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A046 #9 iase jee aie eae Me : a +f 7 ” edit +h i ies . — altri foie veattrenn “ i f rink 3 ay ' 4 Bites pon Meer aege aisle evemvere espa) sal “ ah He + . ae aisle a ih of sf : a nt gists { dsioieis eshneeh rie asia diae a ie Vel i vielieie hh rary: , 2)siele 4 = eigte heheh Heleistel Feit r { tT a casi ’ lalslels: aljaiesielajsle { ! nie! odvisiaistisisis ee leinieiele : FOR THE PEOPLE Toe FOR EDVCATION 5h lenis FOR SCIENCE Bete Fone LIBRARY f i elt eet OF BRN A Moyles THE AMERICAN MUSEUM eyes ) = OF DSc he at Fas ey NATURAL HISTORY wt ts ha Nad i HN ne 4 fai Sigs . bet ty i ey i Puate I. QUEENSLAND ETHNOLOGY. A NATIVE oF CAIRNS District, N.Q. The child sits astride the old man’s neck and holds on to his hair in grim earnest. A usual method employed throughout Queensland. A. Atkinson, photo. (1900). MEMOIRS : QUEENSLAND MUSEUM WITH PLATES AND FIGURES IN THE TEXT. EDITED BY THE DIRECTOR R. HAMLYN-HARRIS, J.P., D.Sc., F.L.S., F.R.M.S., F.Z.S., &c- ISSUED. JUEY 10,. 1916. BY AUTHORITY ANTHONY JAMES CUMMING, GOVERNMENT PRINTER BRISBANE. fr o> 4 ae “i ~ a - oT ‘ .* roa VAC i hoe cere * Hh ae Pr ee i é » } ni 4 ‘ te 3 1 s/4k 11-13883-Nov.3 . 7! Lihy ha UT A Puate II. QUEENSLAND ETHNOLOGY. DILLYBAG MAKING. Three women in camp (Cairns, N.Q.), one of which is in the process of making a dillybag. In the background a native hut or mia-mia has been built of banana leaves (Musa sp.). A. Atkinson, photo. (1898). CONTENTS. * On Fish Poisoning and Poisons Employed among the Aborigines of Queensland—Plates IV and V and One Text-figure — List of Australasian and Austro-Pacific Murids = = = Snakes and Lizards from Queensland and the Northern Terri- tory—Plate VI —- ~ - - = = pee = * Some Australian Fish-Scales - = = = = a » Ichthyological Items—Plates VII to IX and Four Text-figures + Check-List of the Cephalochordates, Selachians, and Fishes cf Queensland—Two Text-figures - = - - - >A Revision of the Australian Therapons with Notes on Some Papuan Species—Plates X to XIII and One Text-figure — * Edible Fishes of Queensland, Parts IV to I1X—Plates XIV— XXIII - - = - - - = = = \ Review of the Queensland Pomacanthinz—Supplement No. 1 — , Ichthyological Notes (No. 3) - - ~ = = = Helminthological Notes - - - = = = = | | | | ! A Collection of Bees from Queensland Australian Hymenoptera Chalcidoidea, General Supplement Note on Nilssonia mucronatum (De Vis)—Plate XXIV — - Note on a Specimen of Annularia from near Dunedoo, New South Wales—Plate XXV - —- - - = = PAGE, R. Hamlyn-Harris, D.Sc., F.L.S., 1-22 &c., and Frank Smith, B.Sc., TRUCE Heber A, Longman — - — 23-45 Heber A, Longman — - — 46-51 T. D. A. Cockerell, University of Colorado — - - — 52-57 Allan R. McCulloch — - — 58-69 J. Douglas Ogilby —- = = 10-98 J. Douglas Ogilby and Allan R. McCulloch — - - — 99-126 J. Douglas Ogilby —- = — 127-177 J. Douglas Ogilby — - — 178-180 J. Douglas Ogilby —- - — 181-185 at Harvey Johnston, M.A., D.Sc. C.M.Z.8. —- - - — 186-196 T. D. A. Cockerell, University of Colorado —- - - — 197-204 A. A. Girault — - - — 205-230 A. B. Walkom, B.Se. ~ — 231-232 A. B. Walkom, B.Sc. - — 233-234 LISt. -OF -PLATES: PlateI -—- - - A Native of Cairns District, N.Q. —- — = - = - — Frontispiece. Plate 11 — = = Dillybag Making - = - -- - _ = = LG = ss pi Plate III — ~ - The Late Mr. Charles W. De Vis, M.A. — ~ — - = = = 1 Plate Ly — - - Natives on a Hunting and Fishing Expedition, Carrington, near Ather- ton, N.Q. - - - - - - — - = as 2 Plate V — - - Natives Spearing Fish in Babinda Creek, N.Q. — - - - _ = 5 Plate VI — - - Acrochordus javanicus, Hornstedt = — - — = = = Ss ps 46 Plate VII — - Cypselurus cribrosus Kner. = - - - - = = = = 59 Plate Vath Hiss1l- = Synaptura cancellata McCulloch - - - _ = = = ie 61 Plate VIII, Fig.2 - Synaptura fasciata Macleay = — - - - - - = = & 61 Plate IX, Fig. 1 - Synaptura craticula McCulloch - - — = = = = a 63 Plate IX, Fig. 2 - Phyllichthys sclerolepis Macleay - - - - = a = = 63 Plate X, Fig. 1 = Therapon percoides Gimther = — - - - = = = S Seley Plate X, Fig. 2 - Therapon interruptus Macleay — - ~ = = = = = ee Lins Plate XI, Fig. 1 - Therapon unicolor Gunther - - - - = = = # = 2199 Plate XI, Fig. 2 - Therapon bancrofti Ogilby & McCulloch = — - - - = = = eGo Plate XI, Fig. 3 - Therapon parviceps Macleay — - = = = = = = = e160 Plate XII, Fig. 1 - Therapon carbo Ogilby & McCulloch — = = = = = = - 116 | Plate XII, Fig. 2 - Therapon fuliginosus Macleay — — = = = = = a a STG: Plate XIII, Fig. 1 -—- Therapon trimaculatus Macleay - - - - = = oa =e Plate XIII, Fig. 2 — Therapon hillii Castlenau, imm. = - = - - = - = 5.490 Plate XIV - - Athlennes ceruleofasciatus Stead — — _ = 2 = a Oe IO) Plate XV - - Aseragqgodes macleayanus (Ramsay) — - - — = = = S37 Plate XVI - - Pardachirus pavoninus (Lacépéde) — - - - - - = = ?*p42 Plate XVII = - Pardachirus hedleyi Ogilby - - - - = = = = SS AA Plate XVITT — - Trachinotus bailloni (Lacépéde) - - ~ — = = = = 45 Plate XIX - - Trachinotus ovatus (Linneus) — - - - - - = = = 55 Plate XX - - Pentapus aurifilum Ogilby - - - - - — - = = > VEE Plate XXI - - Dentex spariformis Ogilby - - - - - = = = =. 169: Plate XXIT = - Gymnocranius audleyi Ogilby — - - - _ = = = eee 7, Piste noe — ~ Zebrasoma hypselopterum Bleeker = — - - = = = = — ge Plate XXIV -—- - Nilssénia mucronatum De Vis — — —- = ~ = & = - Seo Plate XXV - - Annularia stellata (?) - - ~ - — = = = = =. AOE PuateE III. MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. THE LATE MR. CHARLES W. DE VIS, M.A. Obiit April 30th, 1915; aged 87. For nearly thirty years the late Mr. Charles W. de Vis was closely associated with the Queensland Museum, and during the major portion of that time he acted as Curator. The deceased scientist accomplished a very considerable amount of work as a vertebrate biologist in the elucidation of the Queensland and New Guinea faune, and his efforts as a systematist are represented in mammalian, avian, reptilian, and piscine orders. He also contributed several important papers as the result of his researches on the fossil marsupialia, birds, and reptilia. His cosmopolitanism is evidenced by the voluminous nature of the manuscripts he left behind, and the wide range of his studies is interesting as representing what may well be called a pioneer phase of Australian science. Unassuming in temperament, he united devotion to science with a quiet culture, and these characteristics gained for him the esteem of many friends. Face page 1. ON FISH POISONING AND POISONS EMPLOYED AMONG THE ABORIGINES OF QUEENSLAND. By R. HamMiyn-Harris, D.Sc.,F.L.S.,Etc., AND FRANK SMITH, B.Sc., F.I.C. (Plates IV. and V. and One Text-figure. ) THE practice of employing vegetable poisons for stupefying or killing fish is by no means confined to the aboriginal inhabitants of North-Eastern Australia, but is in vogue almost universally and dates back to ancient times; the method did not even escape the notice of the wily Englsh poacher. . We find similar methods to those adopted here practised in other parts of Australia, viz., New South Wales, Victoria, Northern Territory, and Western Australia. Central and South Australia are excepted, local conditions being generally unfavourable to their application; whilst the Tasmanians never used fish-poisons at all; they never attempted to catch fish at any time, strange as it may appear, and confined their attention to the taking of shellfish, crays, and mussels. (Beattie.) As far as South and Central Australia are concerned, Professor EH. C. Stirling says: ‘‘I have no knowledge that fish-poisons are used in these regions. I never heard of the practice during my two visits to the MacDonnell Ranges, where from the localised and restricted conditions of the waters it might be practicable; and I have recently had my own opinion confirmed by the more extended knowledge of an observant friend who spent many years in the MaecDonnells. The natives there do, however, poison with pituri the waters where emus drink. In the southern parts of South Australia, where the fish are got from the large lakes and River Murray, the practice would be impossible.”’ With reference to Western Australia we know very little; such mention of fish-poisons as E. Clement favours us with when he says ‘‘fish is caught either with nets or are stupefied by a plant called ‘Kurrurru’ which is placed into the pools’”! is of little more scientific value than a record, since probably by this time .the identity of the plant is unfortunately lost. Going further afield, we find that their use was known in Malaysia to a considerable degree, to parts of Polynesia and Melanesia, India, South Africa, South America, and amongst the North American Indians. Expert navigators and canoe-builders such as the Maoris never used them. Fish are very plentiful all around the coast, and they probably never 1“ Bthnological Notes on the Western Australian Aboriginals,” publications of the Royal Ethnographical Museum at Leyden, series 2, No. 6, reprinted from International Archiv. fiir Ethnographie, vol. 16, 1903. 