joint nearly 1, basal joint slightly roughened externally. Anterior legs dark fuscous, cox?e sprinkled with white ; posterior legs greyish- ochreous. Antennte whitish, basal joint fuscous. Fore- wings elongate, costa strongly arched towards base, thence nearly straight, apex hardly pointed, hindmargin obliquely rounded ; shining brassy-metallic, iridescent in some lights; a narrow snow- white costal streak edged beneath with fuscous, from about ^ to near apex, broadest in middle, attenuated at extremities ; veins towards hindmargin outlined with dark fuscous ; a large dark fuscous discal spot in middle at about |, preceded by a dark fuscous dot; a similar but smaller roundish spot in a line with the two preceding dots at about §; a suffused streak along inner margin throughout; all these markings more or less mixed with whitish scales : cilia shining fuscous, with a whitish basal line and a darker fuscous median line. Hindwings shining grey, lighter towards base; cilia grey- whitish, with a dark ochreous basal line, more pronounced round apex. Hoyleton, S.A. ; two specimens taken by Mr. E. Guest in November. GELECHIAD.5;. Gelbchia platyleuca, n.sp. 5. 17 mm. Head, palpi, antenna?, thorax, legs, and abdomen dark fuscous, posterior legs greyish. Forewings elongate, mode- rate, costa gently arched, apex rounded, hindmargin obliquely rounded; dark fuscous; a broad white streak along costa from base to apex, attenuated at apex; an obscure narrow fuscous suffusion on extreme costal edge beyond middle: cilia dark fuscous, becoming lighter round anal angle. Hindwings dark fuscous, becoming lighter towards base; cilia fuscous. Elizabeth Bay, Sydney, N.S. Wales; two specimens in October. Gelbchia porphyroloma, n.sp. (^-9. 15-18 mm. Head, thorax, antennas, and palpi yellow, terminal joint of palpi except apex purple-fuscous. Legs fuscous, BY OSWALD B. LOWER. 23 coxje pale ochreous. Abdomen greyish. Forewings moderate, rather narrow; costa gently arched, apex round-pointed, hindmargin obliquely rounded ; yellow ; a purjjle-fuscous outwards-curved hindmarginal band from anal angle to costa near apex, becoming blackish on anterior edge, especially on lower i : cilia greyish- fuscous, becoming yellowish at base, in some specimens wholly yellow round anal angle. Hindwings and cilia grey. Port Victor, S. Australia; five specimens in November. It is nearest hpMochrysa, Meyr., but with the thorax wholly yellow ; it is not unlike Eidechria malacoptera, Meyr., an CEcophorid. . GLYPHIPTEKYGID^:. Glyphipteryx polychroa, n.sp. ^. 12 mm. Head, antennse, and thorax fuscous, palpi whitish with blackish rings beneath. Abdomen lilackish. Legs fuscous. Forewings moderate, elongate, costa gently arched, hindmargin gently bowed ; deep golden-ochreous ; a curved dull whitish- fuscous fascia, from ^ costa to ^ inner margin; a similar fascia from before 3- of costa to J inner margin, upper § tilled with metallic-coppery tint; two small metallic-coppery spots on costa, before and beyond middle; an ochreous-whitish tooth on costa before apex, with two or three connected metallic-coppery spots immediately beneath; an ochreous-whitish tooth at apex, followed beneath by a metallic-coppery dot-like hindmarginal line ending on a dense black elongate patch above anal angle; in the black patch are placed three coppery-metallic equidistant spots : cilia grey-whitish, basal half golden-ochreous. Hindwings dull golden- ochreous; cilia greyish, basal half fuscous. Melbourne, Victoria; one specimen in December. In the iometalla group. LITHOCOLLETIDa;. LiTHOCOLLETIS ^^DISMOCHRYSA, n.Sp. (J-9. 3-5 mm. Head, legs, thorax, and abdomen blackish, face and collar shining brassy-metallic, abdomen beneath sprinkled 24 NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN LEPIDOPTEEA, with brassy-metallic, especially . on three anal segments, which become wholly brassy. Antennas black, terminal | white. Fore- wings nan^ow, apex acute, hindmargin obliquely rounded; black, with three equidistant golden-metallic straight fascise, 1st from ^, 2nd from middle, 3rd from | of costa, and all ending on inner margin; base of wing somewhat golden-metallic; a short inwardly oblique golden-metallic tooth at apex, reaching about ^- across wing : cilia black, terminal half white. Hindwings very narrow, somewhat linear, blackish, thinly scaled; cilia six times as broad as wing, blackish. Broken Hill, N.S. Wales; bred freely in March, from plants. Mr. Mej'rick, who kindly identified this and several of the other species mentioned in this paper, stated some time ago in the Proceedings of the Society that the genus Lithocolleiis was unrepresented in Australia, but later he was able to describe a new species under the name of ac/Iaozona, which at the time he remarked was not truly indigenous, as the larvse were found feed- ing on a species of Desmodium, one of the Leguminosce, from which he inferred that the species was introduced with its food plant. In the present species it is a curious coincidence that the larvse were first found by Dr. Blaxland feeding on Ilardenbergia oval.a, also one of the eguminosoi, consequently I think that we have discovered a truly indigenous species, as it seems hardly probable (although possible) that the larva would feed on an indigenous plant, unless attached to the same. It may be an adaption to circumstances, but I hardly think so, as in close proximity were growing Cassia Brewsteri, and Ilardenbergia feniaphylla, neither of which shewed any sign of the larva, whereas the food plant was attacked in a most prolific manner. PLUTELLID.ffi. Plutella paeacycla n.sp. (J-9. 22, 25 mm. Head, palpi, antenna, and thorax white; antennal ciliations 1, second joint of palpi beneath fuscous, densely rough-haired, abdomen greyish, ochreous-tinged. Legs BY OSWALD B. LOWER. 25 fuscous, posterior pair greyish. Forewings elongate, dilated posteriorly, costa gently and evenly arched, apex rounded, hind- margin extremely obliquely rounded; pale whitish-ochreous; costal edge pale ochreous throughout, except at base which is fuscous; a fine fuscous dot in disc at 1, a second obliquely above and beyond; a moderate black dot at end of cell; a row of small black dots from just beneath costa at |- evenly curved around hindmargin and ending on anal angle : cilia rather broad, pale greyish-ochreous. Hindwings greyish; cilia as in forewings Var. A. All markings obsolete, except dot at end of cell. Broken Hill, N.S. Wales; four specimens in June. Notes on Synonymy. The following notes on synonymy have been compiled from personal inspection of the types. I am also indebted to Kirby's Catalogue of the Heterocera for several. RHOPALOCERA. Ialmenus Dameli, Semp. Mus. Godf. Lep. xiv. 166, 1878. I believe this species to be identical with the insect described by Dr. T. P. Lucas (Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland, vi. 156, figs. 1-2, 1889) under the name of Ialmenus Illidgei, which Miskin considers to be a geographical form of ictinus, Hew., a decision however with which I disagree. ^o"- Hesperilla dirphia, Hew. Descr. Hesp. p. 38, n. 2, 1868; Exot. Butt. v. Hesp. and Cyclop, f. 1-3, 1874: ^. Hesperilla trimaculata, Tepper, Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A. iv. p. 32, t. 2, f. 4, 1881 : J. IlesjjerUla quadrimaculata, Tepper, I.e. t. 2, f. 2, 1881. It will be seen that the male and female were described under d liferent names. 26 NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN LEPIDOPTERA, Pamphila gracilis, Tepper. Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A. iv. p. 34, t. 2, fig. 7, 1882. I am strongly of opinion that this species is identical with Hewitson's Astictojiterus (^Cyclopides) Cynone (Ex. Butt. f. 17, 1874). Unfortunately Mr. Tepper does not possess the type, but the balance seems in favour of Hewitson. The species is somewhat local and erratic in its appearance; my brother, Mr. Harold Lower, took it very commonly at the Semaphore, South Australia, in March. Hesperilla atralba, Tepper. Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A. iv. p. 33, t. 2, f. .5, 1881; Telesto dacty- liota, Meyr., Proc. Linn. Soc. KS.W. (2), ii. p. 831, 1887. It will be seen that Tepper's name has priority. Taractrocera flavovittata, Latr. Hesperilla Jlavovittata, Latr., Enc. Meth. ix. 768, n. 114, 1819 : Apaustus (^Ancyloxypha) agraulia, Hew., Descr. Hesp. p. 45, n. 3, 1868 ; Ollifi; Ann. Mag. N.H. (6), i. p. 360, t. 20, ff. 3, a.b., 1888 : Pamphila sunias, Feld., Sitzb. Ak. Wiss. Wien, Math. Nat. CI. xl. p. 462, n. 54, 1860 : Hesperilla bifasciata, Tepper, Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A. iv. p. 32, t. 2, f. 4, 1881. HETEROCERA. Agarista albamedia, Lucas. P.L.S.N.S.W. (2) vi. 301, 1891 : A. tetraplenra, Meyr., Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A. xiv. 194, 1891. Agarista tropica, Lucas. P.L.S.N.S.W. (2) vi. 302, 1891 : A. platijxantha, Meyr., Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A. xiv. 195, 1891. The descriptions of Lucas and Meyrick were, as will be seen, both published in the same year; but I believe the Linn. Society's Proceedings were published first, consequently I assume Lucas's name has priority. BY OSWALD B. LOWER. 27 Agarista contorta, Walk. Cat. Lep. Het. B.M. p. 45, 1864: Agarista casuarince, Scott, Austral. Lep. i. p. 24, t. 8, 1865. Agarista tristifica, Hb. Eutactis tristifica, Hubn., Zutr. Ex. Schmett. i. p. 28, ff. 165, 166, 1818: Agarista Leioinii, Boisd., Voy. Astrolabe, Lep. p. 176, 6, 1832. PORINA AUSTRALIS, Walk. Oxycanus australis, Walk., Bomb. 1574: Pielus maculosus, Feld., Reis. Nov. pi. Ixxxi. 1 : P. Kershawi, Lucas, P.L.S.N.S.W. (2) vi. 282, 1891. LiTHOSIA PRISTIXA, Walk. Cat. Lep. Het. B.M. xxxv. p. 1885 (1866) : L. chionora, Meyr., P.L.S.N.S.W. (2) i. p. 702, 1886. Calligenia placens. Walk. Barsine placens, Walk., B.M. Cat. xxxi. 251, 1864: Calligenia cydota, Meyr., P.L.S.N.S.W. (2), p. 705, 1886. Calligenia melitaula, Meyr. P.L.S.N.S.W. (2), i. 705, 1886: Miltochrista simulant, Butl., Trans. Eut. Soc. Lond. p. 382, 1886. Cluaca rubricosta, Walk. B.M. Cat. 208, 1864: Castulo bi^iotata, Walk., Char. Und. Lep. Het. p. 65, 1869. Kirby places the species first in the family Litliosiidce (p. 298), and later in the Liparidce (p. 491), a rather misleading effort. Philenora undulosa. Walk. Acontia undulosa. Walk., Noct. 792 : Philenora undulosa, Ros., Ann. Mag. N.H. (5), xvi. 382, 1885 : Tennessa Lyelliana, Lower, Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A., p. 148, 1893. 28 NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN LEPIDOPTERA, Hectobrocha pentacyma, Meyr. P.L.S.KS.W. (2), p. 707, 188G : //. multUinea, Lucas, oj). cit. (2), iv. 1072, 1890. Specimens of H. multilinea sent to me from Brisbane agree so well with the description of pentacymrb that I have no hesitation in placing them together. Meyrick's species was founded on a single specimen. CULAMA CALIGINOSA, Walk. Cosnus caliginosus, Walk., B.M. Cat. 1522, 1856 : C. rhyti- phorus, Lower, Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A. p. 147, 1893. Oncoptera intricata. Walk. Oncopera intricata, Walk., Bomb. 1559 : Oncoptera intricata, Meyr., P,L.S.N.S.W. (2), iv. 1124, 1889. An additional synonym is Hepialus fasciculatus. Walk., Char. TJnd. Lep. Het. p. 68, 1869. CEnosandra Boisduvalii, Newm. CEnosandra Boisduvalii, Newm., Trans. Ent. Soc, Lond. (2), iii. p. 286, April, 1856: CEnosanda DuponcheUi, Walk., I.e. p. 1713, May, 1856 : Teara ("?) luctipeanis, Walk., Char. Und. Lep. Het. p. 66, 1869. Newman calls the genus CEnosandra, and Walker CEnosanda. I adopt the former. Darala varia. Walk. B.M. Cat. iv. 890, 1855: 9. Golussa odenestaria, Walk., I.e. xxi. p. 288, 1860 : Darala succinea, Lucas, P.L.S.N.S.W. (2), vi. 290, 1891: Opsirhina tintinarra, Tepper, Comm. Native Ins. S.A. p. 29, 1890. MiCRODES SQUAMULATA, Gn. X. 298 : Oesymna stipataria, Walk., Char. Und. Lep. Het. p. 80, 1869. BY OSWALD B. LOWER. 29 MONOCTENIA VINARIA, Gil. G^nochroma vinaria, Gn. ix. 185, pi. vii. 2 : Balliace vetustaria, Walk., 290. An additional synonym is Afonoctenia decora, Walk., Char. Und. Lep. Het. p. 76, 1869. EUCHLORIS (lODIs) CITRO-LIMBARIA, Gn. Chlorochroma citro-limbaria, Gn. ix. 366 : lodis Illiclgei, Lucas, P.L.S.KS.W. (2), iv. 603, 1889. EUCHLORIS (lODIs) METASPILA, Walk. Comibcena metaspila, Walk., 580 : lodis eucalypti, Lucas, P.L.S.N.S.W. (2), iii. p. 1267, 1888. EUCHLORIS (lODIs) SUBALPINA, Lucas. P.L.S.KS.W. (2), iii. p. 1264, 1888. This is I believe identical with vertumnaria, Gn. Phallaria ophiusaria, Gn. An additional synonym is Smerinthus (?) Wayii, Tepper, Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A., v. 29, 1882. Kirby refers it to Colussa. Selidosema silicaria, Gr. An additional synonym is Tephrosia scitiferata, Walk., Ch. Und. Lep. Het. p. 77, 1869. DiASTicns australiaria, Gn. An additional synonym is Macaria comptata. Walk., Ch. Und. Lep. Het. p. 78, 1869. Selidosema excursaria, Gn. An additional synonym is Tephrosia fidgurigera, Walk., Ch. Und. Lep. Het. p. 77, 1869. Metrocampa biplaga, Walk. Azelina biplaga, Walk., Char. Und. Lep. Het. p. 75, 1869 : Metrocampa glaucias, Meyr., P.L.S.N.S.W. (2), vi. -644, 1891. 30 NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN LEPIDOPTERA, Mnesampela privata, Gn. An additional synonym is Azelina inordinata, Walk., Ch. Und. Lep. Het. p. 75, 1869. Epipristis minimaria, Gn. Hypochroma minimaria, Gn., Phal. i. 279, 443, 1857 : 7/. pavDula, W^alk., B.M. Cat. xxi. 435, 1860: Epipristis oxycynm, Meyr., P.L.S.N.S.W. (2), ii. 916, 1887. Hypochroma nyssiata, Feld. The insect figured in Reise Nov. PI. cxxv. 3, is I believe identical with Scceoptera marginalis, Walk., one of the Liparida', although the genus does not appear in Kirby's Catalogue of the Bombycina. Chlenias ochrosoma, Feld. The species figured in Reise Nov. PI. cxxxi. fig. 30, appears to be identical with Guenee's Stathmorrhopa beggaria, the variety with ochi'eous-Kned neuration of forewings. Grammodes ocellata, Tepp. Common Native Ins. S.A. p. 46, 1890 : G. excellens, Lucas, P.L.S.N.S.W. (2) vii. p. 257, 1892; G. cyanopa, Meyr. (MSS.). Ophyx ochroptera, Gn. Noct. ii. 236, pi. 32, fig. i : Thermesia tenebrica, Lucas, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland, viii. p. 89, 1892. Stericta habitalis, Gn. An additional synonym is Acrohasis subcultella, Walk., Ch. Und. Lep. Het p. 81, 1869. Semioceros murcalis, Walk. An additional synonym is Samea distractaUs, Walk., Ch. Und. Lep. Het. p. 73, 1869. BY OSWALD B. LOWER. 31 Mecyna polygonalis, Hb. An additional synonym is Tryphcena tineiformis, Tepp., Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A. v. 31, 1882. NOMOPHILA NOCTUELLA, Schif. An additional synonym is Stenopteryx corticalis, Walk., Ch. Und. Lep. Het. p. 73, 1869. Capua obfuscatana, Meyr. P.L.S.N.S.W. vi. 455, 1881 : an earlier name for this species is intractana, Walk., (Siierchia intractana) Char. Und. Lep. Het. p. 82, 1869. Cac^ecia postvittana, Walk. An additional synonym is Dichelia vicariana, Walk., Ch. Und. Lep. Het. p. 82, 1869. EULECHRIA BRACHYPEPLA, Meyr. P.L.S.N.S.W. vii. 524, 1882 : ZonojMala (1) stenoptera, Lower, Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A. p. 178, 1893. Glyphiptbryx cyanochalca, Meyr. P.L.S.N.S.W. vii. 185, 1882 : G. Lyelliana, Lower, Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A. 182, 1893. Blabophanes meliorella. Walk. An additional synonym is Tinea niveihractella, Walk., Ch. Und. Lep. Het. p. 84, 1869. Addenda : — Teara ruptimacula, Feld. Ochrogaster rtiptimacula, Reis. Nov. t. 95, f. 9, 1874. This I believe to be identical with Teara interrui^ta, Walk., B.M. Cat. 850, 1855. 32 NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN LEPIDOPTERA. Deilephila livornicoides, Lucas. Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland, viii. p. 73, 1892. This is simply a geographical form of the European livornic't, Esp. I have taken specimens of this species at Adelaide, S.A., Moe, Victoria, and Broken Hill, N.S.W., and there is a variation in each and every specimen, but not sufficient to warrant a new- species being formed. Lucas's types were from Queensland. T have seen a specimen bred at Adelaide from larvse feeding on Lucerne ( Medico go) . 33 STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN ENTOMOLOGY. No. VIII.— DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW TIGER BEETLES. By Thomas G. Sloanb. Megacephala spenceri, n.sp. Robust, ova], cylindrical. Elytra with a submargiiial row of widely placed punctures on each elytron. Upper surface metallic; elytra violaceous, inflexed margin piceous-black; prothorax black in middle of upper surface (some green intermingled with the black on the disc), sides purple shading to green on sides of disc; head green, becoming black on middle of occiput and vertex ; labrum piceous-brown ; mandiljles testaceous, inner margin and apex piceous; gulfe purple; mentum piceous; prosternum bluish; episterna greenish ; sides of body greenish, tending to blue on mesosternal episterna; mesosternum, metasternum and posterior trochanters piceous ; ventral segments black in middle, three basal segments green laterally, fourth with a slight greenish tinge towards sides, fifth black, apical segment black at base and testaceous at apex ; legs, palpi and antennae pale testaceous ; trochanters light brown. Head large, wider across eyes than prothorax, wide between eyes, lightly longitudinally wrinkled near eyes ; clypeal suture distinct; eyes large, prominent, hemispherical. Prothorax convex, a little broader than long (5 x 5*5 mm.), widest about middle, a little narrowed to base; anterior margin lightly sinuate on each side ; sides lightly rounded ; base sinuate (the middle roundly produced backwards), bordered on each side at basal angles, these rounded; median line well marked between anterior and posterior transverse impressions; anterior transverse impressions sinuate, very strongly impressed on each side, strongly marked and arcuate in middle; posterior transverse impression very strongly impressed. 34 STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN ENTOMOLOGY, Elytra o-\aI (12 x 7 mm.), convex, widest behind middle, widely rounded at apex; whole surface punctate; punctures small but deeply impressed on basal half, becoming more and more minute towards apex (obsolete at apex itself); three large punctures in a row on each side of suture, near base ; a row of seven or eight rather strong widely placed punctures about one and one-half millimetre from suture extending to about apical third; two well marked small punctures in a line on apical third behind and a little more distant from suture than the row of seven or eisrht; a submarginal row of widely and unevenly placed punctures extend- ing from shoulders to apex, a row of closely placed fine punctures along margin of sides. Length 21, breadth 7 mm. Hah. — Murchison River, West Australia (Coll. French). This handsome species is allied to M. cylindrica, Mad, but differs by its broader and less cylindrical shape, by the absence of the foveiform puncturation on the basal part of the elytra, &c. The elytra are wholly of a metallic blue colour with purple reflec- tions in changing light; the puncturation is close and without order ; the punctures are small and impressed in the smooth surface of the elytra (there being no raised interstices or rugosity on any part); they are coarser towards the suture than towards the sides and become very small a little before the middle; behind the apical third they can only be seen with a lens and at the apex itself become obsolete. Tetracha excisilatera n.sp. Q. Robust, oval, convex. Elytra widely oval, coarsely punc- tate on basal half of disc ; a subsutural row of widely placed punctures on each elytron; inflexed margin with a strong short emargination opposite third ventral segment. Head green, becoming black in middle of upper surface; mentum brown; pro- thorax (including under surface) green, becoming black along middle of up2:)er surface; elytra piceous-black tinged with green on punctate basal part, a yellow margin from humeral angles to apex, this margin triangularly dilatate and reaching about half wav to suture at anterior third; legs, antennte, palpi, labrum, and mandibles (excepting apex) pale testaceous; edge of labrum, teeth BY THOMAS G. SLOANE. 