2 . MEMOIRS. OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. experienced any difficulty in obtaining all they required. Mr. Cheeseman, the Curator of the Auckland Museum, has pointed out that it is rather curious, considering the extent to which fish-poisons are employed in Polynesia, but that on the other hand none of the plants used in Polynesia extend to New Zealand, and that they have very few poisonous species of their own. This just suggests the idea that the plentiful growth of poisonous shrubs may be one of the reasons why the Malaysians employed fish-poisons universally, in spite of the fact that they too might be regarded as expert navigators, and might have got all the fish they required by more legitimate means. Pliny the Elder? not only states that fish-poisons were used with success on the Roman Campania, but that lime was used as an adjunct. That the fish were attracted by the plant Pliny emphasises, but what part the lime played in the killing process he does not say. Lime is used with effect in the Western Pacific, and the late Douglas Rannie spoke from personal experience when he said: “‘Lime produced from ealeined or burnt coral is utilised for many purposes and in a great variety of ways by the natives inhabiting the many islands of the Western Paeifie with whom I have come into contact. One practice I have seen reverted to, but one which does not gain favour with the permanent residents of a district, is that of employing lime to catch a big haul of fish. This plan is simply to throw a quantity of lime into a waterhole in some freshwater stream or creek, which has the almost instantaneous effect of killing all the fish in and below the waterhole for some considerable distance down the stream. But as this method kills far more fish than is usually required, it is looked upon as reprehensible and wasteful, and is as a rule only adopted by natives’ travelling parties, and strangers poaching on others’ properties far off from their own homes. I have seen marauding parties of head-hunters using this means of obtaining fish from freshwater streams on the west coast of Gaudaleanar, Solomon Islands. I have also seen war parties poaching in similar manner in the rivers of Malaita. As these people are betel-nut eaters they always carry a plentiful supply of hme. I have never seen them killing with lime in the salt water, so cannot say if it would be as effective in salt water as it is in fresh.’’ Relative to the genesis of fish-poisoning practice among the Queensland aborigines, regard is had to the possible acquisition of poison lore due to external influence, the independent adoption of the practice from chance observation, and to the evidence for experimentation leading to the distinction of toxic from non-toxic plant varieties. The universality of the practice in Malaysia and the Islands has been referred to. Derris and Tephrosia species, widely used for the purpose, are common fish-poisons both in the Archipelago and Polynesia, and among tribes in Northern Queensland. The possibility of the introduction of the custom from such quarter must be judged on general grounds and by the standard of recognised external influence upon aboriginal customs. Considering the universality of fish-poisoning it is not unjustifiabie to assume an independent origin among the Australian aborigines, and the evolution of an empirical knowledge of efficient piscicides. The aboriginal himself would appear to have retained no notion of the origin of the art. His impression conveyed in his own way, ‘‘Black fella come up first time, catch ’em!’’ denotes the bequest of an unwritten lore through generations. Further his child-mind seeks for no explanation, nor is it legitimate to press for reason an intelligence * 25th Book Natural History, chapter 54. QUEENSLAND ETHNOLOGY. PLATE IV. NATIVES ON A HUNTING AND FISHING EXPEDITION, CARRINGTON, NEAR ATHERTON, N.Q. The illustration shows the methods of carrying small children, still in vogue, and the attachment of the dillybag by means of its lawyer-cane handle to the forehead of the older man so as to leave the hands free for other tasks. The waterhole is adapted to fishing by poisoning, the fish when secured being carried home in these dillybags. A. Atkinson, photo. Face page 2. FISH POISONING AND POISONS.—HAMLYN-HARRIS AND SMITH. 3 that is at best but that of an overgrown youth. ‘The explanation of E. J. Banfield that the need of the moment supplied the need of the moment, that the native fisher resorted to plant material abundant and ready to hand, though probably accounting for the first employment of fish-poisons, subsequently from their recognised efficiency adopted and widely used, does not suffice for the general and deliberate usage of plants of marked and certain toxic qualities— usage dictated, it seems, by distinct foreknowledge and intent. The recent use as a poison of the exotic Asclepias cwrassavica by natives on the Don River, and which may be supposed to be frequently efficacious from its botanical association with other Asclepiadex, is an instance of the extension of aboriginal poison lore, probably as a result of experience, though the usage of the innocuous Sarco- cephalus cordatus and Pletogyniwmn solandri, recorded as fish-poisons from the Proserpine district, warrants the opinion quoted—that plant material was used without direct recognition of its effectivity or non-effectivity, probably sometimes because it was readily obtained. The use of Alocasia macrorrhiza, which at least is likely to prove not certainly efficacious (from the abundant occurrence of the plant in moist and low-lying situations often adjacent to watercourses), may be cited as an example of the tendency to resort to material conveniently and expeditiously obtained. It may be surmised that the employment of Polygonum species was first dictated by similar circumstances. The use or successful use of certain poisons was indubitably prescribed in measure by natural circumstances. If, for instance, the toxic principle of Diospyros hebecarpa is confined to the fresh fruit, poisoning by such means would be limited to seasons at which the plant is in bearing. Similarly, species of Acacia and Albizzia would vary in efficacy with seasonal variation in tannin content or with seasonal elaboration of sapotoxin. The poison ‘‘ Nero,’’ which is gathered from mangrove-fringed and swampy foreshores, would be available only at drier portions of the years when its habitat is accessible. Foreknowlege of the more highly efficient plant material is Shown in the almost exclusive employment of Derris and Tephrosia in certain localities, and in the preference for the sapotoxin-containing Cupania and of Derris species by the Cardwell natives. It would appear certain, however, that, in ease of dearth of more potent material, plants of lesser efficacy were in many cases resorted to. It is noted that the less efficient poisons include Acacia, Albizzva, Eucalyptus species, Pleiogynium, Sarcocephalus, and Terminalia. Acacia, Albizzia, and Hucalyptus are of widespread and plentiful occurrence ; Plerogynium, Sarcocephalus, and Terminalia are abundant in localities. It is probable, therefore, that the ease of obtaining plentiful supplies has predeter- mined the adoption and use of some material. The comparative scarcity of the saponaceous fruit of Castanospermum australe would be unfavourable to its utilisation in fish-poisoning, though it may be surmised that its utility as a food would be similarly operative. The recognised value of certain plants in furnishing food may, however, have led to the extension of their utility in the adoption of portions for the purpose of obtaining fish. The fruit of Faradaya splendida is edible; the bark constitutes a powerful and effective fish-poison. The fruit of Barringtoma speciosa is eaten in season in the Townsville district; the bark is valued for its effect on fish when introduced into suitable bodies of water. Similarly, the prepared rootstock of Alocasia is a food; the aerial part has been resorted to for the taking of the denizens of the streams. Polygonum hydropiper was also used as a food. The association of fish-poisoning property in certain plants with medicinal virtue is also noted. Petalostigma quadriloculare is employed in the Oaklands (Cairns) district as an antidote for opium; the bark of an 4 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. unidentified specimen as a stimulating or perhaps sedative medicine. Asclepias curassavica is regarded as possessing virtue as a love-charm in the Pennefather district. Medicinal property was also attributed to the leaves of Careya australis. The recognition of the superior efficacy of portions of certain plants for the purpose designed is evident. The bark alone of Cupania pseudorhus is utilised by the Cardwell and Hull River natives, and the experiments of the authors demonstrate the leaves to be non-toxic and saponin-free. Similarly, the stem of Derris uliginosa, widely employed, is toxic, the leaves ineffective. The frequent preference for barks as fish-poisons may be surmised to be due to experience of their higher efficiency, as would be expected from the storage therein of excretory products of a toxic nature. The use of the roots of Tephrosia rosea in the Mapoon locality to the exclusion of the aerial parts cannot, however, be accounted for on similar grounds, as both root and stem are, according to the authors’ trials, equally efficacious. The recorded differential use of certain plants or parts of plants in fresh or salt water is not readily explicable. There is no reason, in the nature of the toxic principle involved, for the restriction of the employment of Derris uliginosa—which is elsewhere used indiscriminately—by the Cardwell natives to fresh waterholes; nor is it apparent why, as stated by James Murrell,* the bark of the stem of the ‘‘broad-leafed apple-tree’’ (‘‘Barkabah’’) was used in fresh water and the bark of the root in salt. The repeated statements of corres- pondents that a material was utilised either in fresh or salt water, or only in one or the other, would indicate that such a differentiation was clearly drawn, and the statement ‘‘No good in salt wata, he grow there, carn kill fish!’’ though obviously logically at fault, furnishes, nevertheless, an instructive example of aboriginal reasoning. E. J. Banfield, however, informs us that the poisons Derris uliginosa, Faradaya splendida, and Careya australis were used at Dunk Island almost solely in salt water, for, except for the eel, the fish in freshwater pools are too insignificant even for the blacks. Neither is the reason of the special method of preparation recorded for Cupania pseudorhus (baking in the native oven), or of such procedure as rubbing the bark of Faradaya splendida on heated stones, obvious. The nature of the active principle does not permit of elaboration by such means, which had originally perhaps only ceremonial import. The method of application is universally in Queensland by infusion in the habitat, the poison becoming active through subsequent absorption through the respiratory organs. The method consequently restricts the practice of the art to water of small dimensions; elsewhere it is not an infrequent custom to throw fragments of the more poisonous portions of the plant into the water, thereby inducing the fish to swallow them with fatal result. One such instance is to be found in the methods of the Bismarek Archipelago Islanders.*| The seeds of Barringtonia speciosa are ground and thrown into water, when fish snap at them and become stupefied. In the Gazelle Peninsula® (Matupi) poisoning is effected by means of small fish whose stomachs are filled with vine-roots pounded; the larger sea-fish then take them and become intoxicated. Sometimes, as 1s the case in Samoa.® ( 3 Edmund Gregory, Narrative of James Murrell’s Seventeen Years’ Exile, &e., Brisbane, 1896 (1863). »4 Biro Lajos. Daten zur Schiffahrt und Fisherei der Bismarck-insulaner. Anzeiger der Ethnographischen Abteilung der Ungarischen National-Museums. Buda Pest 1905, p. 57. ’5 R. Parkinson, Dreissig Jahre in der Siidsee, 1907, p. 101. ’ 6 George Brown, D.D., Melanesians and Polynesians, 1910. ETHNOLOGY. QUEENSLAND PLATE V, ON ‘suosrod-ysy jo wore ‘ Maau) VAN ‘ojoyd “uosmay “VP aydde oy} 10F afqeqrms pue [eotddy st yooro ony, IdVql NI HSI ONIYVAGY STAILVN Face page 5. FISH POISONING AND POISONS.—HAMLYN-HARRIS AND SMITH. 5 the natives add the poison to a palatable morsel, thereby ensuring a greater efficiency. Dr. Brown reports that Tephrosia piscatoria is thus mixed with taro, and the fruit of Barringtonia speciosa is used for the same purpose. There would appear to be sufficient grounds for crediting to the aboriginal user some sense of the actual toxic property of his instruments rather than the attribution of their efficacy to magical influence. Codrington,’ writing of Melanesia, gives expression to the belief that native magicians attributed any noxious qualities which a poison might possess, not to its naturai toxic principles, but to the magie charm which possessed the power of poisoning and which was communicated to it. From the universality and dominance of belief in magic in aboriginal communities, we are not inclined to entirely exclude it as an actuating influence in fish-poisoning practice. The degree, however, to which the effects obtained was so attributed it is not possible to say. Nevertheless, there is certainly recognition of the specific influence of the plant in the instance vouched for by M. J. Coleclough. Questioned as to why he supposed the fibrous stalk of the red-flowered water-lily (not obtained or identified by us), growing in profusion at Joe’s Hole and Red Lily Lagoon at the head of the Roper River, affected fish, the native fisherman replied, ‘‘Saucy fella sit alonga that one, kill ’em fish, make ’em sick first time!’’—from which is to be gathered the train of aboriginal reasoning. A remarkable example of the distinction of natural poisoning from super- natural influence is found among the Narrinyeri tribe of the Lower Murray and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert. As E. C. Stirling points out, in contradistinection to the usual paraphernalia of ‘‘ pointing sticks and bones’’ which were charmed or “‘sung,’’ the ‘‘Neilyeri’’ was stuck into a putrefying corpse for two or three weeks and consequently acquired a special deadliness in use. There are few instances such as this of the direction of poison against fellow-man in Australia, and a similar practice observed by Dr. Herbert Basedow, whose observation is independently corroborated, may be cited. Among the Wogait and Ponga-ponga tribes on the Daly River, the vertebre of large fish, principally barramundi, after insertion into decaying tissue, usually the putrid carcass of a kangaroo, for several days, were collected and tied to the head of a fighting-spear. This was done upon special occasions only, and the weapon was not allowed out of the owner’s hand: with which the natives declared they could ‘‘kill quick fella!’’ We can recall no parallel practices in Queensland; aboriginal familiarity with antidotal or remedial measures, however, is evident. The use of herbs as antidote for opium has béen referred to, and M. J. Colclough relates the measures taken for treatment of snakebite. A native bitten by a venomous snake was seen cutting himself deeply with a shell knife, and tearing the flesh to induce copious bleeding, the while forcing the blood to run down his leg by energetic massage. The instance shows a knowledge, either intuitive or acquired, that is remarkable. The more recent adoption, by contact with civilisation, of poisoning practice 1s perhaps apparent in the ‘‘poison-carriers’’ collected by Bishop White (lately of Carpentaria) on the Roper River, and sent by him to the Queensland Museum. The donor, in explanation of their purpose, writes: ‘‘ As near as I can remember the blackfellow told me their significance in the following words— Man no likee, kill ’um poison his tucka, all the same white man!’’’ The specimens (231 mm. and 206 mm. in length) consist of the shaft of an ulna and shaft of a radius of anu’ 7 R. H. Codrington, D.D., The Melanesians, 1891. 6 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. the pelican, and would suffice to hold considerable quantities of poison, for the conveyance of which it is surmised they are adapted and in which they may have been employed.® A similar object, a human shin-bone, in the Adelaide Museum Ethnological collection, and described as ‘‘found in blacks’ camp (Lake Albert), and said to have been used for carrying a fluid poison,’’ would indicate a well-defined toxicological knowledge, probably of earlier date. The possible use of the ‘‘poison-carriers’’ as vehicles for the death-pointer is not, however, lost sight of. The only one, to our knowledge, extant is a ‘‘box’’ of pelican wing-feathers presented, we understand, by Roth to the Australian Museum, and is distinct in form from the specimen described. MetuHops AND MArertAu.—Palmer,® and later Roth,’® have published lists of fish-poisons in use among the aboriginal communities of portions of the eastern littoral and in the inland areas of North-West-Central Queensland and the Gulf of Carpentaria. These include many submitted as authenticated specimens to us. Our collection, however, covers some new ethnographic ground, and further has been treated from the aspect of actual effectivity as established by a series of physiological experiments with test fish. For this purpose Trout Gudgeon (AKrefftius adsperus (Castelnau) ), Fire- tail (Austrogobis galu, Ogilby), Sunfish (Melanotenia nigrans (Richardson) ), of Southern Queensland freshwater streams, have been utilised, and, for the distinction of poisons exhibiting markedly certain and rapid action from those of less well-defined toxic property or of tardy and uncertain effect, infusions of an arbitrary concentration of one part plant material in one thousand parts of water have been employed. The determination of actual effectivity would seem to us to have ethnological importance in its bearing upon the question as to whether adoption of certain material was dictated by certainty of its potency or by a faith rather in efficacy of the practice as such. The reliability of deduction as to general efficacy from the premise of observed effect is, we judge, not absolute on more than one ground: the effectivity of air-dried and stored specimens, with which the experimental work has been conducted, may have undergone considerable diminution: certain varieties of fish other than those employed may be more susceptible to the poisonous effects of some plant materials (Hanriot so differentiates for Tephrosia), and seasonal alteration may account for diminution or disappearance of activity. The last-mentioned probability, though warranting assumption of greater potency during period of greater elaboration or storage of toxic principle, invests, still, the material with unreliability in use. The collection of a series of authenticated fish-poisons has presented opportunity for chemical examination as to the nature of the toxic principles involved in their action. Question has recently" been raised in connection with the Sierra Leone fish-poison, Pentaclethra macrophylla, as to the efficacy of tannin (of which the specimen was found to contain 7-1 per cent.) as a piscicide. Our experiments show marked physiological disturbance and ultimate death of fish in solution of tannic acid (Mereks pure) of 1 in 10,000 concentration, and infusions of one part of the common tannin agents, Myrobalans and Valonia, in _§ R. Hamlyn-Harris, Abstract of Proceedings, Roy. Soc. Q., vol. 27, 1915. °K. Palmer, Notes on some Australian Tribes, Journ. Anthrop. Instit., vol. 13, 1884, p. 321. 