35 of mandibles, upper side of joints 2-4 of antennae and apex of posterior femora infuscate; subsutural row of punctures green at bottom; sides of body and of first thi-ee ventral segments green;, apical ventral segment and sides of fourth and fifth testaceous. Head large, feebly bifoveolate between eyes. Prothorax broader than long (3-3x4 mm.), widest at anterior transverse impression, a little narrowed to base, convex between anterior and posterior transverse impressions; these impressions strongly marked; anterior margin deeply and widely sinuate on each side. Elytra much wider than prothorax (8"5 x 6'2 mm.), rounded on sides, narrowed to base, very widely and obtusely rounded at apex ; each elytron widely subdepressed posteriorly on lateral parts of disc; punctate basal part oval, not extending along suture as far as middle of length; the dilatation of the lateral yellow margin hardly punctate ; all the elytra behind this dilatation Isevigate, subopaque; a row of widely placed fine punctures along margin; marginal channel punctate and greenish-black for a short distance behind shoulders; lateral border lightly arcuate at notch in inflexed margin. Length 12-14, length 5-5-6-2 mm. llab. — Barrow Creek, Northern Territory of South Australia (Overland Telegraph Line). Closely allied to T. basalts, MacL, but differing by the elytra having the yellow marginal portion much less widely dilatate behind the shoulders, the punctate basal area smaller (the punc- turation near the base not extending to the posterior part of the posthumeral dilatation of the yellow margin as it does in T. basalts), the lateral channel with a dark blue reflection behind shoulders, the inflexed margin with a deep emargination opposite third ventral segment, the apical ventral segment alone wholly testaceous (the fourth and fifth being testaceous only near the margins). Sent to me by Mr. C. French, Government Entomologist for Victoria, as coming from Barrow Creek. I have compared specimens with T. basalts, MacL, and found the difierences indicated above, which seem to me of specific value. 36 NEW SOUTH WALES FUNGI. By D. McAlpine. (Communicated by J. H. Maiden, F.L.S.) (Plates i.-ii.) The following ten species of New South Wales Fungi have been forwarded to me during 1896 by Mr. J. H. Maiden, Government Botanist. Of these six are new to science, three recorded for the first time from New South Wales and one on a new host from a new locality. They are thus classified : — Group— UREDINES, Brongn. Order— UREDINACE^, Brongn. 1. jEcidium eburneum, McAlp. Group- PYRENOMYCETES, Fries. Order- PE:aiSPOIlIACE.ffi, Fries. 2. ASTERELLA HAKE^, n.sp. 3. ASTERIDIELLA SOLANI, n.sp. Group— HYPHOMYCETES, Mart. Order— DEMATIACEiE, Fries. 4. Heterobotrys paradoxa, Sacc. 5. Helminthosporium conspicuum, n.sp. 6. FuMAGO vagans, Pers. Order— TUBERCULAPvIACEiE, Ehrb. 7. Bactridium versicolor, n.sp. Group— SPHAEROPSIDES, Lev. Order - SPHAEEIOID ACE^.^Sacc. 8. Phyllosticta soriformis, Cooke & Mass. 9. Septoria diospyri, n.sp. Group— USTILAGINES, Tul. Order— USTILAGINACE.E, Tul. 10. USTILAGO CRYPTA, n.sp. BY D. McALPINE. 37 1. ^CIDIUM EBURNEUM, McAlp. On legumes of Bossiaea heterofliylla, Vent.; September 1896; National Park, near Sydney (Maiden). This species has already been described on Bossiaea cinerea, R.Br., from Tasmania and Victoria (Proc. Roy. Soc. Vic. vii. N.S. 21, 1894), but is new for New South Wales. It was also found on legumes of Bossiaea rhombi/olia, Sieber, sent from Richmond, N.S.W., in November by Mr. Musson. 2. ASTERELLA HAKE^, n.SJ). (Plate i. figs. 1-3.) Forming black, soot-like patches on both surfaces of leaves, distinct or confluent, variable in size and shape, somewhat orbicular, commonly | inch, but may unite into much larger masses. Hyphce dark brown, thick-walled, septate, nodulose, branched, branches upright and rigid, 1\^ broad. PerithecAa depressed-globose, dark brown, rough, with a few adherent fibrils, 200-380 /i diameter. Asct clavate-obovate, subsessile, apex rounded, 8-spored, 35-40 x 22-24^. Sporidia at tirst colourless, then green, finally brown, 2-3 rowed, elliptic, uniseptate, slightly constricted, upper division usually slightly broader than lower, 22x9^. On leaves of Hakea dactyloides, Cav. ; September ; National Park, near Sydney (Maiden). With potassium-iodide-iodine solution the protoplasm of the ascus before the spores are formed and even up to the time when they assume the brown colour, is coloured bright' yellow, while the rest of the contents is of a pale bluish tint. The sub- hymenial tissue is also coloured yellow, but the accompanying material is all pale blue. Tt approaches A. Baileyi, Berk, k Br., but there the patches are reddish-brown and the sporidia are 37 /n long. The old genus Aster ina is now split up into several, according to the septation and colouration of the sporidia, but by those who 38 NEW SOUTH WALES FUNGI, object to spore-characters being considered of generic value, they are regarded as subgenera. I have followed the system adopted by Saccardo in his well-known " Sylloge Fungorum," also in his latest publication just received, " I Prevendibili Funghi Futuri secondo la legge d' analogia" (1896). Asterula, Sacc, has continuous hyaline spores (Hyalosporse), Asteronia, Sacc, has continuous brown spores (Phaeosporae). Asterina, Lev., has two-celled hyaline spores (Hyalodidyniag). Asterella, Sacc, has two-celled brown spores (Phaeodidynife). Asteridium, Sacc, has multi-septate hyaline spores (H5^alophrag- mise). And in the case of the specimen on Solanum viride with multi-septate brown spores, I have ventured to use Asteridiella' (Phaeophragmise). 3. Asteridiella solani, nsji. (Plate i. Hgs. 4-9). On upper and under surfaces of leaves, leaf -stalks and branches; forming densely crowded, minute, black, generally orbicular, often confluent, easily detachable, brittle crusts, with surface of leaf beneath of a pale brown or pale reddish colour. Mj'celium com- posed of an interosculating network of delicate, colourless, septate, luxuriantly branched hyphje, about 3 fi broad, and attached to matrix, gradually passing into the stouter coloured hyphse above it. Coloured hyphce dark brown, rigid, thick-walled, closely interwoven, septate, branched, 8-9^ fi broad, ultimate branchlets generally 1 -septate, knobbed and paler in colour. Ferithecia seated on crust in clusters, depressedly globose, black, rough with warty spines, 130-330 /i, the latter being the average full-grown size. Asci oblong to cylindrical, 4-spored usually, 38-64 X 13-26 /x (immature). Sporidia brown, oblong, 4-septate, slightly constricted at septa, rounded at both ends, 36-44 x 14-15/^. Pycnidia globose, golden-brown, opening by circular mouth and wall composed of small polygonal cells 100-140 /ix, along with perithecia. Sporules minute, subglobose or oval, hyaline or rarely brownish, 5 J x 3 /i or 4 /x diameter borne, on delicate hyaline, septate, branched hyphse. BY D. McALPINE. 39 On Solanum viride, R.Br.; Tintenbar, N.S.W. (Maiden). The crusted mycelium is readily removed, and is steel-grey on the attached surface. The asci when ripe seem to burst within the perithecium, hence the difficulty of getting a mature ascus. The sporidia, which are at first colourless, then greenish and finally brown, often germi- nate even within the perithecium either from one or more segments. They are stained greenish-yellow by potassium-iodide-iodine, and the other contents of the perithecia are similarly stained. Helminthosporhun solani, McAlp., was the name given to this species in the Agricultural Gazette of New South "Wales, Vol. vi. Part 12, p. 855 (1895), from a somewhat imperfect specimen, no perithecia being observed, but a few detached worm-like spores. On the leaves of Dlospyros car./>lli,u, F.v.M., three different fungi were found in July, viz., H''.teroh:)try>i paradoxa (?), Sacc, Fumago vagans, Pers., and Septoria diospyri, n.sp. Fumago and Ueterobotrys are what are called form-genera, from being simpl}' stages m the life-cycle of higher fungi, but until these higher stages are found, it will be convenient to record them. 4. Hetekobotrys paradox.^, (?) Sacc. On upper surface of leaf, forming minute black specks, scattered all over. Ilyplicc pale green, septate, and usually slightly con- stricted at septa, bi'anched, 5^ju broad. The irregularly shaped perithecium-like bodies consist of a parietal portion composed of small brown mulberry-like clusters, each cell about 4 /x in diameter, and a central portion of hyaline spherical cells, either isolated or united in chains, 7-11 /x diameter and imbedded in a gelatinous matrix. This occurs as a stage in Capnodium citricolum, McAlp., and has already been recorded in that connection from New South Wales. 40 NEW SOUTH WALES FUNGI, 5. Helminthosporium conspicuum, n.sp. (Plate i. figs. 10-11.) Hypophyllous, Effused, sooty-black, velvety, conspicuous patches, roughly orbicular unless at margin of leaf, sometimes about 1 inch in diameter. Mycelium composed of green, slender, septate, branched hyphfe, forming a regular pavement next to matrix, and brown, stout, rigid, thick-walled hyphse imbedded in and arising from the former. Green hyphce, with portions colour- less, average 2 ^ diameter. Brown hyphcE creeping, very thick- walled, giving rise to short, club-headed branches, or long gonidio- phores, 7i/x broad. Gonidiophores simple, erect, rigid, brown, straight or wavy, apex rounded and often paler than the rest, up to i mm. high and 5 p, broad. Gonidia clear brown, fusoid or elongated-fusoid, somewhat acute at one or both ends, often tapering towards base, not constricted, usually 3-septate, 24-28 x On leaves of unknown plant; New South Wales (Maiden). This species is quite distinct from any of the recorded Austra- lian ones. 6. FuMAGO vagans, Pers. (Plate i. fig. 12.) On under surface of leaf among the mealy pubescence caused by the numerous short, curved, hyaline hairs. This, which is the gonidial form of a Capnodium (C. salicimun, Mart.), has not hitherto been recorded for New South Wales. On leaves of Diospyros cargillia, F.v.M.; July; New South Wales (Maiden). 7. Bactridium versicolor, n.sp. (Plate ii. figs. 13-14.) Tubercles closely crowded, globose, hemisjDherical, black, but passing through fawn, pink and brown when young, firm, about BY D. McALPINE. 41 f mm. in diameter. Potassium-iodide-iodine differentiates the basal stratum from the gonidiophores by colouring the former yellow and the latter a beautiful indigo-blue, while the gonidia are coloured a very pale yellow. GonidiojyJiores compact, erect, colourless, septate, rounded at free ends, simple, 130-140 x 4 /x. Goyiidia hyaline, straight or slightly curved, elongated, linear- clavate, tapering towards attached end and blunt at the other, multiseptate, up to 15-septate, often decidedly constricted at septa, 47-60 x 31-41 ^. On bark of Tubernaemontana orientalis, R.Br.; April; Macleay River, N.S.W. (Maiden). The simple gonidiophores and multiseptate gonidia seem to point to Bactridium rather than Fusarium, but the firm, even hard, tubercles most resemble the latter. The numerous distinct septa of gonidia (12 being a common number) distinguish this at once from any described species with compact tubercles. 8. Phyllosticta soriformis, Cooke k. Mass. (Plate ii. figs. 15-17.) Spots on both surfaces of leaves, orbicular, commonly 2 mm. diameter and up to 5 mm., confluent and then may be ^ inch or more and sometimes entire surface of leaf is more or less a con- tinuous mass, pale reddish-brown without distinct margin, and sometimes entirely covered by the minute, black, densely aggre- gated, prominent perithecia. Mycelium composed of pale green, creeping, septate, much-branched anastomosing hyphse, 4-5 fi broad and producing two kinds of reproductive bodies, (o) Gonidia laterally and terminally at the ends of branches, bi'own, cylindrical, rounded at the ends, triseptate, slightly constricted at sejata, Helminthosporium-like, 17-20 x 5^-7^ fx. (b) Perithecia punctiform, run together, arranged like sori of uredines, sub- cuticular and buz'sting through cuticle. Sporules rod-like, hyaline, 4x1^. On leaves of Persoonia salicina, Pers., and /'. lanceolata, Andr., May-September; National Park, near Sydney (Maiden). 42 NEW SOUTH WALES FUNGI 9. Septoria DiosPYRi, n.sp. (Plate ii. fig. 18.) Perithecia epiphyllous, minute, membranaceous, brownish, with a few (about G) dark brown, flexuous, rigid, septate, sharply pointed appendages, associated with Heterobotn/s pm'adoxa, Sacc. >po7-ules hjaline, filiform, curved, slender, 5-septate, 40-45 x 1-li [x. On upper surface of leaf of Diospyros caryiUia, F.v.M.; July; New South Wales (Maiden). 10. USTILAGO CRYPTA, n.sp. (Plate ii. fig. 19.) Forming black masses within the flowering-glumes which wither up and still envelop the spore-masses. Resting spores globose or slightly elliptic, yellow to yellowish-brown, epispore smooth, dark- brown, thickish, 8-10 /x diameter or 8|^ x 5| jx. On PaniciDn, bicolor, R.Br.; New South Wales (Maiden). It differs from U. confitsa, Mass., in the non-pulverulent, not naked spore-masses; and from U. panici-miliacei in the smaller and narrower spores. EXPLANATION OF FIGURES. All the figures, unless otherwise stated, are magnified 1000 diameters. Plate i. Aster ella hakere. Fig. 1. — Ascus with sporidia of a clear brown colour. -Asci in which the shaded portions are stained with KI-I. -Brown sporidium. Asteridiella solani. -Immature asci ( x 540); b, probably mature. -Ini'iiature ascus treated with KI-I. -Sporidia, some of which are producing germ-tubes. -Surface view of pycnidium ( x 145). -Colourless filament inside pycnidium producing sporules. -Sporules. Fig. 2. Fig. ;l Fig. 4 Fig. 5. Fig. 6 Fig. 7, Fig. 8, Fig. 9, BY D. McALPINE. l3 He.lminthosporimn consjncimm. Fig. 10. — Free ends of gonidiophores with immature gonidia. Fig. 11. — Gonidia. Fiimago vagans. Fig. 12. — HyphiB with gonidia. Plate ii. Bactridium versicolor. Fig 13. — Terminal end of gonidiophore. Fig. 14. — Gonidia. Phyllosticta soriformis. Fig. 15. — Gonidia produced laterally and terminally. Fig. 16. — Section of leaf showing epidermal ceils and perithecia on surface ( X 145). Fig. 17.— Sporules ( x 600). Septoria diospyri. Fig. 18. — Sporule. Ustilago crypta. Fig. 19. — Resting-spores. 44 NOTES AND EXHIBITS. (With the exception of the last one, the following exhibits were unavoid- ably held over from the last Meeting.) Mr. Fletcher exhibited two moths (Ghrysiqohona occultans, Don.) bred from caterpillars forwarded by Mr. A. Simson of Launceston, because of their striking resemblance to the leaves of the sprouting shoots of Eucalyptus amygdalina, on -which they were found to be feeding. Also, for Mr. C. T. Musson, a specimen of a day-flying moth (Agarista Macleayi), one of a number whose stridulating powers attracted attention on the 9th Nov., at the Kurrajong Heights. Thovigh known to Mr. Masters as a sound-producer, there would appear to be no previous recorder of it in this capacity, nor is it included among the stridulating species of Australian lepidoptera mentioned by Messrs. H. Edwards, H. Tryon and G. F. Hampson. Also a specimen of a plant, Bossicea rhombi folia, Sieb., infested with a fungus, ^cidium eburneum, McAlp., unrecoi'ded from New South Wales. Also specimens of a beetle (Rhopoia soror or an allied species) which appeared in prodigious numbers in the paddocks of the Hawkesbury Agricultural College at Richmond, during the last two or three weeks of November. At night time they were distinctly audible at some distance. Large numbers came into the houses, attracted by the light. "With them were associated a few specimens of Anoplognathus. Many of the specimens of Rhop?ea were noticed to be infested with a spider mite, doubtless a species of Gamasus. Mr. Trebeck exhibited a specimen of a fish, Solenognathus spinosissimus, from Middle Harbour. 45 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28th, 1897. The Ordinary Monthly Meeting of the Society was held at the Linnean Hall, Ithaca Road, Elizabeth Bay, on Wednesday even- ing, April 28th, 1897. Professor J. T. Wilson, M.B., President, in the Chair. Messrs. H. H. Edwards, Perth, W.A.; W. Forsyth, Centennial Park, Sydney; G. A. Waterhouse, Waverley; and A. J. Haynes, Darlinghurst, were elected Members of the Society. The President brought under the notice of the Meeting a circular letter from the President of the Royal Society of London, giving particulars of the Victoria Research Fund which it is proposed to establish in commemoration of the present 60th year of the reign of Her Gracious Majesty the Queen, the income of the Fund to be applied to the advancement of science in all parts of the British Empire. DONATIONS. Zoologischer Anzeiger. xx. Band. Nos. 524-525. (Feb. -March, 1897). From the Editor. Pharmaceutical Journal of Australasia. Vol. x. No. .3. (March, 1897). From the Fditor. Natural History Society of New Brunswick — Bulletin. No. xiv. (1896). From the Society. College of Science, Imperial University, Japan — Journal Vol. ix. Part 2 (1897). From the Director. Soci^te Royale Linneenne de Bruxelles — Bulletin xxii."° Annee, No. 5 (Fev. 1897). From the Society. 46 DONATIONS. U.S. Geological Survey — Sixteenth Annual Report (1894-95). Part 1. From the Director. Johns Hopkins University — Memoirs from the Biological Laboratory. Vols, ii.-iii. (1893-95) : Hospital Bulletin. Vol. viii. No. 72 (March, 1897). From the University. American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia — Proceedings. Vol. XXXV. No. 151 (1896). From the Society. Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia — Proceedings, 1896. Part ii. From the Academy. American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Boston — Proceed- ings, n.s. Vol. xxiii. (1895-96). From the Academy. Cincinnati Society of Natural History — Journal. Vol. xix. No. 1. From the Society. K. K. naturhistorisches Hofmuseum, Wien — Annalen. Band X. Nr. 3-4. From the Director. Gesellschaft fiir Ei'dkunde zu Berlin — Verhandlungen. xxiii. Band. (1896), No. 6 ; Zeitschrift. xxxi. Band. No. 3. From the Society. Verein fiir vaterlandische Naturkunde in Wiirttemberg — Jahr- eshefte. Hi. Jahrgang (1896). From the Society. L'Academie Imperiale des Sciences de St. Petersbourg — Memoires. viii^. Serie. Vol. ii. pi-.o-^^ Fasc; iii. 2""^ Fasc; iv. 1*"" Fasc. From the Academy. Museum d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris — Bulletin, 1896. No. 7 : Nouvelles Archives, iii"® S^rie. T. viii. 1-2. From the Musetim. Journal de Conchyliologie. 