10 W. E. Roth, North Queensland Ethnography, Bull. 3, 1901, p. 19. 11 Bull. Imperial Inst., vol. xiii., No. 1 (1915), p. 47. FISH POISONING AND POISONS.—HAMLYN-HARRIS AND SMITH. i 3,000 parts of water. This in conjunction with the slow effectivity of Terminalia sericocarpa (8 per cent. tannin) and Eucalyptus species (6 per cent.) in which no other principle likely to be toxic could be discovered, and the innocuity of material free from tannin, warrants us in the conclusion that materials containing tannin in relatively small percentage are efficacious in use but that their efficacy depends on their employment in relative abundance, as indeed is indicated by the notes of observers relating to the use of Eucalyptus and Acacia species.'** The identification of sapotoxin as the active principle of Careya, Cupania, Faradaya, and Garcinia, of derrid in indigenous Derris species, and the indication of tephrosin in Tephrosia rosea and T. purpurea, serves to indicate the extreme potency of these materials, here as elsewhere due to these principles, and is presented also as a contribution to the pharmacology of the indigenous flora. Our observations lead us to adopt a classification, based on efficiency, of the fish-poisons investigated by us, as follows :— Group A.—Effective and rapid in action at great dilution.—Derris, Tephrosia. Pongania, **Nevo,’’ containing active principles associated with ether-soluble resins. The sapotoxin-containing Careya, Cupania, Faradaya, Garcinia. Group B.—Poisons of intermediate effectivity.—Barringtoma specrosa. Stephania hernandiefolia, alkaloid-containing. Group C.—Poisons of lesser effectivity —Slow in action at higher con- centrations or uncertain in action. Acacia, Albizzia, Eucalyptus, Thespesia, Terminalia, Polygonum. Group D.—Reputed poisons, found innocuous.—Sarcocephalus, Plevo- gymium, Petalostigma, Alocasia, Asclepias (?). Identified species recorded elsewhere, not examined by us :— Acacia salicina, var. varians (Maiden), N.S.W.; Acacia falcata (Maiden), N.S.W.; Acacia penninervis (Maiden), N.S.W.; Acacia verniciflua (Lauterer), Bathurst ; Acacia salicina, Roth. Adenanthera abrosperma (Roth) ; Bauhinia sp. (Ewart and Morrison), N.T.; Barringtoma racemosa (Palmer) ; Derris scandens (EK. J. Banfield) ; Eucalpytus resimfera (Roth) ; Eucalyptus corymbosa (Mathews), Western Australia ; Galactia varians (Roth) ; Luffa egyptiaca (Palmer) ; Melia composita (Roth) ; Tephrosia astragaloides (Roth) ; and Acacia auriculiformis (seeds), on the authority of G. F. Hill, Darwin. * lla Greshoff (13) recognising the effectivity of tannin-containing materials, follows Claude Bernard in ascribing to tannic acid an astringent effect and interference with the function of the gills (p 35). 8 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. OrDER _MENISPERMACE. STEPHANIA HERNANDIA@FOLIA, Walp. ‘“ NJANNUM,’’ Nerang, Q. The only record of the use of Stephania hernandiefolia as a fish-poison is made by J. Shirley,’? in the Nerang district. Of other members of the Order, Anamirta paniculata, Colebr., is a fish-poison in India (Watt. Greshoff)**; and A. cocculus, Wight, Arn. (usually regarded as a synonym), constitutes perhaps. the most used material for the purpose in Malaysia." In test experiments, infusions of S. hernandiefolia were found to be certain but comparatively slow in action; there is absence of the excitation produced with Derris, Tephrosia, and the saponin-containing Cupania and Careya. Furthermore, fish exhibit a tendency to remain in depths till death overtakes them; a condition not, it is supposed, tending to ready capture. Rennie and Turnert® have separated picrotoxin from Stephania, and Bancroft'*® found it to be rich in alkaloid. Separation of the alkaloid and of a supposed picrotoxin fraction, following the procedure of Rennie and Turner, showed the former to be rather slowly toxic at concentration 1: 50,000; with the latter no physiological effect was observed. The alkaloid is probably the chief active constituent of the poison, and to alkaloids are ascribed the co. of the Cameroon fish-poisons,"’ Strychnos aculeata and others. OrvER GUTTIFERA. GARCINIA CHERRYI, Bail. G. cherryt is recorded by Roth’S as a Queensland aboriginal fish-poison, and samples have been obtained by us through the courtesy of D. J. Mocatta,. of Atherton. Our experimental results show a high efficiency and rapidity in use. the bark being more potent than the leaves. The plant is highly sapotoxie; aqueous infusions show extreme frothing power, and the watery extract of the bark slowly hemolyses blood corpuscles at a dilution of 1:50,000.1% A lesser nepeme content is indicated for the leaves. i 2 J, Shirley, i Rich: -poison of ihe Aborigines, Benes Roy. Soe. Q., vol. ii., pt. ii., 1896, p. 89-91. 13M. Greshoff, Beschrijving der giftige en bedwelmende planten bij de vischvanget in gebruik (Batavia 1900). “14 Tenison-Woods, Rev. J. E., Fisheries of the Oriental Region, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W.., vol. iii., 1888. &; 15 Rennie, E. H., & E. F. Turner, On the Poisonous Constituents of Stephania hernandie- ilies Walp., Trans. & Proc. Roy. Soe. Sth. Aust., vol. 17, 1892-3. ™* 16Thos. L. Baneroft, Preliminary Notes:‘on the Pharmacology of some new Poisonous Plants, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., vol. iv., 2nd series, 1889. “ 17. Fickendey, Zeit. Angew. Chem., vol. 23, p. 2166-7, Chem. Abstracts, vol. 5, 1911, p- 2901. v 38 Roth, W. E., Food, its Search, Capture, and Preparation, North Queensland Ethno- graphy, Bull. No. 3, 1901, p. 19. 19 In the statement of hemolytic power, the figures 1: 5,000, for instance, mean that blood corpuscles are hemolysed in suspension in a liquid infusion of plant material diluted to that strength. Thus the result reported is observed on addition of -5 ¢.c. of 1 in 500 infusion to 4:5 e.c. of 1 per cent. suspension of corpuscles. FISH POISONING AND POISONS.—HAMLYN-HARRIS AND SMITH. > OrpER MALVACEAi. THESPESIA POPULNEA, Corr. A less effective fish-poison of the Normanton district, where it is vernacularly known as ‘‘ Mangrove Apple,’’ ‘‘ Mangrove Pear,’’ or ‘‘ White Mangrove.’’ We have demonstrated its ability to cause stupefaction and death of fish at higher concentrations. OrDER BURSERACEAE. CANARIUM AUSTRALASICUM. ‘“*“ KAME,’’ Batavia River. ‘* TCHALU-JI,’’ Bloomfield River (Comprehensive Catalogue of Queensland Plants). The use of the wood of Canariuwm species as a fish-poison is reported elsewhere (Greshoff). A specimen of bark and leaves of C. australasicum for- warded as a fish-poison from Darwin by G. F. Hill, however, appeared to have no marked physiological effect on fish immersed in its infusion. ORDER SAPINDACEA. CUPANIA PSEUDORHUS, A. Rich. ‘‘ GILLIBUDGEN,”’ Cardwell Dist., Q. ‘‘ KIRIBAN,”’ Hull River, N.Q. C. pseudorhus is a small tree growing to the height of twenty feet in scrubs along the banks of freshwater creeks and in forest country adjoining scrubs in the Cardwell district. The tree is said to be not plentiful, but its bark is an effective poison in either fresh or salt water and has a great reputation among the natives (S. Creedy). J. M. Kenny, writing from the Hull River, states: ‘‘ The bark is carefully scraped from the tree trunks and limbs and cooked in native ovens for about half an hour; then, when taken and put into a pond and well mixed in the water still held in dilly-bags, soon acts on the fish.’’ Maiden”? writes: ‘‘ It is stated that the aborigines used the pounded bark to stupefy fish in waterholes. It is a native of the north-east of N. S. Wales. and is also found in Queensland.”’ The bark is a rapid and powerful piscicide, producing excitement, stupe- faction, and paralysis, and, in concentration 1: 1,000, death in less than one hour. An infusion of the leaves was found to exercise no notable physiological effect, and the preference of the natives for the bark appears well founded. An infusion of the bark shows the characteristic sapotoxin reaction of frothing at an extreme dilution of 1: 10,000, and hzmolyses blood corpuscles at a concentra- tion of 1:14,000. The saponin obtained by extraction with hot 80 per cent. alcohol and deposition on cooling, with subsequent purification by solution in chloroform, gave the characteristic cherry-red colouration with concentrated sulphuric acid, but had preserved neither frothing nor hemolytic power. The leaves were proved saponin-free. Cupania sp. are listed by Greshoff as cyanophoric plants. ’ 20 General Report of the Sydney Intern. Exhibition of 1879. ‘J. H. Maiden : Fish Poisons of the Australian Aborigines, Agricultural Gazette, N.S.W., 1894. 10 MEMOJRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM, OrpER ANACARDIACEAH. PLEIOGYNIUM SOLANDRI, Engler. This plant is known at the Proserpine as the ‘‘ Burdekin Plum,’’ and is referred to as one of the lesser important fish-poisons of the district. The inner layer of the bark is used, being scraped off, pounded, and put into a bag or net, which is thrown into the pool. Except in considerable concentration, when the material would appear to function as a temporary stupefacient, no physiological effect was obtained in test experiments. The bark is tannin-free. : OrpER LEGUMINOS AA. ( DERRIS ULIGINOSA, Benth. ‘‘ BUGGERA-BUGGERA,’’ Ingham, N.Q. ‘““PUCKERA.’? Halitax. N-@: ‘¢MURRI ’’ (MURI), Rockingham Bay, N.Q. ‘“‘ BAGGARA,’’ Dunk Island, N.Q. ‘¢ URUM,’’ O’Connell River, N.Q. This vine constitutes one of the most effective and rapid fish-poisons. On the O’Connell River the plant is disintegrated, placed in nets, and infused into the water of small lagoons. Inspector Sweetman, of Townsville, supplies the following information concerning its use in the Ingham district :—‘‘ The vine is cut up into two-feet lengths, sticks of about a finger’s thickness being preferred. They are beaten and bruised and handfuls thereof taken and thrown into the water, where they are again beaten and worked about. Fish quickly stupefy and, rising to the surface, are easily caught or speared.2t_ The method is only practicable in 21 Spearing was mostly accomplished by ‘‘ Muttock,” a four-pronged spear about eight feet long. These prongs were made of hardwood from eighteen inches to two feet long, about a quarter of an inch in diameter at the thick end and gradually tapered off to the point. These would be fitted into a dry but strong and firm grass-tree which was usually grown straight, but if it happened to be a little out of plumb the blackfellow would wet it well, and after it had soaked a bit into the wood he would hold it over the hot ashes until it steamed, and would place it side- ways in his mouth, hold it across his teeth, and with a hand on each side lever the stick ; this he would repeat several times until he got it straight. That performance over, he would take the stalk of the leaf of the cabbage-tree palm, split away the outer portion which he would retain, and with the aid of a stone shell, or his nails, if he could not get a knife or a bit of glass, pare it down until he secured the proper consistency, and as the grain runs straight, the width, generally about a quarter of an inch, would easily be obtained. This he would bind tightly around each end of the grass-tree for about one or two inches to prevent it splitting, and seal it over with grass-tree resin made into a gum-cement. He would then get a piece of hardwood, not so wide as his grass-tree and about six inches long, fit it in the ground, then sit down holding the stick between his feet, then reverse the grass-tree on to the point of the stick, give a few twirls, rotatory, and quickly make a hole large and deep enough to hold the prongs. Each prong would then be heated and rubbed over with the gum, and then the whole four would be fixed up, the points being kept about two or three inches apart with small pieces of wood, then bind all together with the cabbage-tree tape. Each prong would be fitted with a strong, sharp, bone point. (TL. Illidge.) FISH POISONING AND POISONS.—HAMLYN-HARRIS AND SMITH. 11 comparatively small waterholes. It is useless in running water, and acts better in fresh than in salt.’’ Specimens of a similar vine have been received from W. C. Minniss, Mabuiag Is., Torres Strait, under the native name ‘‘ Sagee.’’ It has there the reputation of an effective and rapid poison, the stem only being used, and has heen identified by C. T. White as a species of Derris. While the specific naming has not been possible, we are assured of its identity with uliginosa, which is plentifully distributed on the mainland and islands. A Derris has been received from Whitten Bros., Samarai, Papua, as a fish-poison locally known as ‘* Wild Dynamite.’’ Derris uliginosa has also been forwarded by J. 8S. Bruce from Murray Island, where it is known as ‘‘ Sud.’”? The material was taken to lagoons on the reef in small bundles (at low water), and, after beating up with stones, immersed till the water became milky. The fish, forced from their holes, came to the surface stupefied. Mr. Murray reports that since the advent of hook and line the practice has fallen into disuse. According to Maiden the plant is used for fish-poisoning purposes in many tropical countries. The experiments of the authors confirm the extreme utility and effectiveness of the plant as a stupefacient. The test fish, first evidencing considerable excite- ment, rapidly became stupefied and periodically rose to the surface. An infusion of one part of dried stem in one thousand parts of water proved fatal in under an hour. The rapidity of action, it may be surmised, has earned for the plant the name of ‘‘ Wild Dynamite’’ among the natives of Dunk Island.** DERRIS KOOLGIBBERAH, Bail. ‘¢ GERRENI,”’ ‘‘ Poison Rope,’’ Edmonton, N.Q. A serub vine similar to Derris uliginosa, which it simulates in action, and in test experiments proved almost equally effective. Greshoff records the use of various species of Derris as fish and arrow poisons in the East, ascribing the activity of D. clliptica to a resinous body, derrid—soluble in alcohol, ether, chloreform, and amyl alcohol, and sparingly soluble in water and potash solution. Derrid is characterised by Hartwich and Gieger** as giving a blood-red colouration with concentrated sulphuric acid containing a trace of ferric chloride. Pure derrid, isolated from D. elliptica, has since been described by Sillevold,2° who assigns to it the formula C,,H.,0,) and melting point 73° C. The Identification of Derrid in D. uliginosa and D. koolgibberah. The ether-soluble resin of both D. uliginosa and D. koolgibberah proved completely soluble in alcohol, chloroform, and amy] alcohol, and strikes a brown colour with concentrated sulphuric acid, and blood-red with sulphuric acid and ferric chloride. {22 Haddon, A.C.,‘‘ Hunting and Fishing” Reports, Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits, vol. iv., 1912, writes of this as “ Sad.” Xes Banfield, E. J., The Confessions of a Beachcomber, 1908, p. 269. 24 Hartwich and Gieger, Archiv. Pharm., 1901, vol. 239, pp. 491-505 ; Abs. C.8.J)., 1902, vol. 82, pt.i., p. 114. 25 Vide Hanriot, Comptes Rendues, 1907. 12 MEMOIRS -OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Purification by removal of soluble material in dilute potash solution and re-solution of the residue in large volumes of water, whence it was obtained by shaking out with ether, yielded a white waxy body giving the characteristic colouration with sulphuric acid and ferric chloride and melting at 68°-72° C. The purified compound is extremely toxic; a concentration calculated at 1 part in 3,000,000 proved rapidly fatal to test fish. Greshoff states his material to be effective at 1: 5,000,000. The presence of saponin is also indicated in D. koolgibberah. An infusion of 1: 80 concentration slowly hzemolysed a suspension of red corpuscles. TEPHROSIA ROSEA, F. v. M. ‘* TE-UMA ’’ of Mapoon and Pennefather River natives. This shrub is one of the most effective poisons used in Cape York Peninsula. The use of Tephrosia species has been almost universal. Among ten different species of fish-poisons used in the Oriental region two are common to Queensland, viz., Derris uliginosa and Tephrosia.2° Among the North American Indians certain roots were used (that of a species of Tephrosia most commonly) ‘so that the stupefied fish could be secured by means of bows and arrows’’ (Speck).2* Tephrosia vogelit, Hook., is used with effect in Rhodesia,2* and the use of 7. toxicaria and T’. periculosa is referred to by Greshoff. Tephrosia purpurea, Pers., the ‘‘Etu-Maru’’ of the Torres Strait natives, has been forwarded to us from Mabuiag Island by W. C. Minniss, who states that the whole plant is employed. It is surmised that the plant, being indigenous to Queensland, was probably also used here, though we have no record of the fact. T. astragaloides, H. Brown, is referred to by Roth as employed in the Cloncurry and Upper Flinders River districts. Two species of Tephrosia have been observed in use in the Northern Territory. A specimen in the Adelaide Museum is marked 7. lamproloboides, and comes from that indefatigable collector and observer, T. Foelsche. T. purpurea is referred to by Ewart and Morrison in their ‘‘ Flora of the Northern Territory.’’?° In the Territory, however, the art would appear to have been restricted in its application. M. J. Colclough informs us that he saw no poisons in use along the coast in the Roper River district, where the country is crossed by running streams but pools are at a discount. Here fish are obtained in shallow water by spearing, and in deep water the natives not only spear but resort to the use of fish-traps with a funnel-shaped entrance or drive at the mouth. In localities where from the presence of pools poisoning might be resorted to, the danger of crocodiles eating the catch limits the practice. Neither Stirling nor Baldwin Spencer makes any mention of the use of poisons as far south as Central Australia. The former, in a letter to one of the authors, states ‘‘that he has never heard of the custom in the MacDonnell Ranges, where, from the localised and restricted conditions of the waters, it might be practicable. The natives there do, however, poison with pituri (Duboisia hopwoodi) the water where emus drink.’’