3™ Serie. T. xxxv. (1895). From the Editor. Societe des Sciences Naturelles de 1' Quest de la France — Bulletin. T. vi. (1896) 3°^"' Trimestre. From the Society. Roj^al Society of Queensland — Proceedings. 'Vol. xii. (1896). From the Society. Royal Microscopical Society— Journal, 1897. Part i. From the Society. DONATIONS. 47 Hooker's "Icones Plantarum." Fourth Series. Vol. vi. Part i. (Feb., 1897). From the Bentham Trustees. Madras Government Museum — Bulletin. Vol. ii. No. i. From the Superinteiident. Bureau of Agriculture, Perth, W.A. — Journal. Vol. iv. No. 6 (March 24th, 1897). From the Secretary. Victorian Naturalist. Vol. xiii. No. 12 (March-April, 1897). From the Field Naturalists^ Club of Victoria. Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. Vol. viii. Part 3 (March, 1897). From the Hon. the Minister for Mines and Agriculture. University of Melbourne — - Exam. Papers : Final Honour, Degrees, etc. (Feb., 1897). From the University. "The Surveyor," Sydney. Vol. x. No. 4 (April, 1897). From, the Editor. Perak Government Gazette. Vol. x. Nos. 6-7 (March, 1897). From the Government Secretary. Oxford University Museum — Catalogue of Books added to the RadcliflFe Libraiy during 1896. From the Lihrarian. Societe Royale des Sciences, &c., de Liege — M^moires. 2"'® Serie. T. xix. From the Society. Auckland Institute and Museum — Report for 1896-97. From the Curator. Geological Survey of India — Memoirs. Vols, xxv.-xxvi. (1895- 96) : Records. Vol. xxx. Part i. From the Director. Australasian Journal of Pharmacy. Vol. x. No. 136 (April, 1897). From the Editor. American Naturahst. Vol. xxxi. (1897) No. 363 (March). From the Editor. American Museum Nat. Hist., N.Y. — Bulletin. Vol. ix. Articles 1-6, (pp. 1-110). From the Museum. Societe d 'Horticulture du Doubs— Bulletin. Ser. illust. No. 15 (Mars, 1897). From the Society. Societe Royale de Geographic d' Anvers — Bulletin. T. xxi. 1^'- Fasc. (1897). From the Society. 48 OK THE FERTILISATION OF EUPOMATIA LAURINA, R.Br. By Alex. G. Hamilton, . (Plate III.) This remarkable plant flowered plentifully in December, 1896, and I was able to make a series of observations upon it. The results fully support Robert Brown's hypothesis as to the method of fertilisation. He speaks of it in the following words : — " A singular part of the structure of Eupomatia lanrina consists in its internal barren petal-like stamens which from their number and disposition completely cut off all communication between the antherse and stigmata. This communication appears to be restored by certain minute insects eating the petal-like filaments, while the antheriferous stamina, which are either expanded or reflected, and appear to be slightly irritable, remain untouched. . . I have at least not unfrequently seen the barren stamina removed in this way, and as all the stamina are firmly connected at the base, and fall off" together, it is difficult to conceive any other mode of exposing the stigmata to the influence of the anthene " (1). In another place (2) he speaks of it in almost identical terms. The late Dr. G. Bennett says : — " The Eupomatia laurina is found in woods and thickets about Port Jackson, and is abundant in the Illawarra district about the mountains. It flowers from December to February. The branches are long and drooping with handsome dark green laurel-like foliage, producing small white flowers of most singular structure and delightful fragrance. In December the trees are covered with a profusion of white waxy flowers emitting an odor similar to that of Magnolia fuscata. The only insect I observed on the flowers was a small Curculio similar to that seen on the Eupomatia in Illawarra." In two footnotes he adds : — :' Another species has been discovered in Moreton Bay District (Q.) with small but elegant variegated BY ALEX. G. HAMILTON, 49 flowers; it is figured in Sir Wm. Hooker's series of Curtis's Bot. Mag. Vol. SI, PI. 4848, and Dr. Mueller, the Director of the Botanic Gardens at Melbourne, has done me the honour of naming it E. Bennetti. . . : The late Dr. Brown observed a sinffular part of the structure [Dr. Bennett here quotes the above passage].'' In 1834 Dr." Brown requested me to observe in Australia the ceconomy of these flowers, and to ascertain whether his statements were correct, and, if so, what insect is employed in the operation. On my friend Dr. H. visiting Illawarra, I desired him to make the necessary observations, as the Eiipomatia was abundant in that district, and the only insect he found upon it was a small brown Curculio " (3). In Curtis's "Botanical Magazine" (Vol. 81, t. 4848), E. Bennetti is figured and described under the name of E. laurina. The text says :— " The flower then, as seen in the figure, consists of a turbinate green receptacle, on the thickened edge of which the numerous stamens are arranged in many series, of which the outer are antheriferous, consisting of a broad subulate filament, with a linear cell on each margin, opening longitudinally; all the inner stamens ai'e abortive, large, petaloid, obovate, yellow stained with orange or blood-colour at the base, especially the inner ones, and have exactly the appearance of a many-petalled corolla, of which the outer ones spread so as to cover and conceal the perfect stamens, while the inner ones are connivent, and almost conceal the ovaries. The outer of these petaloid stamens have the disc beset with conspicuous, stipitate globose glands, and the margin with stellated hairs, while the rest have both on the disc and the margin, stipitate glands. In Mr. Brown's plant, the petaloid abortive stamens are small and connivent, much shorter than the spreading fertile stamens, and destitute of the remarkable glands and stellated hairs " (4). These are the only references I have been able to find to the peculiar structure of the flower, apart from descriptions in Fl. Aust. and Fr. Phy. It is figured in the Atlas to Brown's Botany of Terra Australis, t. 2, but I have not seen the figure. 50 FERTILISATION OF EUPOMATIA LAURINA, R.Br. The plant is a small tree growing plentifully near water-courses in Illawarra. The branches are long, thin and curved; the leaves light (not dark, as described by Brown) green with a varnished surface, oblong lanceolate in shape and recurving at the margins for a short distance above the petiole (figs 11 and 12); sometimes in leaves on young shoots from a felled tree, the fold forms a tooth (fig. 13). They resemble folds described as Domatia by Dr. Lundstrom in the oak and other plants, but I have not observed Acarids in them. "Sepals and petals completely consolidated into one mass, the upper part falling ofif in a conical lid, leaving the lower campanulate tube (or enlarged peduncle), filled with the thick flat-topped torus" (Bentham, F\. Aust. i. p. 54). The stamens are of two kinds: — (1) The inner barren staminodia, broad, flat, and waxy, and described as greenish-yellow, but I have never seen them any other than ivoiy-colour. On the margins, in one or two instances, I have observed microscopic stellate hairs similar to those figured in the Botanical Magazine on E. Benneth, but much smaller. These staminodes are in sevei'al rows, the inner rows leaning over the centre of the flower and entirely cutting off all access to it, the outer rows standing up all round (fig. 3, s). Outside of these is — (2) A row of fertile stamens, which in the bud are closely pressed together over the staminodia (fig. 2); but when the flower opens they gradually reflex till they i-each a pendent position (fig. 3, a). The base of the filament is wide, thin, and concave, and when the open flower is touched, they move in a manner suggestive of irritability, as Brown pointed out, but I am certain that they are not sensitive in this way. The pollen grains are usually like a double-concave lens, but take other irregular shapes also (figs. 5 and 6). The carpels are many, and are inserted in the fleshy torus (fig. 8). The stigmas are sessile on the disc. When the flower opens, the whole of the disc and stismas are moist, and I have not been able to make out whether they are then ready for pollination or not, but from the short time that the flower lasts, I imagine that they are in a fit state when it opens. The fruit is several-celled, formed of the enlarged calyx-tube, usually broadly turbinate, and about | of an inch in BY ALEX. G. HAMILTON. 51 diameter. When ripe it is soft and purplish-red (fig. 7). The flowers are solitary in the axils, but frequently grow out from the trunk of the tree, a characteristic that belongs to others of the same natural order, as Wallace says of a PoIyaHhia in Borneo, that the slender trunk was completely garlanded with star-shaped flowers (5). Ficus aspera and Castanospermum australe have the same habit, which Wallace thinks belongs for the most part to tropical trees. The flower opens in the early morning, and closes about 5.30 p.m. on the same day, the ring of staminodia and stamens dropping off entire the same night or early next day. These fallen flowers are very peculiar in appeai'ance, quite unlike any blossom I have ever seen before. They resemble small sea-anemones more than anything else I can think of, and have a general uncanny appear- ance. The thin expanded bases of the filaments cause the stamens to tremble and wriggle in a way very suggestive of animal life. They have a very strong rich penetrating scent with reminiscences of other odours. Sometimes, as Bennett says above, it was like Magnolia fuscata, then one got a whiff" of decaying pine-apple, ^nd at times there seemed to be an intermingling of stale fish. A single flower in a room was quite sufficient to till it with the perfume, and after handling the flowers, the smell clung persist- ently to the fingers. In previous years I had found stray blossoms at various dates from November to February, but in 1896 all the plants I could find flowered from the ISth to the 25th December, and after the latter date I could not find a single flower. Having read what Brown and Bennett wrote about the insects frequenting the blossoms, I watched a tree near my residence for some time before it flowered, and specially searched for the Curculios, but could find none. On the 18th December I found two flowers open, but for a moment did not recognise them as flowers, as they were covered with a crawling mass of beetles. Yet the evening before I had examined the tree closely (it is a shrub of about eight feet in height) without discovering a single insect. When the branches were jarred, the beetles dropped off the flowers to the ground. Later in the day I again examined 52 FERTILISATION OF EUPOMATIA LAURINA, R Br. the two flowers, and found that the beetles had eaten holes in many of the staminodia, and had penetrated to the heart of the flowers. On the discs rested a mass of debris, excrement and pollen-grains. The outer fertile stamens were untouched. The edges of the stamens and staminodes were turning a rusty brown. Next morning I found the two rings of stamens and staminodes beneath the tree, now rusty-coloured all over, as if decaying, but still emitting the characteristic scent. On this day — the 19th — no flowers were open, and again a careful search failed to reveal beetles anywhere on the plant. On. the 20th December four flowers were open and covered with the insects, and on removing the central staminodes, I found several had penetrated to the disc. On the 21st almost every flower was open — some hundreds in number — and in every one I examined, the beetles were present on the outside, or within the staminodes — very often in both positions.. As the day wore on, almost all of them disappeared, having made their way into the closed interiors. On visiting the tree at 9 p.m. I found that in almost all the flowers the fertile stamens had moved up to the bud position (fig. 2) covering the staminodes (which had also closed into the early position) closely. They were almost empty of pollen. In the morning almost all the previous day's, flowers had dropped, and in these, as well as in the few which remained in place, the stamens were again in the reflexed condition and very limp, and the staminodes in the open position, but still cutting off access to the disc. One flower which I had protected from beetles before the operculum dropped was still open and in its place; on shaking it a cloud of pollen flew out of the stamens. The dropped blossoms on the ground were swarming with beetles, but there were none on the discs of the flowers which had lost their stamens. Microscopic examina- tion of some of the insects showed that the tarsi, antennae, and the hairs with which they are covered were dusted with pollen, so that any beetles making their way into the disc of a newly opened flower would be likely to bring about pollination. Fertilisation appears to be effected by the beetles. These are attracted by the strong scent of the opening flower, and in alight- BY ALEX. G. HAMILTON. 53 ing on it, smear themselves with pollen from the fertile stamens, which at that stage have not reached the pendent position. They then bore into the disc through the staminodes, and continue eating the inner surface, at the same time j^lacing the pollen on the stigmas. Thus it would seem that the first few flowers opening would certainly be self-fertilised. But all opening after the first day would be likely to be cross-fertilised, as the beetles would bring pollen from the flowers previously visited. Almost every flower on two trees which I watched has developed a fruit, a fact not be wondered at when the large number of beetles visiting the tree is considered. When I first saw the beetles at work I was inclined to think that this was a case similar to the Yucca, in which the Yucca- moth stuffs the 23ollen into the hollow stigmas after depositing their eggs in the ovulary. But by careful observation I made sure that the bettles did not deposit their eggs about the flower, and that when the ring of stamens and staminodes dropped ofi", the disc was left clear of everything. And in sections since cut of large numbers of fruit, I have never found any larvae. I am, therefore, quite certain that the process of fertilisation is as I have described it. A remarkable fact is, that notwithstanding the strong scent of some hundreds of blossoms on this ti-ee. which w^as perceptible 20 yards away, no other insect visited them; although not far away there were hundreds of bees, butterflies, flies and other species of beetles at work on the blossoms of a myrtle bush. It would seem as if the plant deliberately laid itself out to attract the one species only. The most important question arising out of this extraordinary method of fertilisation is how it could have originated. Here we have a flower so constructed as to cut off pollen from its stigmas completely, unless it is placed there by extraneous means. What were the steps by which the plant developed a large number of sterile stamens adapted — first, to cut off access of its pollen; and, second, to be attractive to beetles as food ? And what first caused the beetles to visit the flower and so undo the self-imposed sterility of the plant 1 To these questions I am unable to offer any reply. 54 FERTILISATION OF EUPOMATIA LAURINA, R.Br. But a careful study of the structure of the stamens and methods of fertilisation in other plants of the Anonacese might reveal something of the line of evolution. It is the only plant of the Order with which I am acquainted; but on reading over the descriptions of the species of Ancaiia, PolyaWiia, and Melodorum in Moore and Betche's " Handbook of the Flora of New South Wales," I found that in all these genera the connective of the anther is described as broad and flattened, concealing the cells. Here there may be a clue to the line of development. Might I draw the attention of botanists in Queensland and on our northern rivers to the desirability of observing the fertilisation of E. Bennettil In this species the staminodes do not completely shut the disc up. It would be interesting to know if the same insect is concerned in the fertilisation, or an allied species. The beetle (Fig. 10) which is to be described as a species of EUf'Sclwdrs by the Rev. T. Blackburn in the next Volume of the Proc. Roy. Soc. of S.A. is one of the Curculionidte belonging to the group Elleschides It is about 2 mm. in length, and possesses many adaptations to the flower. Thus it is pro- vided with spurs on the inner aspect of the tibiae of the two front pairs of legs, and a comb-like series of points along the tibite whei'e the tarsi ai-e attached. These enable it to cling to the slippery surface of the staminodes and give it a tirm hold as it forces its way into the head of the flower. From its hairiness, it is well adapted to carry the pollen from one flower to another and thus to ensure cross-fertilisation. References. (1) Brown, R. — Miscellaneous Botanical Writings, Vol. i. p. 74. (2) ,, ,, — Botany of Terra Australis, p. 65; Atlas, t. 2. (3) Bennett, Dr. G— Gatherings of a Naturalist, p. 363. (4) Curtis— Botanical Magazine, Vol. 81, t. 4848. (5) Wall.\ce, a. R. — Tropical Nature, p. 35. BY ALEX. G. HAMILTON. OD EXPLANATION OF PLATE. Eupomatia laurina, R.Br. Fig. 1.^ — An unopened bud. Fig. 2. — Bud after the fall of the cap. Fig. 'i^. — The open flower ; a, fertile stamen.s ; -s, starainodes. Fis. 4. — A stamen. Fig. 5. — Pollen grains— dry. Fig. 6. — Pollen grain in clove oil. Fig. 7.— The fruit. Fig. 8. — Longitudinal section of fruit. Fig. 9. — Transverse section of fruit. Fig. 10.— The beetle (EUeschodes spj. Figs. 11-13. — Bases of leaves, showing the folds. 56 DESCRIPTIONS OF THE NESTS AND EGGS OF THREE SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. By Alfred J. North, C.M.Z.S., Ornithologist, Australian Museum, Sydney. 1. Cracticus rufescens, DeVis. Rufous Crow-Shrike. The known range of the Rufous Crow-Shrike extends through- out the coastal scrubs of north-eastern Queensland from the neighbourhood of the Daintree River in the north to the Herbert River in the south. Future research will undoubtedly extend this i^ange both north and south, to all districts of tropical Queensland having a similar flora. Dr. Ramsay first drew attention to this bird at a meeting of the Linnean Society of New South Wales in November, 1877, from specimens obtained b}'^ Mr. Kendal Broadbent, near Cairns ; but stated that he believed it to be the young of Cracticus quoyi. In Volume II. of the Society's Proceedings, Dr. Ramsay fully describes it, and adds the following note : — " The only thing in favour of this bird being a distinct species is the fact that on six different occasions some of our best taxidermists have collected during the whole season in districts in which C. quoyi is plentiful, without once having met with any bird in a similar stage of j^lumage." Sub- sequently* Mr. De Vis described it as a new species, under the name of Cracticus rufescens, from specimens also obtained by Mr. Broadbent in the Tully and Murray River scrubs. Tt is beauti- fully figured by Dr. Sharpe in his " Birds of New Guinea"! from examples procui'ed by the late Mr. T. H. Boyei'-Bower on the Mulgrave River. Specimens were also obtained by Messrs. Cairn and Grant, who were collecting in the same locality on behalf of the Trustees of the Australian Museum. Mr. Grant * Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.VV. Vol. vii. p. 562 (1883). t Gould and Sharpe, Birds of New Guinea, Vol. iii. PL 16 (1875-88). BY ALFRED J. NORTH. 