*° " 26 Tenison-Woods, Rev. J. E., Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., vol. iii., 1888. *2? Vide Handbook of American Indians, Bureau Amer. Ethn., Bull. 30, ‘‘ Poisons.” “28 Investigations of Vegetable Drugs and Poisonous Plants, Bull. Imp. Institute, vol. 13, No. 1, 1915, p. 28. Vy 29 A. T. Ewart & A. Morrison, Contributions to the Flora of Australia, No. 21, Proc. Roy~ Soe. Victoria, vol. 26, pt. 1., 1913. 30 &. C. Stirling, Anthropology, Horn Expedition, 1896, vol. 4, p. 52. FISH POISONING AND POISONS.—HAMLYN-HARRIS AND SMITH. 13 The experiments of Hanriot dealing with the action of tephrosin, the poisonous principle of 7. vogelu, show that ‘‘when a fish is placed in a dilute solution it shows great excitement at first but soon becomes quiet. The fins lose colour and become paralysed and the fish turns over and eventually dies.”’ Our experimental results with 7. rosea and 7. purpurea are in agreement except that no paling of the fins could be observed. The action is extremely rapid. The Occurrence of Tephrosin in T. rosea and T. purpurea. Hanriot has isolated from 7. vogelii a poisonous principle, tephrosin (M. Pt. 187° C.),*1 a volatile oil, tephrosal, and an uncharacterised yellow body ; and more recently his results have been confirmed on material from Rhodesia in the laboratories of the Imperial Institute. Experimental work on 7’. rosea and T. purpurea demonstrates the presence of probably identical bodies in these species. Following substantially the method of Hanriot, extraction with alcohol and distillation of the extract in steam, a pungent yellow oil passed over which is thought to be identical with tephrosal. The evaporated residue is treated with chloroform, and the chloroformic solution precipitated with ether. Resinous bodies are removed by agitation with aqueous alkali, and the ether-chloroform solution evaporated. The residue was found to be yellowish and hemi-crystalline, and the residue from evaporation of acetone solution is also markedly erystalline ; the crystals being associated with a yellow body from which is was impracticable, with the material available, to completely separate them. Concerning the toxicity of the final product there can be no doubt; a concentration approximately 1: 1,000,000 proved fatal to test fish in half an hour. PONGAMIA GLABRA, Vent. The plant is recorded by Roth as a Queensland native fish-poison as follows :—‘‘ After being roasted, the roots are beaten upon a stone, tied in bundles and thrown into the water which turns somewhat greenish; it is put in of an evening and left there all night.’’ Botanically allied to Derris and Piscidia—the latter given as a fish-poison by Greshoff—its action is rapid and effective, the leaves being only less potent than the root. The active principle is found to reside in the ether extract of the root, and may be identical with or allied to the pachyrhizid, timboine, and tephrosin of other leguminous plants. Its failure to give a blood-red colouration with sulphuric acid and ferric chloride distinguishes it from derrid of genus Derris. ALBIZZIA PROCERA, Benth. A. procera was received by us through Sergeant Geary, described as an Acacia, from the Proserpine district, with the statement that the mside of the bark alone is used. The specimen did not prove certainly effective, the physiological effect being slight. Lauterer** and Bancroft®* have, however, pointed out the transitory nature of the occurrence of saponin in the plant, and in certain Acacias, and at seasons more positive results would probably have been obtained. It is scarcely credible, though, that the aboriginal could distinguish periods of maximum effectivity, and Albizeza would probably in his hands con- stitute an uncertain instrument. ° *s1 Bull. Imp. Institute, vol. 13, No. 1, 1915. } &82 Joseph Lauterer, Occurrence cf Saponin in Australian Acacias & Albizzias, Proc. Roy. Soe. Q., vol. 12, 1896, p. 101-7. noe 8 T. L. Bancroft, On the Discovery of Saponin in Acacia delibrata, Cunn., Proc. Roy. Soc. Q., vol. 4, 1887, p. 10. 14 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. ACACIA SP. ‘* WAKA,’’ Normanton, N.Q. Greshoff records the use of Acacia and allied genera as fish-poisons in Burma and elsewhere, and Maiden mentions three species of Acacia as so used, viz. :-—Acacia fulcata, Willd., ‘‘ Wee-Tjellan’’; Acacia penninervis, Sieb.; Acacia salicina, var. varians. Brockmann, in his ‘‘ Report on the Exploration of North-West Kimberley,’’ says of the natives: ‘‘ With the coarse grass and wattle-bark they make what looks like an enormous straw bottle; the inside of this they fill with the bark obtained from the root of a shrub which grows along the banks of the rivers, and which is known on the Fitzroy as ‘Majalla,’ and then drag it backwards and forwards through the pool, the result being that the fish become stupefied and come to the surface, and they are easily caught. Whether the stupefying effect is due to the bark or to the stirring-up of the mud Dr. House does not know; probably both are factors in the case.’’** Our own experiments with water muddied with suspension of clay show ‘that such factor, beyond inducing slight abnormality of behaviour, is inoperative. Mr. T. Welsby, indeed, in his book on ‘‘ Schnappering’’ (Brisbane, 1905), makes reference to a native mode of catching fish by muddying water with a greasy greyish-blue clay, and driving towards a specially prepared dam, when, rising gasping to the surface, they were taken. With the experience of the non-effect of mere ‘‘ muddying,’’ however, we are inclined to attribute the apparent success of the practice rather to the mechanical disturbance due to the invasion and beating of the water by the large number of fishermen. Similarly, in the occasionally observed mortality among fish in turbid flood-waters, the muddiness must be considered an insignificant contributing factor, the true cause probably lying in de-oxygenation of the stream waters by washing in large quantities of oxygen-absorbing material.*° In the instance quoted the use of wattle-bark may have had an adjuvant effect, though the ‘‘ Majalla’’ must probably be regarded as the effective substance. Certain species of Acacia are known to be rich in tannin and to be saponin- containing, the development of the latter occurring principally in the seeds and pods.*® Greshoff states that the species likely to be most effective are those rich in tannin and bearing saponaceous seed-pods. The specimen contained 3 per cent. of tannin, and had but slight physiological action at concentration 1: 1,000. OrpdER COMBRETACE. TERMINALIA SERICOCARPA, F. v. M. DAMSON PLUM, Proserpine District. Test experiments demonstrate the bark of 7. sericocarpa to be a fish-poison of lesser effectivity, producing death in sufficient concentration. T’. lawrinoides and 7’. tomentosa, on the authority of Greshoff, were used for the purpose else- where (liotard, Elliot Watt). No toxic principle other than tannin, of which 8 per cent. is present, could be demonstrated. .**4 Brockman, F.S., Report on Exploration of North-West Kimberley, 1901, Perth 1902 Extract from Appendix C by F. M. House, p. 18. ~ $5 Vide Allgem. Fischerei Ztg. 35, 353-6, 373, 4; Chem. Abstracts, vol. vi., 1912, p. 903 36 Seed-pods of an Acacia were forwarded by G. F. Hill from Darwin, N.T. (probably A. holocarpa). The material possessed slight hemolytic power, and proved slowly fatal to fish in somewhat increased concentration. } FISii POISONING AND POISONS.—HAMLYN-HARRIS AND SMITH. 15 OrpDER MYRTACEA. EUCALYPTUS MICROTHECA, F. v. M. ‘¢ JINBUL or KURLEAH,”’ Cloncurry, N.Q. ‘* COOLIBAR,’’ Normanton, N.Q. A specimen has been submitted by Dr. C. Taylor, Normanton, with the following ncte:—‘‘Coolibar branches and leaves are cut up small and left in water several days until totally discoloured and fish sicken ; universally used.”’ As indicated by the donor’s note and by our test experiments the plant is _slow-acting but efficacious—death finally ensuing—at considerable concentration. The use of EH. microtheca or other Eucalypti is the subject of mention by Sir Thomas Mitchell,*7 Palmer,** and Walter Roth.*® Palmer, speaking of the blacks of the interior of Queensland, says ‘‘ the small branches of EH. microtheca, the Coolibah or Flooded Box, are cut up and with the leaves are laid in water for several days to sicken fish; it is universally used for this purpose.’’ Roth refers to the use in the Cloncurry, Woonamurra, and Leichhardt-Selwyn districts, where he says ‘‘numerous leafy boughs and branches of ‘gum-tree’ are utilised for capturing fish.’’*° The whole camp of blacks, working at it, will start throwing these in first thing in the morning; during the ‘day the water becomes darker and darker, and strongly smelling, until by the following morning at sunrise, when it is almost black, the fish all he panting on the surface and are easily caught. The notes infer the slow nature of the effects and the use in considerable quantities. The effect, indeed, is compatible with low content of tannin, of which our specimen was found to contain in the bark 6 per cent. It is probable that species of Hucalyptus were indiscriminately used. OrDER MYRTACEA. BARRINGTONIA SPECIOSA, Linn. “ ARROO,”’ Townsville District, N.Q. The toxic properties would seem to be from recorded use of various paris dispersed throughout the whole plant, including the seed capsules. The Queens- land natives use the bark and leaves, adopting similar methods to those described by Roth for Barringtonia racemosa. In the districts in and around Townsville the native name of the plant is ‘‘Arroo.’’ Here the fruit is eaten as food, and it is not a little strange that this should be so, in the face of the fact that the fruit of this very species is used for fish-poisoning in New Britain, as recorded by Dr. George Brown.*! Further, the islanders of the Bismarck Archipelago _ poison by means of the seeds of B. speciosa, which are ground and thrown into the water, the fish snapping at the fragments and becoming stupefied.*” The inhabitants of the Mary Ann Islands use the same plant extensively, Y 37 Thos. Mitchell, Bapeditions to Australia, vol. i., 1838, p- 24. » 38H. Palmer, Notes on Some Australian Tribes, Journ. Anthrop. Institute, vol. 13, 1884, pp. 321, 2. » 39 W. BE. Roth, N.Q. Ethnography, Bull. 3, 1901, para. 15, p. 19. 40 W. £. Roth, Ethnol. Studies: among N.W.C.Q. Aborigines, 1897, chap. v., The Search for Food. % 41 George Brown, Melanesians & Polynesians, 1910, p. ¥42 Biro Lajos, Anz. Ethno. Abth. Ungarischen Nat. Museums, 1905. 16 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. and Alvin Seale** tells us ‘‘ that in former times the natives caught and dried great quantities of fish by its means, a grand fishing fiesta being held at certain seasons of the year. The Spanish authorities, however, finding that this was depleting the waters by killing young as well as old, abolished the method in 1894. When the Americans took possession the law was considered obsolete. By chance I was present at the first of these fiestas that had taken place for seven years. Fully several hundred people took part in the fishing. An immense deep pool several hundred feet deep, a short distance inside the reef, was surrounded | by a line of seines. At low tide about one barrel of this precious juice was poured into the pool. The effect was almost instantaneous; hundreds of fishes came gasping and struggling to the top of the water, where they were captured and killed by the natives. No ill-effects seemed to follow the eating of these poisoned fish.’’ Parkinson‘ records that in the island of St. Matthias the fruits of a Barringtonia species are used as floats for their nets, and although fish-poisons are known and used by the Gazelle Peninsula natives it has apparently not occurred to them to put the fruit to the same use as elsewhere. Fijians use the outer bark of the fruit for a similar purpose, so Seemann** tells us. In our hands infusions of the bark proved effective and fairly rapidly acting. Initial extreme excitement with exaggerated movement of the gills appear predominant symptoms. The bark is alkaloid, saponin, practically tannin-free, and suceessive ether and alcohol extractions yielded innocuous infusions. The aqueous infusion of material, after exhaustion by ether and alcohol, proved readily toxic, but the nature of the active principle has not been ascertained. CAREYA AUSTRALIS, F.v.M. ‘¢ MUSSIL’”’ (MUSSAL), Cardwell District, N.Q. “* RAROO,’’ Dunk Island. ‘‘ BARKABAH,”’’ Burdekin River, Q. This well-known and effective fish-poison grows plentifully in forest country and along the foreshore of the Cardwell district, being known in the vernacular of the white man as ‘‘ Cocky Apple’’ (S. Creedy) and as ‘‘ Cockatoo Apple’’ at the Proserpine (Sergt. Geary). Its use is general in either fresh or salt water, but at Cardwell was resorted to when Cupania or Derris were unavaii- able. James Murrell mentions a differentiation on the Burdekin between the bark of the stem and bark of root for use in fresh or salt water. On Dunk Island, the bark at the base of the trunk and of the roots was macerated in the water in which fish were observed by being beaten with a nulla-nulla, the mass being thrown into the pool. Here also, on the authority of E. J. Banfield, the leaves were accredited medicinal virtue, being beaten and appled as fomentations. The bark is saponaceous. Infusions show characteristic frothing at great dilutions, and hemolyse at concentration 1: 1,000. A separated sapotoxin fraction gave characteristic cherry-red colouration with concentrated sulphuric acid, but was devoid of hemolytic power. * 43 Alvin Seale, Report of a Mission to Guam, Caroline Island ; Occasional Papers, B.P.B. Museum, Honolulu, pt. ii., 1901, p. 61. -’ 44 Parkinson, R., Dreissig Jahre in der Stdsee (1907), p. 326. 45 Seemann, D., Flora Vitiensis 1865 (1873). FISH POISONING AND POISONS.—HAMLYN-HARRIS AND SMITH. 17 OrDER RUBIACE A. SARCOCEPHALUS CORDATUS, Miq. ‘* OOLPANJE,’’ Mitchell River, N.Q. ‘* COOLIABY,”’ Cloneurry, Q. As a food used by the natives of the Mitchell and Flinders Rivers, Palmer*® mentions the fruit of S. leichhardti, which is eaten raw. The bark of S. cordatus has been sent us from the Proserpine with a reputation as a fish- poison. S. cordatus appears to exert a slight and temporary stupefacient effect only in considerable concentration. The bark is pronouncedly bitter and contains a non-alkaloidal bitter principle or resin (Bancroft), and an alkaloid in very small quantity. Tannin is absent. S. esculentus has been stated to contain alkaloids (see Bull. Imp. Institute, vol. xiii., No. 1, p. 46), and Greshoff (loc. cit.) lists genus Sarcocephalus as being alkaloid-containing. OrDER EBENACE Ab. DIOSPYROS HEBECARPA, A. Cunn. “TULICAN,’’ Goongangee Tribe, Cape Grafton. *“KUB,’’ Torres Strait (A. C. Haddon). Other species of Diospyros are toxic and the secretion of the fruit vesicatory. The use of the fruit is reported elsewhere as a fish-poison.*7 Relative to the properties and uses of the fruit of D. hebecarpa we are informed by Mr. Sammel Lyon, of Yarrabah, as follows:—‘‘ This large wide-spreading tree blossoms usually in September and October in North Queensland, and produces. fruit which in its fresh condition has distinct toxic properties.’’ Members of the Goongangee tribe pound it between two flat stones, the resulting pulp being then placed in a dilly-bag, which is swirled about in the selected creek (fresh or salt water). In fresh water ‘‘ Tulican’’ turns the water yellow, in salt water red. As the fish become stupefied they rise to the surface and are usually removed with a spear. In spite of the caustic nature of the fruit the poisoning does not in any way appear to spoil the fish as an article of food. The juice of the fruit brought into contact with the skin produces blistering, and the natives in handling it exercise great care in consequence. The specimen of dried fruit received was devoid of vesicatory power and inefficacious ‘as a fish-poison, which, indeed, was not expected, from the emphasis laid by our correspondent upon the necessity of fresh condition. Orper VERBENACEH. FARADAYA SPLENDIDA, F. v. M. ** KOTE-YAN,’’ Dunk Island. In forwarding the specimen, KE. J. Banfield writes: ‘‘ Portions of the vine (sic) are cut into foot lengths; the outer layer of the bark is removed and rejected, the middle layer alone being preserved. This is carefully seraped off and made up in shapely little piles on fresh green leaves. When a sufficiency is » 46 A. Palmer, Journ. Anthropological Institute, vol. 13, 1884, p. 317. * 7” W. E. Roth, N.Q. Ethnography, Bull. 3, p. 19. >» A. C. Haddon, Expedition to Torres Strait, vol. 4, p. 159. B 18 MEMOIRS. OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. obtained it is rubbed on to stones previously heated by fire. The stones being then thrown into a ereek or a little lagoon left by the receding tide, the poison becomes disseminated, with fatal results to all fish and other marine animals.’’ Approached as to his opinion as to whether the use of specific portions of the plant was arrived at by accident or coincidence, ‘‘ The Beachcomber,”’ whose numerous contributions to Queensland Ethnology are of the greatest possible value, and who speaks from first-hand knowledge, states:—‘‘I am fairly certain, from the mental qualities of the race, that most of its discoveries were accidental, though in the ease of ‘ Koie-Yan’ there must have been investi- gation. I am of the opinion that the crescent of the fish-hooks was evolved from the way in which a certain oyster-shell weathers on the beach, and that indeed Nature showed the several stages of the process of making, for I have found models of them all. Do not the inventions of the moderns prove the theory of evolution? With few exceptions each embraces gradual improvements on the original germ. In the case of most of the poisons it seems to me safe to believe that they result from the happy chance.’’ Dilute infusions of F. splendida are potent and rapidly acting. Agitation, subsequent stupefaction with approach to the surface, rapidly set in, and death supervened in as short a period as one hour. The active principle is saponin. Aqueous extracts show the characteristic foaming properties of saponin at extreme dilutions, and hemolysis of blood corpuscles at final dilution of 1: 4,000. OrpDER ASCLEPIADE A. ASCLEPIAS CURASSAVICA, Linn. This plant, a native of the West Indies, is stated to have made its appear- ance in Queensland somewhere about thirty years ago, and its adoption as a fish-poison on the Don River (Sergt. Donohue) is consequently comparatively recent, The infused dry specimens obtained by us had no marked physiological action in considerable concentration, except an apparent slightly stupefying effect. Trout gudgeon were observed to continually approach the surface. The use of the plant as a love-charm by Pennefather River district—the men being reputed to rub themselves with it in order to compel a return of regard—is of much interest. OrpbER POLYGONACEA. POLYGONUM HYDROPIPER, Linn. ‘* BOORAGOOLAH,”’’ Lower Flinders River, N.Q. ‘¢ TANGGUL,”’ Pine River, Q. T. Petrie #8 recalls the use of P. hydropiper as a fish-poison by the Pine River natives, and says that the plant was pounded up with sticks and then thrown into water, and the water stirred up with the feet. The use of Polygonum sp. in this capacity is widespread, and is noted by Greshoff on various authority. 