57 informs me that he usually met with this species in low-lying lands, searching for insects among the fallen leaves in open parts of the scrub. It is somewhat remarkable that during a period of eleven months' collecting in that part of Queensland in 1888-9 he never saw two Rufous Crow-Shrikes in company; it was alwa3^s one Rufous and one Black CrOw-Shrike. I have now two birds before me shot while feeding together in the scrub opposite Double Island. One is C. rufescens, the other is C. quoyi, and both are sexed as males, Mr. J. A. Boyd, who has resided fifteen years on the Herbert River, sent me two eggs of the former species, taken on the 26th of October from a nest on which the female was sitting, together with the following note : — " Yesterday a black gin brought me a pair of most peculiar eggs belonging to a species of Cracticus, which the natives call "Kulgo" from its note. The male is a very noisy black bird about the size of Eudynamis, the female brown. There is a great diffei'ence between the eggs, though in both the ground colour is very pale green. One is pyriform, with a lot of dark chocolate blotches on the larger end, and a band of green around the middle; the other is oval in form, a few ink-like marks taking the place of the blotches on the larger end, and the band around the middle is absent. The nest, which was built between the trunk and a couple of branches of a small tree overhanging Ripple Creek, was a simple construction of twigs without lining, and showing day- light all through. Both eggs are heavily incubated, and one is broken in two places by the gin's teeth, as she brought them down from the nest in her mouth." The eggs forwarded by Mr. Boyd are as described l)y him, and are only distinguishable from those of C. quoyi by being slightly larger, of a paler green ground colour, and rather more conspicuously marked. The narrow green band around the centre of one egg is purely an accidental marking; I have seen similar bands on the eggs of other species. Length (A) 145 x 1-05 inch; (B) 1-43 x 1-03 inch. In a subsequent letter, Mr. Boyd writes: — "Why this Cracticus is called riifesceus, I do not know; certainly the female is reddish- brown, but the male is jet black." Owing to these birds being 58 NESTS AND EGGS OF THREE SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS by no means common on the Herbert River, Mr. Boyd has been unable to grant my request for a pair shot at the nest. He has, however, forwarded a fledgehng, which was captured by a Kanaka girl on the plantation on the 26th of November, 1895. This specimen is almost similar in the character of its markings to the fully adult G. rvfescens, but it is darker in colour, and the rufous centres of the feathers on the upper surface are broader and of a deeper tint than in the adult; wings and tail dark brown; all the under sui'face light rufous, the feathers on the lower neck edged and tipped with blackish-brown ; total length 8 '5 inches, wing 4"5, tail 2"8, bill 1*4, tarsus 1'5. I have not seen the young of C. qtioyi, but it is described in the Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum* as being smoky-black. Upon the authority of Mr. Broadbent, and the late Mr. F. H. Boyer-Bower, Mr. De Vis and Dr. Sharpe respectively agree in describing the sexes of C. rufescens, as being nearly alike in colour. Why a Rufous and a Black Crow-Shrike should be always seen together, if not a sexual distinction of one species, is a mystery to me, and i look forward to our energetic member, Mr. Boyd, to solve it.f 2. Sphenura broadbenti, McCoy. Rufous-headed Bristle-bird. This fine Bristle-bird was discovered in 1858 in a dense scrub about twenty-four miles from Portland Bay, Victoria, by Mr. Kendal Broadbent, who presented a single example of it to the National Museum, Melbourne. It was first described by Sir Frederick McCoy in the Annals and Magazine of Natural History in March, 1867, who named it in honour of its discoverer. Sub- * Gadow, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus. Vol. viii. p. 95 (1883). t Since the above was sent to press, Mr. W. S. Day, who has been col- lecting in the neighbourliood of Cairns for the past seven years, writes me as follows : " Crarlim.^ rufescem^ is fairly common at Riverstone, sixteen miles inland from Cairns. I have shot a lot of them, but got very few on top of the range. The female is always brown and so is the young male, but the old male is black." BY ALFRED J. NORTH. 59 sequently the specimen from which his description was taken was forwarded to England to Mr. Gould, who figured it in his " Supple- ment to the Birds of Australia." For many years after but few of these birds had been obtained, and in 1883 evidently there was not an example of it in the British Museum when Dr. Sharpe prepared the seventh volume of the Catalogue of Birds, for on page 106 he there transcribes Sir Frederick McCoy's original description and his accompanying note giving the locality where the bird had been procured. By some oversight, however. Dr. Sharpe has erroneously recorded the habitat of this species as the "Interior of South Australia." The Rufous-headed Bristle bird is exclusively confined to the dense scrubs of south-western Victoria, and is probably more abundantly distributed in the ranges and gullies of the Otway Forest than elsewhere. The settlement of portion of this area, and the forming of marine resorts at Loutit and Apollo Bays, has proved that this bird is by no means a rare species, although, like its congeners, it keeps out of sight as much as possible, and its note is more often heard than the bii^d is seen. Two nests of this species found in the thick undergrowth of gullies in the Otway Forest were oval-shaped structures somewhat loosely put together with an entrance at the side, and were made externally of dried plant-stems, wiry fibrous roots and dried grasses, the inside being almost exclusively lined with rootlets. These nests were found in November, and each contained two fresh eggs. Two eggs now before me are of a dull purplish-white ground colour, one specimen having numerous freckles and spots of purplish-brown evenly distributed over the surface of the shell, and the larger end slightly tinged with slaty- grey; the other is similar in colour, l)ut is more finely and thickly marked, and has a darker cap of confluent markings on the larger end. These eggs are in form slightly swollen ovals, and are very thin-shelled. Length (A) 1-07 x 0-84 inch; (B) 1-09 x U-85 inch. In the original description of this species in the Annals and Magazine of Natural Histor}', and which has been ti^anscribed by Mr. Gould in his "Supplement to the Birds of Australia," the length is there given as 7 inches 9 lines. A young female now 60 NESTS A\D EGGS OF THREE SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS, l:>efore me measures from the tip of the bill to the end of the longest tail feathers 9 "9 inches. 3. Dendrocygna eytoni, Grould. Ejrtou's Tree Duck. The range of Ej'^ton's Tree Duck extends throughout the Aus- tralian colonies, but it is more sparingly distributed in the southern portions of the continent. In Tasmania and New Zealand it is only known as a very rare accidental visitor. After an abundant rainfall it is unusually plentiful on the Barwon, Warrego, and Macquarie Rivers in north-western New South Wales, but it is seldom seen in diy seasons. It is exclusively a fresh-water duck, and is generally met with in the shallow water near the margins of swamps and rivers, except during the breeding season, when it resorts to well grassed country some distance from water. Living chiefly on a vegetable diet, which consists principally of the tender buds of various aquatic plants, and grasses, its flesh is much esteemed as an article of food, and for delicacy of flavour is considered by some to surpass that of any other duck inhabiting Australia. Although vernacularly called Tree Ducks — but more commonly known as Whistling Ducks, from their peculiar sibilant note uttered only while on the wing — it is somewhat remarkable that the two species of Denclroci/gnn found in Australia should both nest on the ground, while all other members of this genus, with the exception of D. javanica, of India, resort to hollow limbs of trees, or build nests of sticks, if the deserted tenement of a crow, heron, or other bird is not available. For an opportunity of examining and describing the eggs of Ey ton's Tree Duck, I am indebted to an ardent sportsman and oologist,' who found these birds breeding near that famous resort of wild fowl, the Macquarie Marshes. While shooting at Buckiinguy on the 2.3rd of September, 1893, in the long cane grass, about one-third of a mile from an anabranch of the Macquarie River, he flushed one of these birds, which he quickly fired at, and it fell. As he mov^ed forward to pick it up, he BY ALFRED J. NORTH. 61 almost stepped on the nest which was built at the side of a tussock of cane gi^ass. It was a slight hollow in the soil, lined only with short pieces of cane grass, and contained nine fresh eggs. Evidentl}'' the ducks had just begun to lay, for although twelve of them were obtained, only one more nest was found that day, which was similarly constructed and had two fresh eggs in it. Later on in the same locality another nest was found containing seven fresh eggs. From these nests the ducks had made runs or tracks through the long grass to the water's edge. All of the eggs when found were immaculate, and entirely free from the usual feet marks of the female or stain of any kind. Two average eggs from the set of nine are oval in foi'm, tapering somewhat sharply towards the smaller end, and are comparatively small for the size of the bird. In colour they are milk-white, with an almost imperceptible tinge of cream; smooth in texture, and having a slight satiny lustre. The shell is thick and exceed- ingly hard, and the finder of the nests compared it to flint when he was engaged in drilling the eggs. Length (A) 1-92x1 "36 inch; (B) 1 '88 x 1 -36 inch. These eggs may be easily distinguished from those of any member of the family AnatiJce inhabiting Australia, by their being almost pure white. When held in the hand, and the shells are rubbed together, the sound produced is the same as if they were made of porcelain. 62 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES. By J. Douglas Ogilby. In the present paper two new genera are characterised, namely, Monnthrix for a Brotulid allied to Dinematichthys but differing in the dentition, the uniradial ventrals, tfec, and Austrophycis for a Gadid, closely allied to Physicidus and Silota, with the latter of which it agrees in the forward position of the anal fin, but differs in the dentition and other particulars. Full diagnoses are given of the clupeid genera Hi/perlophits and Potamolosa, in fulfilment of a promise made at last October's meeting. Ten species of fishes are described as new, namely, Septranchias Jiasivelli, SprateU- oides rohustus, Koivala casfelnaui, Ili/perlophus copil, JSIuyil hypselosoma., M. qeoryii^ Cesfrcsus norfolcensis, Odax attenuatus, Mo)iothrix polylepis, Austrophycis meyalops, and Otophidium genyopus. Opportunity has also been taken to make some further remarks on Psendomuyil siynifer and Dermatopsis macrodon. While examining the specimens of the notidanoid sharks con- tained in the collections of the Australian and University Museums, I came upon the curious jaws of which I give a description below : — Heptranohias haswelli, sp.nov. Upper jaw. — Median tooth well developed, subulate, bent backwards but with a distinct curve towards the left, and without basal cusps; it is followed by three similar teeth and flanked by a pair of similar and but slightly larger teeth, which are directed outwards and backwards, and are provided with an inconspicuous cusp on either side of the base ; these two together with the anterior tooth of the median series are inserted in advance of the functional row, which are on the same level with the second tooth of the median series; behind each of the lateral pair are three teeth which increase in size posteriorly, the last two being BY J, DOUGLAS OGILBY. 63 provided with a pair of small cusps on either side of the base; the outer row consists of eight teeth (on each side of the second median tooth) which decrease in size from the front, and have each a prominent cusp directed moi'e or less obliquely backwards and one or more subsidiary cusps, the second and third having a single strong acute cusp at the base posteriorly, the fourth one anteriorly and two posteriorly, the others three or four on either side; the fourth, fifth, and sixth are about equally broad at the base and conspicuously broader than the others;* between the last serrated tooth and the angle of the mouth are ten series of small chisel-shaped teeth, each series consisting of seven teeth, those in front being the largest. Lower j a w. — Median tooth with a strong mesial cusp which is inclined towards the right and four lateral cusps on each side, the distal pair being the strongest; behind these are three similar teeth; the outer row of cutting teeth is inserted on a line with the anterior tooth of the median series; each tooth is provided with sixf functional cusps which decrease in size from the front in regular gradation, the anterior and principal cusp having from five to seven serrte on its basal edge in front; these serrte increase in size outwards; the third and fourth teeth are the largest, and there are four series behind the outer row; as in the upper jaw, there are ten series of chisel-shaped teeth beyond the last cutting tooth. Dimension s. — The distance between the base of the median tooth of the upper jaw and the end of the dentigei'ous portion of the palato-quadrate is three-fourths of its distance from the angle of the mouth, which is a little less than that between the last teeth of each ramus and five-sixths of that between the angles of the mouth; the distance between the middle of the base of the lower median tooth and the end of the last cutting tooth is two- thirds of the space between the two posterior cutting teeth. * Owing to the state of the jaws, I am unable to say how many series of teeth are present. t Sometimes a minute seventh cusp is present. 64 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, Depth of gape (from angle to base of median teeth).. 212 mm. Width of gape (from angle to angle) 160 ,, The history of this pair of jaws, which is in the University Museum and is labelled "Cape of Good Hope?" is most unsatis- factory ; briefly, as related to me by Mr. George Masters, the Curator, it amounts to the following : — The specimen originally formed part of the old collection made by W. Sharpe Macleay, and it was only after that gentleman's death that the label was attached by order of the late Sir William Macleay, but on what grounds he believed it to come from the Cape Mr. Masters does not know. It is plain, therefore, that the locality given on the label cannot be depended on. As the individual from which these jaws were taken is unknown, I cannot be certain as to which of the recent genera of notidanoid sharks the present species properly belongs, but it plainly comes nearest to Hepirancliias in the presence of a strong coronal cusp to the median tooth of the lower jaw, a character which is found only in the Sqnalus cinereus of Gmelin, which is the type of Rafinesque's genus ; in that species, however, the symphysis of the upper jaw is toothless. I have much pleasure in dedicating this n(^w and interesting Notidanid to my friend Prof William A. HasweU, whose important paper on the NotorhyncJius imlicus was published in our Proceedings some years ago. Spratelloides robustus, sp.nov. D. 11-12. A. 10-11. Sc. 43-45/9. Body rather short and stout, with the ventral profile slightly more convex than the dorsal; head moderate, its length 3| to 4^, the depth of the body 44 to 5^ in the total length; width of the body 1| to 2 in its depth; depth of the head If to If, width of the head 2| to 24, of the interorbital region 4|- to 5, diameter of the eye 3^ to 31 in the length of the head; interorbital region flat; snout moderate, as long as or a little longer than the diameter of the eye. Premaxillaries inconspicuously emarginate in front ; BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 65 maxillary moderately broad and falciform, with its lower border entire, its distal extremity rounded and extending to or a little beyond the vertical from the anterior margin of the eye ; its length is 24 to 3 in that of the head, and its greatest width is 2|- to 2-2- in its length. No perceptible teeth. Opercle with its hinder border sinuous, its lower border linear and slightly oblique, and its length 1~ to 14 in its depth; subopercle very narrow; limbs of the preopercle meeting almost at a right angle, the lower not produced, the posterior linear and subvertical. Thirty-two or thirty-three gill-rakers on the lower branch of the anterior arch, the longest 14 to 2 in the diameter of the eye. The space between the origin of the dorsal fin and the extremity of the snout is 14 to 1 ^^'^^ in its distance from the root of the caudal; the second or third ray is the longest, about two-fifths longer than the base of the fin and 1|- to 14 in the length of the head; the outer border is truncated or very slightly rounded : anal tin with the outer border emarginate, the third and fourth rays the longest, as long as or a little shorter than the diameter of the eye, and 1-i- to 1^ in the length of its base, which is less than that of the dorsal, and as long as or a little shorter than its distance fi'om the caudal ; the last ray is thickened, profusely branched, and a little produced, and extends when laid back mid- way to the root of the caudal : ventral fin inserted from one- tenth to one-fifth nearer to the base of the caudal than to the extremity of the mandible, with the outer border rounded, the first ray simple and not quite so long as the second and third, which are If to 2^ in the length of the head : pectoral fin with fourteen rays, the outer border rounded, the second ray simple and scarcely shorter than the third, which is longest, If to If in the length of the head : caudal fin forked, with the lobes sub- equal, 1-| to li in the length of the head; the least depth of its peduncle is about one-fourth less than its distance from the anal. Scales smooth; axillary scale of the pectoral well developed, lanceolate, much longer than that of the ventral, which is rather shorter than the diameter of the eye; a pair of oval scales along the basal half of each caudal lobe. 5 €6 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, Upper surface of head and bodj' deep ultramarine-blue, the sides and lower surfaces silvery more or less tinged with violet; snout and preorbitals mostly silvery : dorsal fin with a few dark dots, especially on the anterior rays : irides golden, clouded above with blue. Distribution . — Coast of New South Wales. Length to 70 millimeters. Type in the Australian Museum, Sydney ; register number I. 3668. I am unable to give any information with respect to this* species beyond the fact that it visits our shores annually, some- times in enormous numbers, during the late summer and the autumn months. Not more than half a dozen examples have, however, come under my notice, and neither of the two dissected showed any symptoms of breeding. Mr. Edward Skinner, of Manly, tells me, however, that it is well known to the fishermen, by whom it is called " Tailor Maray," on account of the number of Tailors (Pomato7nus saltatrix) which invariably accompany and feed upon them. KOWALA CASTELNAUI, sp.nOV. D. 17-19. A. 19-21. Sc. 44-45/12. Body ovate, the ventral profile much more convex than that of the dorsal; head rather short and deep, its length 34 to 44, the depth of the body 2f to 34 in the total length; width of the body 2^ to 2^-^ in its depth; depth of the head 1 to 1^, width of the head If to 2, of the interorljital region 'i\ to 3|, diameter of the eye 24 to 3 in the length of the head. Eye large, with the adipose lid well developed; interorbital region slightly convex; snout short and broad, one-fourth to one-third of a diameter shorter than the eye. Premaxillaries forming together a con- spicuous emargination anterioi'ly; lower border of the maxillary rounded and finely denticulated, the upper border notched towards the tip; the distal extremity is rounded and extends to or not quite to the vertical from the anterior margin of the pupil; its BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 67 length is 2 to 24 in that of the head, and its greatest width is 2'i to 24 in its length. Both iaws with a sina;le series of small teeth anteriorly; a few small teeth on the palatines and along the median ridge of the tongue; vomer and pterygoids toothless. Opercle with the posterior border sinuous, the lower border oblique and feebly convex, its length 2| to 2f in its depth; sub- opercle deep and rhomboid, with the lower angle rounded, the upper border bent upwards and forming an acute angle with the hinder border, and its depth about three-fourths of its length; lower limb of preopercle extending forwards to below the front margin of the eye, the angle broadly rounded, the posterior border gently emarginate and vertical. Forty-four to forty-six gill-rakers on the lower branch of the anterior arch, the longest about a half of the diameter of the eye. The space between the origin of the dorsal fin and the extremity of the snout is li to 1^- in its distance from the root of the caudal; the fourth ray is the longest, a little longer than the base of the fin, and li to 1| in the length of the head; the outer border is slightly emarginate : anal fin with the outer border emarginate, the thii'd ray the longest, as long or nearly as long as the diameter of the eye, and 1| to If in the length of its base, which is much less than that of the dorsal; the last ray is somewhat produced, and extends when laid back nearly to, to, or a little beyond the base of the caudal : ventral tin inserted much nearer to the base of the caudal than to the extremity of the lower jaw, with slightly convex outer border, the first ray simple and not quite so long as the second, which is 14 to 2 in the length of the head : pectoral fin with fifteen rays, and the outer border rounded, the third ray the longest, reaching to or a little beyond the vertical from the origin of the dorsal, and 1^ to 1^ in the length of the head : caudal fin deeply forked, with the lower lobe somewhat the longer, from two-fifths to one-half longer than the head; the least depth of its peduncle is more than twice its distance from the anal. Scales thin, each with three or four vertical striaj, which usually branch off from a median longitudinal stria, and with the free margin entire; axillary scale of the ventral small and triangular, 68 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OP AUSTRALIAN FISHES, its length from four-sevenths to four-ninths of a diameter of the eye ; base of the caudal tin scaly ; sixteen to eighteen strong- keeled scales in advance of and eleven to thirteen behind the origin of the ventral tin. Temporal region with three or four well marked parallel striae; postfrontal area quadrangular, broad- ening and converging posteriorly, and traversed by a few coarse strife; opercle with a single strong stria anteriorly and sometimes a few weaker ones along the lower border. Upper surface blue, the back with one, two, or three more or less distinct golden, dark-edged bands, sides and lower surfaces silvery ; cheeks and opercles with a golden tinge : dorsal and caudal fins more or less tinged with yellow and with their extremi- ties black; in the foniier the outer border is often deeply margined with black, and the short anterior rays are densely dotted with the same colour, while there is an inconspicuous, oblique, dusky band along the middle of the fin : irides golden, clouded above ' with blue. Castelnau's Herring, which is the Herring pai' excellence of the Sydney tishermen, has been generally confounded by New South Wales authorswith the hypselosoma of Dr. Bleeker,* but the difi'er- ences pointed out below will at once ser^•e to distinguish it from that species, and I am unable to find any other with which it agrees more closely. In order to promote facility of comparison I have placed the differences on which I base my conclusions in parallel columns as below : — K. hypselosoma. K. castelnaui. Base of the anal fin as long Base of the anal fin much as that of the dorsal. shorter than that of the dorsal. Ventral fins inserted midway Ventral tins inserted much between the extremity of the nearer to the base of the caudal mandible and the base of the than to the extremity of the caudal. mandible. * In my Edible Fishes and Crustaceans of New South Wales, 1893, this fish was inadvertently named sundaica, a species from which it is of course entirely distinct. BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 69 J{. liypselosoma. Pectoral fin as long as the head, and reaching well beyond the origin of the dorsal. Caudal fin 3i to 4i in the total length Least depth of the peduncle equal to the free space between the anal and caudal fins. Dorsal fin unicolorate. K. castehiaui. Pectoral fins much shorter than the head, and reaching to or nearly to the origin of the dorsal. Caudal fin 2i to 31 in the total length. Least depth of the peduncle twice the space between the anal and caudal fins Dorsal fin tipped with black. In Dr. Gilnther's description of hypsehsoma the following passage occurs : — " Ventral fin inserted below the posterior half of the dorsal fin." This is quite incorrect both as regards the species under consideration and the figure of hypselosoma in the Atlas Ichthyologique, in which the ventral fins are directly under the middle of the dorsal, while Bleeker's description of ~ their position is ^^ media tertia parte ventralihus opposita." The great variation in the depth of the body in specimens taken from the same slioal is liable to make one look with suspicion upon the value of this character, so much insisted on by Dr. Bleeker. One fact is, however, worthy of notice, namely, that no matter what the depth of the body may be the length of the caudal fin is invariably equal to it, so that the more slender the body is the shorter is the caudal fin, and vice versa; in all other respects the two forms are absolutely identical. At the October meeting of this Society I undertook to define at an early date the two recent genera of Rough-backed Herrings, and I embrace this opportunity of redeeming my promise. HYPEPtLOPHIN^. Anterior dorsal and abdominal profiles more or less compressed and armed with bony serras; supplemental bone of the maxillary 70 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, narrow or wide; dorsal fin inserted above or a little behind the ventrals; anal tin moderate. Clupeids of small or moderate size, inhabiting the seas and fresh waters of south-eastern Australia and the western shores of South America. Two or three recent genera and four species are now known. POTAMALOSA. Pofamalosa, Ogilby, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, xxi. 1896, p. 504 (1897). Body oblong, strongly compressed. Cleft of mouth oblique,, the lower jaw projecting; premaxillaries but little emarginate anteriorly; maxillaries narrow. Teeth present in the jaws, on the palatines, and on the tongue; -s'omer and pterygoids toothless. Eye moderate, with the adipose lid little developed. Lower limb of preopercle short; suborbital bone longer than deep. Eight or nine branchiostegals ; pseudobranchi;e rather small ; gill-rakers in moderate number, rather short and stout, serrulate. Dorsal tin originating well in advance of the middle of the body; anal fin rather short and deep, composed of eighteen or less rays; ventral fins well developed, with eight rays; inserted below the anterior fourth of the dorsal; pectorals small and pointed, with sixteen or seventeen rays ; the upper ones the longest; caudal forked. Scales moderate and adherent, with the free margin rounded and entii*e; base of the ventral, pectoral, and caudal fins scaly; an elongate scale in the axil of the ventral; dorsal scutes, prominent, but not so strong as those of the abdomen, which originate on the front of the throat; rauciferous system almost confined to the main arteries. Bones of the head but little striated, the occiput almost, the opercle quite smooth. Vertebrae 46. E t y m o 1 o g y. — Trora/ioj, a river; AJosa. T y p e. — Fotamalosa antiqua, Ogilby. Distributio n. — Rivers of the eastern watershed of New South Wales. by j. douglas ogilby. 71 Hyperlophus. Hyperlophtis, Ogilby, Rec. Austr. Mus. ii. p. 26, 1892, and Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, xxi. 1896, p. 505 (1897). Body oblong or oblong-elongate, more or less compressed. Cleft of mouth oblique, the lower jaw projecting; premaxillaries mode- rately emarginate anteriorly; maxillaries broad. A band of small teeth along the middle of the tongue. Eye rather large, with the adipose lid much less developed in front than behind. Lower limb of preopercle short; suborbital bone longer than deep. Four branchiostegals ; pseudobranchia3 large ; gill-i'akers in moderate number, slender, serrulate. Dorsal fin originating on or behind the middle of the body; anal fin moderate and low, composed of nineteen or paore rays; ventral fins small, with eight rays, inserted in advance of the dorsal; pectorals small and obtusely pointed^ with sixteen rays, the upper ones the longest ; caudal forked. Scales moderate and adherent, with the free margin rounded and pectinated; base of the ventral and pectoral fins naked, of the caudal scaly; an elongate scale in the axil of the ventral; dorsal serrse feeble, not nearly so prominent as those of the abdomen, which originate on the front of the throat; muciferous system little developed and almost confined to the main arteries or greatly developed and extending well on the trunk. Bones of the head but little striated. Vertebrae 47. Etymolog y. — vnep, above; \6(l>o^, a crest; in allusion to the dorsal serrature. Type. — CJupea spratellides, Ogilby. Distributio n. — Coasts of New South Wales and ? Victoria; western shores of South America. The genus Hyperlophus naturally divides itself into two sections or subgenera, which may be characterised as follows : — a. Body oblong, strongly compressed, its depth equal to or more than the length of the head; ventral fins inserted well in advance of the middle of the body; muciferous system of the head feebly developed; a silvery lateral band (Hyperlophus) . Type. — H. spratellides. 72 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OP AUSTRALIAN FISHES, d . Body elongate-oblong, slender, moderately compressed, its depth less than the length of the head; ventral fins inserted at or a little behind the middle of the body; muciferous system of the head greatly developed, extending over the shoulders; no silvery lateral band (0 mo diet us) . Type. — H. copii. Hyperlophus copii, sp.nov. D. 15-17. A. 19-20. Sc. 48-50/11-12. Body oblong-elongate, the ventral profile more convex than the dorsal; head moderate, its length 4i to 4|, the depth of the body 4| to 5 in the total length; width of the body li to 2 in its depth; depth of the head H to If, width of the head 2\ to 2|, of the interorbital region 4^ to 5, diameter of the eye 2^^ to 2| in the length of the head. Orbit circular ; interorbital region slightly convex; snout rather short, as long as or a little shorter than the diameter of the eye. Premaxillaries forming together a well marked emargination in front; maxillary subtrulliform, with the lower border finely denticulated, extending to the vertical from the anterior border of the eye; its length is 2\ to 2f in that of the head and its greatest width 2^ to 2^ in its length. Opercle with its posterior border emarginate, its lower border oblique and gently rounded, and its length 1| to 1| in its depth; subopercle moderate and falciform, rounded below, terminating posteriorly in an acute point, its depth 24 in its length; lower limb of pre- opercle not extending forwards to below the middle of the eye, the angle rounded, the posterior border slightly convex and sub- vertical. Twenty-eight to thirty gill-rakers on the lower branch of the anterior arch, the longest 2 to 21- in the diameter of the eye. The dorsal fin originates a little nearer to the base of the caudal than to the extremity of the snout; the third and fourth rays are the longest, somewhat longer than the base of the fin, and li to If in the length of the head; the outer border is truncated : anal fin with the outer border truncated, the second or third ray the BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 73 longest, but little longer than the diameter of the eye, and 14 to 2 in the length of the base, which is greater than that of the dorsal fin and much greater than its distance from the caudal ; the last ray is thickened and divided to the base and extends when laid back about one-third of the distance to the root of the caudal : ventral fin inserted midway between the extremity of the mandible and the base of the caudal, with convex outer border, the first ray simple and a little longer than the second, 14 to 2 i in the length of the head : pectoral fin with the outer border rounded, the second ray simple and not so long as the third and fourth, which are the longest, 1| to If in the length of the head : caudal fin forked, with tine lobes equal, its length ly'y- to 14 in that of the head; the least depth of its peduncle is a little more than its distance from the anal. Scales with inconspicuous carinas radiating from the base ; axillary scale of the ventral rather small and lanceolate, its length about two-thirds of the diameter of the eye; dorsal serra- ture much weaker than the abdominal, originating immediately behind the occiput, and consisting of from twenty-eight to thirty- one keeled scutes; twenty or twenty-one scutes in advance of and fourteen behind the origin of the ^'entral fin, those immediately in front of the fin the smallest. A single coarse stria descends obliquely downwards and backwards from the origin of the lateral ridge of the occiput across the temporal region, the space intervening between it and the eye smooth; a small triangular area on either side of the occiput smooth or inconspicuously rugose; opercle with a more or less prominent stria parallel to and near its anterior border, its upper third with feeble radiating striae. Surface of the head almost entirely covered by a network of ramifying mucous canals, which extend over the five or six anterior scales of the humeral region in the form of a corselet and are overlaid by a delicate transparent epiderm. Pale greenish-silvery, with an obscure, dark-edged, silvery lateral band which becomes more prominent upon the tail and bifurcates at the root of the hypural bone; above this band all the scales are provided with a marginal series of blackish dots; 74 maxillaries and mandible with crowded, snout and interorbital region with more or less scattered similar dots; occiput deep blue; upper half of opercles with a dusky blotch ; lower half, sub-, inter-, and preopercles, and the cheeks silvery: dorsal and caudal jfins with a series of fine dots along each ray; a single conspicuous dot at the base of each anal ray : irides silvery, clouded above with deep blue. This beautiful species may now be definitely enrolled as a regular autumn visitor to our coast; the first specimens of which I know were obtained, by Mr. Whitelegge on the 31st of March, 1893, and a few specimens were also observed about the same time during the two succeeding years. Last year they appeared in large shoals in the middle of April, and they are again similarly abundant at the present time. I take the opportunity of dedicating this species to the late Prof. Edward Drinker Cope, who was the first to discover and desci'ibe a herring with a dorsal serrature, in recognition of his many and valuable services to science, and as a mark of personal esteem for a valued and much regretted correspondent.* Length to 100 millimeters. Type in the Australian Museum, Sj'dney; register number, I. 3669. MUGIL HYPSELOSOMA, Sp.nOV. D. iv. i 8. A. iii 8. Sc. 40-41/U-15. Body short and deep, not much compressed, the ventral profile much more convex than the dorsal. Length of the head 34 to 4, depth of the body 3^ to 3i in the total length; width of the body below the origin of the first dorsal fin If in its depth ;" * In the last letter which the author received from Prof. Cope, he expressed his intention of reviewing the genus Dij^Iomijstus in connection with the recent discovery of at least four living species. I am unaware whether this intention was carried out, but it appears to me that Cope's genus is clearly divisible into two. BV J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. O depth of the head If, width of the head If to 1 1, of the inter- orbital region 2i to '2^, diameter of the eye 3| to 4 in the length of the head; interorliital region very slightly convex; snout very broad and obtuse, a little longer than the diameter of the eye, its upper profile slightly convex. Mouth moderate, with anterior cleft, the lips thin; premaxillaries narrow, meeting below at an obtuse angle; maxillary reaching to the vertical from the anterior border of the eye, and a little longer than its diameter, its distal half only partially concealed beneath the preorbital bone; lower lip included; the dentary bones of the lower jaw forming a very obtusely angular (almost rounded) outline in front, with a very shallow notch intervening. Both jaws with numerous series of short, subclaviform cilia, the anterior row in the lower jaw separated from the others by a smooth interspace; ectopterygoids with a patch of minute teeth; vomer, palatines, and tongue smooth. Adipose eyelid well developed and moderately opaque, reaching anteriorly a little beyond, posteriorly to the edge of the pupil. Preorbital as wide or not so wide posteriori}- as the pupil; the hinder half, of the lower and the posterior borders finely serrated, the former without notch, the latter rounded. Gill- rakers short and slendei', 84 on the lower branch of the anterior arch. First dorsal fin originating midway between the base of the caudal and the extremity of the snout ; the spines are rather weak, the first straight, not mucli longer than the second, and 1|^ in the length of the head ; the third spine is considerably shorter than the second, and the bases of these three are in contact; the last spine is inserted far behind the other three and is very feeble, its length being 2i in that of the first; the space between the origins of the two dorsal fins is as long as or a little longer than the head; the first soft ray of the second dorsal is but feebly branched and not quite so long as the second, which is as high as the first dorsal fin; the last ray is considerably pro- duced, the outer border of the fin being deeply emarginate : the anal fin is inserted below the second dorsal, and the length of its base is If to IJ in its distance from the caudal; the first soft ray 76 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OP AUSTRALIAN FISHES, is the longest and branched, as long as or a little longer than the soft dorsal rays, and when laid back does not extend to the tip of the last ray, which is much produced, the outer border of the fin being moderately emarginate : ventral fin moderate and gently rounded, inserted a little nearer to the origin of the anal than to the extremity of the mandible, with a rather weak spine; the outer i^ay is as long as or a little longer than the second, lyQ to If in the length of the head, and 2|- to 2|- in the distance between its origin and that of the anal fin : pectoral fin but little pointed, the outer border sinuous, with sixteen or seventeen ra3's, the two outer ones simple ; the second ray is compressed and somewhat broader than the third, which is subequal to the fourth and longest, the distance of its tip from the origin of the first dorsal being two-thirds of the length of the fin, which is two- thirds of that of the head : caudal fin large and deeply emarginate, with the tips of the lobes acute, its length 3i in the total length; caudal peduncle moderately compressed and strong, its least depth 2| to 31 in the depth of the body and 1^ in its length. Scales cycloid; snout scaly; scales of the preorbital very small; four series of scales below the eye, one of which is on the intei-- opercle, along the upper and lower borders of which are one or two series of small subsidiary scales; axillary scale of the pectoral small; exobasal scale of the ventral as large as or a little lai'ger than that at the base of the spinous dorsal, which extends about half way along the membrane of the last spine; second dorsal and anal fins without scaly basal sheaths, but with a series of small scales extending outwards between the two or three anterior rays. Dark steel-blue above, silvery below, the sides with indistinct darker stripes along the rows of scales; sides of the head more or less tinged with gold : dorsal and caudal fins dusky, the latter with a tinge of yellow and narrowly bordered with blackish; anal and ventral fins silvery, with the basal third golden; pectoral fins with a narrow black basal bar above, and a biilliant silvery spot covering the rest of the base and extending some distance along the fin; remainder of the fin dusky with a narrow silvery border; BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 77 inner surface of the fin dark blue, growing gradually lighter outwards. During the season of 1896 I procured two specimens of this graj'' mullet from among the scores of dohula exposed in the market, these two having been taken respectively in Port Jackson and Botan}'^ Bay; the largest measured 420 millimeters and is in my possession. The great depth of this fish at once distinguishes it from dohula — the only species with which it could be confounded — and is the more remarkable because the examples of that species, in whose company my two specimens were taken, were all distended with more or less fully developed roe, while in these no signs of breeding could be discerned. 'o MUGIL GEORGII, Sp.nOV. D. iv. i 8. A. iii 9. 8c. 32/13. Body rather short and deep, moderately compressed, the dorsal and ventral profiles about equally convex. Length of head 4, depth of body 3| in the total length; width of body below the origin of the first dorsal fin 2| in its depth; depth of head 1^, width of head If, of interorbital region 2|, diameter of eye 3| in the length of the head; interorbital region convex; snout obtuse, a little longer than the diameter of the eye, its upper profile rounded. Mouth small, with anterior cleft, the lips thin; pre- maxillaries rather broad, meeting below at an obtuse angle; maxillary not reaching as far back as the vertical from the anterior border of the eye, as long as its diameter, concealed except at its extreme tip beneath the preorbital bone; lower lip included; dentary bones of the lower jaw forming an obtuse angle in front, where they are separated by a shallow notch, the articular bones not extending back to below the front margin of the pupil. Upper jaw with a single series of small simple teeth; mandibular cilia moderate and slender, in a single series, united together so as to form a simple flexible flap; vomer, palatines, pterygoids, and tongue smooth. Adipose eyelid present, but delicate and incon- 78 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, •spicuous, not neax'ly reaching to the edge of the pupil in front or behind. Preorbital not so broad posteriorly as the pupil, with the hinder half of the lower and the posterior borders serrated? the former with a deep notch, the latter truncated. Gill-rakers rather short and slender, about fifty on the lower branch of the anterior arch. First dorsal tin inserted a little behind the middle of the body, tlie distance between its origin and the base of the caudal being eight-ninths of its distance from the extremity of the snout; the spines are rather weak, the first straight, but little longer than the second, and li in the length of the head; the third is not much shorter than the second, and the bases of these thi'ee spines are in contact, but not arranged in a straight line: the last spine is inserted at some distance behind the others, is much more feeble, and is but little more than half the length of the first; the space between the origins of the two dorsal tins is equal in length to the head; the first soft ray of the second dorsal is undivided and not quite so long as the second, which is a little lower than the first dorsal tin; the last ra}^ is somewhat produced, and the outer border of the fin is moderately emarginate : the anal fin commences well in advance of and does not extend quite so far back as the second dorsal, the length of its base being a little less than its distance from the caudal: the first ray is the longest and branched, as long as the longest dorsal ray, and when laid back does not extend to the tip of the last ray, which is considerably produced, the outer border of the fin being rather deeply emar- ginate; ventral fin moderate and slightly rounded, inserted a little nearer to the origin of the anal than to the extremity of the mandible, with a rather weak spine; the outer ray is a little the longest, two-thirds of the length of the head, and half of the distance between its origin and that of the anal fin : pectoral fin pointed, with seventeen rays, the two outer ones simple; tlie second ray is compressed and broader than the third, which is the longest, the distance of its tip from the origin of the first dorsal being two-fifths of the length of the fin, which is nine- tenths of that of the head : caudal fin but little emarginate, with BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 79 the tips of the lobes acute, its length 34 in the total length; caudal peduncle deep and strongly compressed, its least depth 2i in the depth of the body, and li in its length. Scales mostly cycloid, those on the cheeks, preorbitals, and lower sui'face feebly ciliated; snout naked; five series of scales below the eye, of which one is on the interopercle; axillary scale of the pectoral small; exobasal scale of the ventral smaller than those at the base of the spinous dorsal, of which there are two on each side, the posterior extending almost as far as the membrane of the last sj)ine; second dorsal with a low, anal with a well developed basal sheath, and with a few small scales between the rays in both. Back pale olive-brown, the sides silvery, the abdominal region with a golden tinge ; preorbital and border of the preopercle golden, the cheeks and rest of the opercles silvery: a deep black spot in the axil of the pectoral, extending downwards along the inner side of the base; anterior ray and extremity of the second dorsal fin dusky; posterior border of the caudal fin blackish; anal, ventral, and pectoral tins yellow : irides golden. The single specimen from which the description is drawn up was taken by net in the author's presence in the estuary of the Oeorge's River during the month of December, 1895, and measures 190 millimeters; it is in my possession. This large- scaled species was known to the fishermen who caught it, but was said to be rare, and as I have paid numerous visits to the same estuary since that date and examined scores of gray mullets from there without meeting with another example I can give that statement at least a provisional corroboration. Note. — The examination of numerous small mullets while engaged on this quest has, however, been productive of unexj)ected benefit in another direction, since it enables me to determine that the fish figured by Kner (Voy. Novara, Fisch. pi. ix. f. 6) as Mugil crenidens is an immature Liza peronii, the tooth figured on the same plate belonging to Myxus elongatus. In arriving at this conclusion I have had the privilege of examining in a fresh state a very large series of L. peronii from two inches in length :\ R Y 80 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES upwards, with the result that I find a single series of slender simple teeth present in all specimens under six inches long. That the species here described is not a true Mugil is evident from the presence of well developed teeth in the upper jaw, but, in view of the discovery above recorded with regard to Liza peronii, I prefer to wait until larger examples are procured before removing it from that genus. e^ Cestr.eus norfolcensis, sp.nov. D. iv. i 8. A. iii 9. Sc. 46-47/12. Body oblong and moderately compressed, the ventral proBle much moi'e convex than that of the dorsal, which is almost linear in advance of the fins. Length of the head 3|- to 4, depth of the body 4i to 4^ in the total length; width of the body below the origin of the first dorsal fin 2i to 2-^ in its depth; depth of the head If to If, width of the head 1| to 2, of the interorbital region 3 to 3i, diameter of the eye 4 to 4Jjj- in the length of the head; interorbital region slightly convex; snout obtuse, one-fourth of a diameter longer than the eye, its upper profile nearly flat. Mouth moderate, with lateral cleft, the lips thin; pi'emaxillaries narrow, evenly rounded below; maxillary not reaching quite so far as the vertical from the anterior border of the eye and longer than its diameter, its outer margin not concealed by the preorbital; lower lip included; dentary bones of the lower jaw forming a veiy obtuse (almost rounded) outline in front, without anterior notch; the articular Ijone extending backwards to beyond the middle of the eye. Upper jaw with a single series of rather strong teeth, which are narrow at the base and much swollen and tricuspid distally, the middle cusp being much the longest and strongly curved inwards; lower jaw with several series of well developed cilia, the outer row being separated from those suc- ceeding it by a naked interspace; vomer, palatines, pterj^goids, and tongue smooth. Adipose eyelid rudimentaiy. Preorbital not so wide posteriorly as the pupil, with the hinder half of the lower and the posterior borders denticulated, the former sinuous, the BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 81 latter subtruncate. Gill-rakers long and slender, fifty-seven on the lower branch of the anterior arch. First dorsal fin inserted a little behind the middle of the body^ the distance between its origin and the base of the caudal nine- tenths or more of its distance from the extremity of the snout; the spines are rather weak, the first almost straight, a little longer than the second, and 1— ■ to 2 in the length of the head; the third is considerably shorter than the second, and the bases of these three spines are contiguous, but not arranged on a straight line; the last is inserted well behind the others and is very feeble, its length being 1^-^ to 2^^ in that of the first spine; the space between the oritjins of the two dorsal fins is a little shorter than the head: the first soft ray of the second dorsal is branched, as long or not quite so long as the second, which is subequal in height to the first dorsal fin; the last ray is not much produced, and the outer border of the fin is feebly emarginate : the anal fin originates well in advance of and does not extend nearly so far back as the second dorsal, and the length of its base is 1^^ to 1^ in its distance from the caudal; the first soft ray is as long as the second and branched, longer than the soft dorsal rays, and when laid back extends to or not quite to the extremity of the last ray, which is not or but little produced, the outer border of the fin being feebly emarginate : ventral fin well developed, with the outer border subtruncate, inserted nearer to the origin of the anal than to the extremity of the mandible, with a rather feeble spine; the outer ray is the longest, If to 1| in the length of the head and 2 to 2y^Q in its distance from the origin of the anal Hn : pectoral fin pointed, with sixteen rays, the two outer ones simple; the second is but little stronger than the third, which is the longest, the distance between its tip and the origin of the spinous dorsal being a little more than half of the length of the fin, which is If in the length of the head : caudal fin forked, with the tips of the lobes acute, its length 3| to 34 in the total length; caudal peduncle moderate and compressed, its least depth 2^ to 2| in the depth of the body, and 1| to 1;} in its length. 6 82 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, Scales cycloid, except those of the cheeks, preorbitals, and central surface, which are finely ciliated; snout naked; preorbital scales moderate; four series of scales below the eye, one being on the interopercle ; axillary scale of the pectoral rudimentary; exobasal scale of the ventral smaller than that of the spinous dorsal, which extends about half-way along the membrane of the last spine; dorsal fin without, anal with a basal scaly sheath; both with a series of small scales between each pair of rays anteriorly. Blue above, silvery below, the head and sides washed with bronze; some of the scales of the upper surface with a golden spot : a small black spot in the axil of the pectoral ; dorsal, pectoral, and caudal fins dusky, the latter tinged with yellow; anal and ventrals yellowish: irides golden. Two specimens of this very distinct mullet were brought back from Norfolk Island in April, 1896, by the Hon. J. H. Carruthers, on the occasion of his A'isit to that island for the purpose of proclaiming it a dependency of New South Wales. The largest example measures 255 millimeters, and they are now in my possession. PSEUDOMUGIL SIGNIFER. In my paper entitled "A new family of Australian Fishes" (Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, xxi. 1896, jjp. 118-135) the follow- ing passage occurs (p. 123) : — " In the Voyage No vara it is alleged that the fishes, from which Prof. Kner's description was drawn up, were collected at Sydne}', but this is manifestly erroneous, &c., &c." For this statement I must apologise to Prof. "Kner and at the same time confess that the error was on my part, as I have myself assisted in obtaining several specimens of this beautiful little fish from Cook's River, where it is common, frequenting the dense masses of weed {Ceratopliylhim demersum, Sfc), which fringe the banks, a single sweep of a small hand net sometimes resulting in the capture of these fishes and the fry of our four common Gudgeons, Carassiops longi, Krcfftius aitstralis, Mulgoa coxii, and Opliiorrhinus grandieeps. BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 83 The brilliant orange and black vertical fins of the male fish make it a most conspicuous object, and in this case incidentally led to my paying a visit to its haunts and to the consequent rediscovery of the species, I having been told by Mr. Albert Gale, late Lecturer to the Technical College, of a " golden-finned, blue-eyed fish, rarely more than an inch long," which he some- times caught when seeking for specimens for his fresh-water aquarium; not being able to place the fish in question, I accom- panied Mr. Gale in one of his excursions, with the above pleasing result. Odax attenuatus, sp.nov. D. XX 15. A. 19. V. i 4. P. 13. Sc. 43f. Body elongate and slender; upper profile of head convex, its length 4|, the depth of the body 84 in the total length; depth of head 2|, width of head 2|, of interorbital region 5|^, diameter of eye 3f in the length of the head; snout moderate, rounded in front, one-thii"d of a diameter longer than the eye; interorbital region flat. Jaws equal, the maxillary extending backwards midway to the eye, its length 5f in that of the head. Preopercle entire. The dorsal fin commences above the lower angle of the base of the pectoral, the space between its origin and the extremity of the snout being 24 in its distance from the base of the caudal fin, the rays increase in length to nearly the end of the fin, the longest being 2^ in the length of the head : the anal fin originates below the twenty-first and terminates below the twenty-sixth dorsal ray : ventral fin long and narrow, inserted below the com- mencement of the middle third of the pectoral, its length 1^^ in that of the head, and 2|^ in the space between its origin and the vent : pectorals rounded, the upper middle rays the longest, 15- in the length of the head : caudal peduncle long and slender, its least depth 2f in the distance between the dorsal and caudal fins. Upper half of the head and trunk and the tail brown, many of the scales with a darker central spot; lower half of the head and 84 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, the abdominal region brownish-yellow : an olilong deep blue spot near the distal extremity of the ventral fin. Distribution. — Tasmania. Length (without caudal fin) 95 millimeters. Type in the Tasmanian Museum, Hobart. The unique example from which my description is drawn up has been entrusted to me for identification and diagnosis by Mr. Alexander Morton, Curator of the Tasmanian Museum, and is unfortunately in bad condition, several of the i-ays of the dorsal and anal fins and the entire caudal fin having been broken off; it appears to have been w^ashed ashore and partially sun-dried. It is easily distinguishable from nearly all the other members of the genus by the great tenuity of the head and body, in which it approaches Sij)ho/io(/?iafJiiis. Of the species included in Dr. Giinther's Catalogue, it approaches most nearly to Quoy and Gaimard's Mai acanthus racliafiis, but it differs from the south- western continental form in the more distinctly attenuated habit, the non-prolongation of the anterior dorsal and the ventral rays, the number of the dorsal and anal rays. I would have unhesitatingly identified my fish with Mr. Johnston's OJax heddomei if it were not that some of the characters relied on by that author, if correct, make such a course impracticable. As some of my readers may not be able conveniently to refer to Johnston's description and as it will take up but little space, I transcribe it in extenso from the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, 1884, p. 231, in order to facilitate comparison. Odax heddomei. D. 20/12. A. 3/9. P. 12/1 4. L. 1. 40. L. tr. 3/8-9. Body elongate. Preoperculum entire. Snout nmch produced and finely pointed. Eye rather large. Height of body one-tenth of the total length and length of head contained in the latter three and one-third times. Upper posterior margin of operculum produced into a flaccid membrane having a rayed appeai-ance. Colour of body and fins reddish, becoming lighter below lateral BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 85 line. There is a singular • well-marked black elongate streak, margined with a scarcely perceptible yellow border, extending over five of the upper rays of the caudal fin, which latter is some- what rounded terminally. Total length 4|, length of body 4, of head 1^, of snout -^-^, greatest depth of body ij, least depth of body \ inches, diameter of eye 6 millimeters. In the above description the number of the fin rays and of the series of scales agrees fairly well, especially as regards the increase (over all the other known species) in the dorsal sjjines and the decrease in the anal rays.* The discrepancy in the enumeration of the transverse series of scales may be explained away by the fact that my computation was made at the point where the greatest number of scales occurred between the dorsal profile and the lateral line, while Mr. Johnston's was taken at some anterior point, possibly from the origin of the dorsal fin. The two specimens (Johnston's and Morton s) were almost of the same length — -100 mm. and 95 mm. without the caudal fin respectively, and the comparative measurements should therefore bave been identical or at least approximate, and such we find to be the case so far as the depth of the body is concerned; but here the similarity ceases, for in Johnston's specimen the head is said to be contained three and one-third times in the total lenoth with the caudal fin and three times without it, while in ni}' specimen the head is four and two-fifths in the total length without the caudal, and even if the cutaneous appendage to the opercle should be included this measurement is only reduced to four and one-fifth Again Johnston's measurements show the eye — which he describes as- " rather large "' — to have been con- tained five and a half tima^ in the length of the head and twice * Mr. Johnston has recorded three spinous rays as heing present in the anal Hn of liis exampU', bat a most careful investigation under the micro- scope, both by Mr. W'hitelegge and myself, has been ' unsuccessful in bringing to liglit nmre than a single spine in Mr. Morton's tish. 86 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, in that of the snout,* while in Morton's example the correspond- ing figures are only a trifle more than four in the head — dermal flap included — and one and a third in the snout. If, therefore, Johnston's measurements be correctly given, I am compelled to consider his species as different from mine. Dermatopsis macrodon. Since publishing the description of this species (Proc. Linn. Soc. J^.S. Wales, xxi. 1896, p. 140) a second example, not quite so large as but in much better condition than the type, has been discovered among a number of small, principally immature, fishes ' collected at various times by Mr. Whitelegge on Maroubra Beach and handed by him to me for identification and, if necessary, description. An examination of this specimen has enabled me to supplement or correct the original diagnosis in the following particulars : — The depth of the body is 5i in the total length, the abdominal region not being shrunk as in the type; the eye is only perceptible as a dull bluish patch, which is scarcely larger than that covering the posterior nostril, to which it has a similar appearance; its diameter is apparently about one-twelfth of the length of the head; the profile of the snout is distinctly rounded; the jaws are of equal length and the lower labial flap is absent; there are two distinct dorsal tubercles, the anterior situated immediately in advance of the vertical from the base of the pectoral; its distance from the posterior is about two-thirds of that between the latter and the origin of the dorsal fin, this distance being as long as the space between the posterior nostril and the extremity of the snout ; the dorsal fin originates somewhat further back, its distance from the extremity of the snout being 3f in the total length, while the origin of the anal is distinctly in advance of the middle third of the dorsal and a little nearer to the base of the caudal than to the extremity of the snout ; the length of the These measurements agree with those of the small-eyed richardsonii. BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 87 ventral fin is IJ, of the pectoral 1| in that of the head, and the caudal fin has fourteen rays. The lower surface of the head, lips, cheeks, and abdomen are white, and the vertical fins are brown with a conspicuous whitish border. In addition to those mentioned at the end of the generic description (loc. cif. p. lo9), there is a single large pore a))0ve the upper angle of the gill-opening; there is no indication what- ever of a lateral line. The specimen measures 69 millimeters. Diii^matichthi/s consohrinus, Hutton, from the New Zealand coast, is said by Hector to have two small spines in front of the dorsal fin and may belong to Dermitopsis (see Trans. N.Z. Inst, viii. 1876, p. 217, and ix. 1877, p. 466, PL ix. f. 77a). M o N 0 T II R I X, gen.nov. Body rather elongate and compressed, especially behind: head moderate, the snout short and blunt; mouth anterior and rather wide, with moderate, oblique cleft. Premaxillaries slightly pro- tractile, forming the entire dentigerous portion of the upper jaw; maxillary narrow in front, abruptly expanded behind, extending backwards well beyond the eye; anterior border of the expanded portion bent forwards so as to form a conspicuous odontoid process. Nostrils supero-lateral, of equal size, widely separated, and surrounded by a skinny vesicular lip. Eyes small and supero-lateral, covered by transparent skin. Opercles covered by a continuous skin; opercle with two strong spines, only the upper of which pierces the skin. Gill-openings large, extending forwards beyond the vertical from the distal extremity of the maxillary ; isthmus narrow ; seven branchiostegals ; pseudo- bran chi?e present; gill-rakers in very small number, tubercular. Jaws with a narrow band of minute villiform teeth anteriorly, succeeded after a considerable interspace by a series of short, stout, caninoid teeth, which extend backwards along the sides of the rami; a crescentic band of minute teeth on the vomer with a few larger ones interspersed, the outer tooth on each side much enlarged; palatine teeth in a long, narrow band with the outer 88 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, series enlarged and conical; pterygoid bones and tongue smooth. No perceptible spinous tubercle in advance of the dorsal fin ; dorsal and anal fins low, separated from the caudal by a distinct interspace : ventral fins long, inserted close together and well behind the isthmus, reduced to a slender, simple filament, com- posed of a single articulated ray : pectorals well developed, pointed, composed of twenty slender, mostly divided rays : tail homocercal, the caudal fin narrow. Genital papilla present. Scales small, cycloid, and imbricate; head naked; only the basal portion of the vertical fins enveloped in loose, naked skin. No conspicuous open pores on the head ; bones of the snout and interorbital region cavernous. No apparent lateral line. Etymology. — fiovos, single; 6pl^, a hair; in allusion to the single, tiliform, ventral ray. Distribution. — Coast of New South Wales; 1 Andaman Archipelago. MONOTHRIX POLYLEPIS, sp.nov. D. 95. A. 53 + x. Sc. 135. Body moderately elongate, strongly compressed posteriorl5^ Head moderate, its length 4^, the depth of the body (3 in the total length; depth of the head If, width of the head 1|^, of the interorbital region 5^, diameter of the eye 7f in the length of the head; snout blunt, with rounded profile, covered with thick loose skin, two-thirds of a diameter longer than the eye; interorbital region slightl}- convex and rugose. Mouth rather large, its cleft oblique, extending nearly to the vertical from the middle of the eye; the premaxillaries are but little protractile ; they form the entire dentigerous portion of the upper jaw, have the lateral portion well developed and of about equal width throughout, and do not extend .backwards as far as the anterior border of the maxillary, which is narrow in front, the posterior third being abruptl}^ expanded; the front margin of the expanded portion is curved downwards and forwards so as to form a strong odontoid process; behind this process the lower half of the hinder margin is scalloped, the upper half subtruncate with the angle rounded; BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 89 the maxillary extends to about one diameter behind the eye, its length being l^\j^ in the head, and its greatest width, including the process, half of a diameter more than the eye; the jaws are of equal length, and the lower is provided with a free lip, which is shallow in front and forms a deep flap on the sides; the dentary bone reaches backwards almost as far as and along the inner side of the expanded maxillary. Both jaws are armed with a narrow band of small acute teeth anteriorly, behind which and separated bv a considerable interspace is a single series of short stout teeth, which extend backwards along the sides almost to the angle of the mouth, and some of which, especially on the sides of the lower jaw, are provided with a broad base and strongly hooked backwards and inwards; a crescentic band of minute teeth on the head of the vomer, among which are placed at regular intervals a few long, slender, detached teeth, those at the outer ends being the largest; palatine teeth in a narrow band, which extends as far back as those of the premaxillaries; the outer series is enlarged and conical, the rest minute and shai'p pointed; pterygoid bones and tongue edentulous. Both nostrils are of moderate size, circular, and surrounded by a low skinn}- rim; the anterior pair are situated on the front edge of the nasal bone and are as large as and somewhat more approximate than the posterior, which open immediate!}' in front of the middle of the eye. Eye small, entirely covered by a delicate membrane. Opercle with two strong spines, the upper one horizontal and approximating to the upper border, with acutely pointed free tip; the lower directed obliquely downwards and backwards and entirely concealed beneath the loose skin, which is continuous across the gill-covers. Gill-rakers reduced to two or three smooth knobs near the joint of the anterior arch.* No perceptible dorsal tubercle; the dorsal fin originates a little in advance of the middle of the pectoral, and its distance from the extremity of the snout is 3| in the total length; the rays are slender and deeply branched, those of the third quarter a little * As well as cMU lie seen from an outward \iew 90 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OP AUSTRALIAN PISHES, the longest, 2f in the length of the head : the anal fin commences beneath the origin of the second quarter of the dorsal and is in all respects similar to that fin; the space between its origin and the extremity of the mandible is 1|^ in its distance, from the base of the caudal fin : ventral inserted but little in advance of the free margin of the opercle, as long as, the pectoral two-thirds of the length of the head : caudal fin with rounded base and four, teen rays. Pale yellowish-brown, with the fins lighter. The unique specimen was picked up on the beach at Maroubra by Mr. Whitelegge; it was dead, but quite fresh, and in a perfect condition, but for the loss of about half of the caudal fin ; a portion of the anal, consisting of from fifteen to eighteen rays, and commencing at the tenth ray, is also missing. Length 55 millimeters. Type in the Australian Museum, Sydney ; register number I. 3654. Monotlirix poJijlepis agrees fairly well with Mr. Alcock's Dinematichthys piger (Ann. Sf Mag. Nat. Hist. (6) vi. 1890, p. 432), from which, however, it may at once be distinguished by its much smaller scales and more numerous dorsal and anal rays; possibly also by the shape of the maxillary. The character of the dentition and the uniradial ventrals separate these two species from Dinematichthys and its allies. AusTROPHYCis, gen.nov. Body moderately elongate and strongly compressed throughout. Head rather large and tumid, with short rounded snout; mouth anterior, with wide oblique cleft; lower jaw included; chin with a barbel. Premaxillaries slightly protractile, forming the entire dentigerous portion of the upper jaw; maxillary narrow, its distal extremity exposed and but little expanded. Upper jaw with a narrow band of small cardiform teeth, the two outer series enlarged and separated from the inner portion, which is triserial, by a distinct interspace; lower jaw with three series of teeth similar to the outer premaxillary ones; vomer, palatines, pterygoids, and BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 91 tongue edentulous. Nostrils approximate, pierced in a deep depression in front of the eye. Eyes verj' large, supero-lateral. Opercle with a feeble spine, which does not pierce the skin and with the border sei-rated. Gill-openings wide, extending forwards to below the angle of the mouth; isthmus wide; six branchios- tegals ; gill-rakers in small numl^ers, distant, serrulate. Dorsal fins two, the first well developed, with ten rays ; second dorsal and anal fins long and low, the latter the longer and originating below the middle of the dorsal interspace, separated from the caudal b}' a short intersj^ace : ventral fins widely separated, inserted but a short distance behind the isthmus, and consisting of five slender rays standing upon a narrow base : pectorals well developed, pointed, composed of twentj^-five slender, simple rays : tail homocercal, the caudal fin narrow. Scales of moderate size, cycloid, and imbricate ;* vertical fins ajaparently enveloped in great part in thick skin. Etymology. — Aiisfer, south; Phycis. Distributio n. — Coast of New South Wales; Maroubra Bay. This genus is allied to Phi/siculus, but the character of the dentition, the armature of the opercle, and the anterior origin of the anal fin afford valid grounds for the formation of a new genus as here proposed. AUSTROPHYCIS MEGALOPS, sp.nov. D. 10, 45. A. 49. Body moderately elongate and strongly compressed, not attenu- ated posteriorly. Head large and tetrahedral, its length 41, the depth of the body 6 in the total length; depth of the head li, width of the head 1-"^^, of the interorbital region 4i, diameter of the eye 2^ in the length of the head; snout short and Ijlunt, with the upper profile concave owing to the prominence of the supra- orbital region, its length about two-thirds of the diameter of the * Owing to the bad state of the specimen, onlj' a few scattered scales remain in situ. 92 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, eye* ; interorbital region slightly concave. Mouth large, with oblique cleft, which extends to the vertical from the anterior margin of the pupil; the premaxillaries are but little protractile; they form the entire dentigerous portion of the upper jaw; the lateral portion is equally slender throughout and does not extend backwards so far as the maxillary, which is narrow and feeble, only the extreme distal portion being slightly expanded anrl spatuliform and reaching to the vertical from the posterior margin of the pupil; its length being a half of that of the head; lower jaw included; the chin with a median barbel, which extends when laid back to the isthmus. Tn front of the eye there is a deep pyriform depression which is narrowest forwards, along the inner side of which the anterior and larger nostril opens, while the posterior is pierced along its orbital face and further out than the other. Ej^e very large and prominent, encroaching upon the upper surface of the head and extending downwards over three-fifths of its side; all the bones of the orbital ring more or less prominent, but especially in front and behind the eye. The upper border of the opercle bears a conspicuous ridge which terminates in a feeble spine which i.; concealed beneath the skin and is scarcely perceptible; the entire surface of the bone is ornamented witli radiating strite, the extremities of which form a distinct though weak marginal serrature Eight gill-rakers on the lower l)ranch of the anterior arch, the longest at the angle and one-fourth of a diameter of the eye in length; the last two are very small and the front half of the arch is quite smooth. The first dorsal fin originates well behind the base of the pectorals, its distance from the extremity of the snout being 3^^ in the total length; the first ray is rather short, the others slender and more or less elongated, the fifth the longest, half the length of the head; there is a moderate interspace between the dorsal fins, which does not appear to have been occupied by membrane; the second dorsal commences a little behind the vertical from the * In its contour it has a perceptible resemblance to some of tlie Mur;eni(ls. BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 93 origin of the anal, the distance between which and the extremity of the mandible is liin its distance from the base of the caudal:* ventral inserted below the posterior border of the eye, composed of five rays, standing on a narrow Ijase, the two outer ones being elongate, the others short, slender, and filiform; the second ray is the longest, not quite reaching to the origin of the anal, its length li in that of the head : pectoral fin pointed reaching well beyond the origin of the anal, and If in the length of the head : caudal fin rounded, with twenty slender, mostly branched rays, and numerous short unarticulated ones, extending forwards nearly as far as the dorsal and anal tins, above and below, its length 8f in the total length. • Pale brownish-yellow, the snout, orbital ring, dorsal and caudal fins, and the outer border of the anal, especiall}' near its termina- tion, much darker; throat and abdomen silvery. This is yet another of my friend Mr. Whitelegge's Maroubra Bay discoveries, the single specimen as yet known having been picked up by him on the beach in a somewhat shrivelled and sun- dried condition. Length 73 millimeters. Type in the Australian Museum, Sydney; register number I. 3655. Otophidium genyopus, sp.nov. Body moderately elongate, strongly compressed, tapering very gradually to the base of the caudal fin; its depth at the shoulder one-seventh of its length; head of moderate size, with the upper profile very convex; its length one-fifth of the total length; its depth two-thirds, its width four-ninths of its length; snout short and rounded in front, projecting beyond the lower jaw, which is * Owing to the state of the specimen I am unable to determine m ith accuracy the position and length of the longest dorsal and anal lay.s, but some of those in the posterior third of the latter fin are about half the length of the liead. 94 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, included; mouth with moderate, nearly horizontal cleft, the pre- maxillaries extending backwards almost as far as the maxillaries; maxillary reaching to the vertical from the posterior margin of the eye, expanded and truncated behind, its length four-ninths of that of that of the head, its width three-tenths of its length. Jaws with a band of small conical teeth, which are divided into two series by a median longitudinal groove, each series consisting of two or more rows; vomer and palatines toothed. Nostrils widely separated, the anterior situated near the tip of the rounded snout, the posterior in front of the middle of the eye; an open pore, similar in appearance to the posterior nostril, above and a little behind the front margin of the eye. Eye large, its diameter one-third of the length of the head; interorbital region convex, its width equal to the length of the snout and two-ninths of the length of the head. Opercular spine strong and acute, its exposed portion two-fifths of the diameter of the eye. The dorsal fin commences above tlie middle of the pectoral, the distance between its origin and the extremity of the snout being 3-S-, that between the origin of the anal and the snout 2'i in the total length; the rays of both fins increase in length posteriorly, the longest being on either side of the caudal fin, and as long as it: ventral inserted below the anterior third of the orbit, and extending when laid back beyond the base of the pectoral, the length of the longer filament four-fifths of that of the head: pectoral pointed, four- sevenths of the head, and extending about two-thirds of the distance between its base and the vent : caudal very small, rounded, about half the diameter of the eye in length. Scales very small, deeply imbedded. Pale gray-green, everywhere powdered with microscopic darker dots, except along a broad lateral band, the cheeks, preopercles, undersurface of head, and abdominal region, the latter being silvery; occiput with a reddish-brown tinge and the dots coalescent into small round spots; the dots along the base of the dorsal and anal fins similarly coalescent into a narrow dark streak : irides pale blue. BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 95 The species differs from Otojjhidium tige^'imos in its shorter and deeper body, longer head, much larger eye, anterior insertion and much greater length of the ventral filaments, absence of an enlarged outer row of teeth, &c., and should not perhaps be included in the salne genus. The only specimen as yet seen was collected by Mr. Whitelegge on Maroubra Beach during the current month and measures 42 millimeters. Its register number in the Australian Museum is I. 3660. 96 ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF HETERODONTUS (CESTRACION) PHIL LI PI. Part I. By Professor William A. Haswell, M.A., D.Sc. (Plates IV. -V.) During a zoological expedition undertaken in September, 1893, for the purpose of exploring the marine zoology of Jervis Bay, a part of the New South Wales coast to the fauna of which little attention had been directed, I was struck by the unusually large number of the egg-shells of Heterodontiis ( (J eatracion) which were to be seen on the beaches. Most of them were old and broken, usually covered with the tubes of Eupomatus; but after examining a number, I succeeded in obtaining a fresh one containing an egg with an early blastoderm. Eventually I found that many of these were to be found at low tide sticking in the crevices of the rocks, firmly wedged in by means of the spiral flange which forms such a remarkable feature of the egg-shell ; and with the help of of Mr. J. P. Hill, who was of the party, I succeeded in collecting a considerable number. Of these as many as possible were pre- served in the camp, but a large number were taken whole to Sydney, and more satisfactorily dealt with in the laboratory: Mr. Hill, on a second trip to the same locality, brought back a good many more. Some of these were kept alive for da^'s in the laboratory. The cutting of a door in the egg-shell did not seem to interfere with the development, and, with proper appliances for renewing or aerating the sea-water, I have little doubt that it would be possible in this way to follow the course of the development for a prolonged period. This I hope to be able to do with regard to the later stages at some future time. The present communication refers only to the stages prior to the appearance of the notochord: detailed reference to the literature is deferred. I am much BY WILLIAM A. HASWELL. 9T indebted to my demonstrator, Mr. J. P. Hill, not only for help in obtaining the specimens, but also for presei'ving many of the blastoderms, for making measurements and indicating approxi- mately the stage which each had reached, and for sectioning many of them. Cestracion (Heterodontus) is a genus which is almost unique among the Elasmobranchs in having been represented by near relatives as far back as the Carboniferous period. Although the adult structure of the rnembers of the family had even at that early period become highly specialised and widely divergent frora the main line of Elasmobranch evolution, the hope is not an unreasonably' sanguine one that the embryonic development of a type so ancient might exhibit some important primitive features. With regard to the stages now described, however, any expecta- tions of the kind cannot be said to have been fulfilled; and what impresses one most in the results is the extraordinary persistency of certain characteristics which are not known to have any vital significance. There can be little doubt, for example, that the " orange spot " which forms such a striking feature of the egg of an Elasmobranch in its early stages, has been handed down with little change from Palifiozoic times. The l)lastoderm occupies a constant position in the egg. It is always situated much nearer the Ijroader than the narrower end of the egg-shell. The extremity of the blastoderm destined to become posterior is always directed away from the broader end of the egg-shell. Balfour* states that in Pristiiii-us the blasto- derm is similarly constant in its position near the rounded end of the egg, while in Scyllium it is always near the narrow end to which the shorter pair of filaments is attached. The blastoderm, in its earlier stages, appears to the naked eye, as in other Elasmobranchs,f as a circular reddish orange spot, around which is a narrow light yellow band. When this orange spot has attained a diameter of about 2 mm. it assumes an oval shape, its * Balfour, Development of Elasmobranch Fishes, p. 10. t L.C. p. 10. 7 ^8 DEVELOPMENT OF HETERODONTUS (CESTRACION) PHILLIPI, longer axis corresponding with the future long axis of the body. At its posterior end appears a crescentic dark area which has very much the appearance of a cleft ] massing right through the blasto- derm, but which sections prove to be a cavity, the segmentation cavity, covered over b}'- a thin transparent roof. As the blasto- derm extends, this dark area becomes less strongly mai-ked and graduall}- disappears. The yolk is covered with a thin investment which is perfectly continuous with the non-nucleated jirotoplasmic network of the substance of the yolk, of which it is to be looked upon as a specially modified part. The light yellow band referred to above extends more rapidly than the blastoderm, and soon forms a broad zone around the latter. As it extends its boundaries become more and more indistinct. This is due to the spreading out of the bed of fine- grained parablastic substance on which the blastoderm lies. A number of small rounded spots, which appear scattered over it, are found on the examination of sections to be produced by the development of rounded spaces or vacuoles. The earliest specimen of which satisfactory sections were obtained (Fig. l)is one in which the fine-grained bed of yolk extends beyond the edge of the blastoderm to rather more than half of the diameter of the latter. In this stage the blastoderm consists of a lenticular mass of chiefly rounded cells, resting directly on the fine-grained substance in the greater part of its extent, but becoming separated from the latter towards the posterior end by a small segmentation cavity. The most superficial layer of cells are closely packed together : they are irregular in size and shape, but form a tolerably definite layer. In the deeper strata the cells are more loosely arranged, with intercellular spaces. In these, as in the segmentation cavity, with which they are more or less directl}' continuous, there are irregular masses and strands of a finely granular material, which is strongly coloured by staining agents; frequently this matter adheres to the surface of the cells or the wall of the segmentation cavity so as to form a distinct invest- ment : from its apj^earance and mode of occurrence this material BY WILLIAM A. HASWELL. 99 is, without much doubt, of the nature of a coagulum formed as a result of the action of the fixing solutions on a fluid contained in the segmentation cavity. Balfour (p. 53) remarks on the frequent presence of a membrane-like structure between the blastoderm and the yolk, readil}'' affected by staining agents, and sets it down as a layer of coagulated albumen. Perenyi,* on the other hand, states that in Torpedo marniorata, the yolk is enclosed in a fine structureless membrane. The mass of fine-grained substance contains a small number of nuclei. Its upper surface, forming the floor of the segmentation cavity, is raised up here and there into a rounded mass containing a nucleus. Continuous with the mass of parablast material which lies below the blastoderm is a thinner layer extending out some distance beyond the edge of the blastoderm. This is continuous with the posterior edge of the latter, and at this point contains several nuclei. Cell divisions at this stage seem to be going on somewhat slowly, as the majority of nuclei are in the resting stage. In Pristiurus, to judge from Balfour's account, the segmenta- tion cavity makes its appearance only at a considerably later stage. (Compare his figures 8 and 9, of Plate ii., and 1 of Plate iii.) In the stages which immediately follow on that just described, though the blastoderm (Figs. 2 and 3) does not at first increase in size, the cells multiply by division so as to become much more numerous and smaller. The massive blastoderm becomes much thicker in front than behind. The segmentation cavity increases in extent, and forms in the middle a comparatively wide space covered over dorsally behind by a thin stratum formed by material which is transitional between the posterior portion of the blastoderm and the parablast. Cells soon cease to become formed from the parablast of the floor of the cavity ; but a part • " Beitrage zur Embrj-ologie von Torpodo marmorata.'^ Zool. Anz. ix. (1886). 100 DEVELOPMENT OF llETERODOXTUS (CESTRACION) PHILLIP I, of the parablast of its I'oof appears to divide into cells which are added to the posterior part of the blastoderm. A distinct upper layer of the blastoderm (" ectoderm" of various authors) is no longer recognisable. C. K. Hoffmann* states that in Acanthias, at a stage in the development of the blastoderm which corresponds broadly with that just described, there is an invagination- or gastrula-cavity opening widely by a blastopore on the exterior. The mode of formation of this gastrula-cavity, he avers, is closely comparable to the gastrulation in Amphil)ia, Cyclostomi and Amphioxus. If we are to accept the statement that the cavit}^ in question is a gastrula cavity, then necessarily^ we must admit the justness of the com- parison with the corresponding cavities in other Chordates. Such an admission, however, would involve us in the greatest difficulties. For here we should have an invagination Avhich is not connected with the formation of the archenteron or of the mesoderm or notochord, an invagination-cavity which virtually disappears before the first rudiment of the mesoderm has become differentiated. I do not think, however, that the statement of fact can be taken without confirmation, and am confident that more thorough investigation will show that Acanthias does not depart so widely from other Elasmobranchs in such an essential phase of its development. I have several series of sections of blastoderms of Heterodontus at or about the stage represented in fio-. 3. These, so far as they were examined in the fresh state, all presented the appearance described by Hoffmann, an appearance seeming to indicate the presence of an open cavity below the^ posterior edge of the blastoderm. In one of them only does the cavity open on the exterior; and in this the opening is readily seen on a careful examination to have resulted from a rupture of the delicate roof of the cavity, most j)robably during the removal of the blastoderm from the egg. « " Beitiiige zur Entwickehingsgeschichte der Selachii," Morph. J.B. 1896. BY WILLIAM A. IIASWELL. 101 In brief, I contend that the cavity represented in my figs. 1-4 is in all cases the same thing, viz., the segmentation-cavity, and that Hoffmann's fig. 4, of Taf. ii. corresponds, or should correspond with my fig. 3. This is a phase which was apparently not represented in the specimens at Balfour's disposal. The blastoderm now increases somewhat in diameter, though .still remaining very thick anteriorly. The segmentation-cavity has somewhat increased in size, and extends under the entire blasto- derm. At its postei'ior end, just below and somewhat in front of the posterior limit of the blastoderm, appears a collection of cells of irregular shape, some of which are evidently being formed from the parablast of the floor of the cavity. Only a very few simi- lar cells occur further back. This accumulation of cells, which extends all round the posterior margin, forms the starting point in the formation of the parablast endoderm. The next change of importance (Fig. -5) is the arching upwards of the posterior portion of the blastoderm, so that where it passes into the parablast it becomes for a short distance vertical, and soon inclined forwards, forming the embryonic rim, which extends round the entire posterior margin. At the same time the accu- mulation of cells at the posterior end greatly increases and becomes extended backwards as a thin layer (yolk endoderm) over the entire floor of the segmentation-cavity. These cells now send off processes which apparently join the processes of neighbouring cells, so that the whole comes to form a reticulum, in the meshes of which are to be recognised masses of the coagulum from the fluid of the segmentation-cavity. Similar cells extend backwards as a thin irregular layer immediately below the blastoderm in the roof of the segmentation-cavity. The blastoderm has now become considerably thicker, but still remains thickest towards the anterior end. The embryonic rim now b3coiii3s more strongly inflected (Fig. 6), and the blastoderm becomes greatly extended anteriorly, at the same time becoming thinned out. The segmentation-cavity extends pari passu with the extension of the blastoderm, but becomes extremely shallow. The parablast endoderm extends over its floor. 102 DEVELOPMENT OF HETERODONTUS (CESTRACION) PHILLIP I, but, unless the constituent cells are united by long processes, cannot be said to form a continuous layer. There is every appearance that at this stage there is an active formation of para- blast endoderm cells from the iine-grained parablast below the embryonic rim ; and its substance soon becomes completely divided up into cells. Further forward a similar process goes on, though less actively. A change at the same time takes place in the form and arrangement of the cells of the blastoderm. In the neighbourhood of the embryonic rim they become vertically elongated, their arrangement approximating more and more to thit of the cells of a columnar epithelium, while behind they remain more irregular in shape, and form a stratum several cells thick. It is of importance to observe that, whereas previous to the stage now reached all the cells of the blastoderm were filled with yolk-granules of the smaller size, the vertically- elongated cells now contain yolk only in their lower portions. Balfour states that in Pristiurus at his stage B, i.e., at the stage in which the involution to form the endoderm has just begun, the segmentation-cavity has completely disappeared, having become filled with an irregular network of cells. The inflection of the blastoderm at the embryonic rim leads to the formation of a fold, the upper layer of which is ectoderm, the lower embryonic endoderm. The latter grows backwards along the entire posterior border of the blastoderm, but more rapidly along the middle line, the cavity below it giving rise to the archenteron (Fig. 7). As it extends backwards it apparently receives con- tributions of new cells from two sources; the greater number of the added cells are derived from the yolkendoderm, but others are derived from the thin layer of cells which has Vjeen described above as lying below the roof of the segmentation-cavity. From the first the endoderm as it becomes formed assumes the character of an epithelium of vertically elongated cells. The cavity below the endoderm (archenteron, gastrula-cavity) (Figs. 7 and 8, ent.) is a wide space which is bounded below only by the large-grained yolk with its protoplasmic network. Soon, however, its walls begin to curve inwards anteriorly, and BY WILLIAM A. HASWELL. 105 eventually meet below so as completely to enclose the archenteric canal in its anterior portion — the enclosure gradually extending, backwards. EXPLANATION OF FIGURES. a7if., anterior end of blastoderm. ect., ectoderm. ect.^, superficial layer of cells distinguishable before the comp'e- tion of segmentation. end., endoderm. end.'^, parablast endoderm. ent. , archenteron. para., bed of fine-grained yolk with parablast nuclei. Fig. 1. — Sagittal section of the blastoderm of Heterodontus Phillipi at a late stage of segmentation, showing the beginnings of the seg- mentation-cavity anil the superficial layer. -Similar section of a somewhat later stage. -Stage with well-defined segmentation-cavity at the posterior end. -Somewhat later stage, in which tlie segmentation-cavity has become extended forwards an