48. C. Petrie, Tom Petrie’s Reminiscences of Early Queensland, dating from 1837, Brisbane, 1904, p. 73. FISH POISONING AND POISONS.—HAMLYN-HARRIS AND SMITH. 19 A species of Polygonum, probably orientale, was pointed out to C. Hedley as one of the plants which the Port Curtis (Queensland) blacks use in obtaining fish, and that when a quantity of it is pounded up and thrown into a waterhole it rapidly brings all the fish to the surface in a dying condition, without impairing their wholesomeness as food.*? Palmer refers to the ‘‘ Water-pepper’’ as a food, the stalk being roasted and peeled and the pithy heart eaten. The plant was received from Ald. L. H. Maynard, of Bundaberg, as a local reputed poison, and was supplemented by specimens of P. strigosum and P. minus, collected for us by C. T. White. The last have not been recorded as used for the purpose. Mr. Maynard’s accompanying note states: ‘‘ I have seen the blacks in this district using it; they dry and powder it and seatter it on the ‘surface of the water. It is used in small lagoons or small waterholes left in ereeks during dry spells.”’ Used in somewhat concentrated infusion, the Polygonum species tested proved efficient stupefacients ; the fins and tails became contracted and depressed, and death has been known to follow within four and a half hours. P. hydropiper proved most effective, stupefaction being pronounced in a period of four hours. \ OrDER KUPHORBIACEA. PETALOSTIGMA QUADRILOCULARE, F. v. M. ““CINCHONA”’ and ‘‘QUININE TREE,”’’ by the natives on the Burnett River. The use of the fruit of this plant is attested by Mr. T. Illidge. His statement that follows is descriptive of the practice:—‘‘ Almost forty-five years ago I lived at Marlborough, some 60 miles north of Rockhampton, where at times they would be gathered together, blacks from the coast and the Mackenzie and Fitzroy Rivers forming a decent mob of about 200, and on these occasions they would have a fairly joyous time hunting fish and game and indulging in their native -corroborees. It was on one of these occasions, when I was riding down Marl- borough Creek, I came across about a dozen blacks at a waterhole a little separated from the main creek, into which a lot of mullet had evidently got during a ‘fresh’ in the river and were imprisoned. The blacks had some dilly- bags full and a lot of branches broken off a small tree bearing a great quantity of fruit locally called ‘Emu apples,’ of a yellow colour, and the fruit was intensely bitter. Bushmen used to mix some in their tea as an antidote to attacks of fever and ague, which were very prevalent in Queensland in those days. Well, the blacks smashed all the fruit with stones, and then, with the addition of a rather broad-leaf plant obtained in the scrub, a sort of narcotic and which ‘I have seen the blacks smoking in lieu of tobacco, mixed up and thrown into the waterholes, and although I waited and watched some time without seeing any result I continued my ride, but on returning four hours later found the blacks with a good supply of mullet and garfish which they had strung on lght twigs for carrying to camp.’’ It is notable, however, that the berries were used in conjunction with a narcotic plant, and it is not possible to definitely allocate the result witnessed by Mr. Illidge. So far as we have been able to observe, an infusion of the berries mn® 4 C, Hedley, Uses of Some Queensland Plants, Proc. Roy. Soc. Q., vol. v., 1888, p. 10. 20 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. has no more than a slight and transitory stupefying effect. Greshoff attributes to the fruit the property of a vermifuge. A specimen of P. quadriloculare has also been received through the courtesy of Mr. Bleakley, Chief Protector of Aboriginals, from the Oaklands (Cairns) district, where an infusion of tea is used as an antidote for opium. OrpdER AROIDEA. ALOCASIA MACRORRHIZA, Schott. «“ Nero ”’ (prepared for use). The use of the large Arum, Alocasia macrorrliza, has not hitherto been re- corded as a fish-poison, and we are indebted to Mr. Edward Hart, of Kolan, for the information that he has seen it so used by the Monduran and Upper Burnett blacks. It is common on alluvial flats adjacent to watercourses. It must be regarded as of great general utility by the aborigine, for Roth and others mention that the rootstock is eaten after preparation, and the modern _ blacks regard the roots, crushed and _ heated, as a useful local application in syphilis. Both rootstock and leaves proved ineffective to test fish even when infused in quantity. The leaves of Alocasia macrorrhiza are eyanophoric, but mere maceration and steeping does not bring about interaction of glucoside and enzyme even in long periods. The “fish- poison Opliocaulon cissampeloides of the Cameroons is effectual, according to E. Fickendey.®® owing to its content of free hydrocyanic acid and cyanogenetic olucoside. UNIDENTIFIED SPECIMENS. ‘ NERO} from Pennefather River, Q. The vine yielding this rapid and effective poison was not identified by Roth, who refers to it by the native name, and the present specimens were unsuitable for botanical naming. Flowers and f-uit for the purpose are difficult to obtain, as they are borne by the plants during the wet season, when its habitat in swampy foreshores is unapproachable. 50}, Fickendey, Z. Angew. Chem. 23, 2166-7. FISH POISONING AND POISONS.—HAMLYN-HARRIS AND SMITH. 21 Relative to its use Rev. N. Hey states: ‘‘This fish-poison is used only in salt or brackish water in conjunction with plentiful supplies of green-ants’ nests (Heophylla smaragdina, Fab.), which are calculated to tempt fish to the surface and. when they are stupefied, they are more easily caught.’’ The vine is prepared by beating out and coiling in lengths about staves, the beating together of which under water causes the dissemination of the poison. Experimental results demonstrate the great effectivity of the prepared plant; fish are rapidly paralysed and killed. The ether extract infused in water proved rapidly fatal to fish. The association of toxic property with ether-soluble resins suggests the affinity of the plant with the Leguminosex, and the identity with a species of Derris is rendered certain by the blood-red colouration given by the extracted resin with concentrated sulphuric acid containing a trace of ferric chloride. MANGROVE, from Normanton, Q. (unidentified). The bark, which the natives strip from the trees, is said to cause fish to sicken quickly. Botanical identification has been impracticable, but identity with the Swamp Mangrove, Barringtonia speciosa, 1s suggested. BARK OF ROOT (unidentified). Mr. J. L. Bramford, of Oaklands vid Cairns, the donor, states that the material is placed in waterholes overnight and fish are found dead on the surface next morning. The natives of the district also employ it as a stimulating or perhaps sedative medicine, and Mr. Bramford is of the opinion that its use -aecounts for the death of many small children, the infants pining away when the opiate (?) is indulged in by the mothers, who are with difficulty induced to abandon the habit. Test fish placed in infusions of the material exhibited preliminary excitation, stupefaction, and finally death after long intervals. A slow but effective poison. An infusion of the alcoholic extract is similarly effective, but the nature of the active principle has not been determined. A BARK (unidentified) from Oaklands vié Cairns, Q. The material is used similarly to the preceding *‘Bark of root,’’ and with identical results. It would appear from test experiments to be in equal concentrations somewhat more potent, and the active principle is alcohol-soluble, but has not been further characterised. AN UNIDENTIFIED SPECIMEN From Dorothy Creek, Katherine River, Northern Territory (G. F. Hill, Port Darwin). A portion of shrub reputed to be used for fish-poisoning purposes on the Katherine River did not lend itself to botanical identification. Mr. R. H. Teck-Brook (The Mine), to whom we are indebted for specimens, supplies the following information :—‘‘ It appears to grow only in the neigh- bourhood but not in the immediate vicinity of water; that is to say it grows, as far as I can see, only on the tops of rocky hills, but in the adjoining valleys there is water containing fish—at least the large holes in Dorothy Creek contain fish. bo bo MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. There is no trace that I can find of the shrub growing close to the creek itself. As far as I can see, the shrub has no seed, and I can find no trace-of any seed. It is about four to five feet high, and the blacks scrape the bark off with a sharp stene and either pound it on another stone and then push it into the water, or else, after pounding and bruising the bark, they put it in a grass basket and drag the basket with the pounded bark inside through water and in five minutes the fish are floating on the top.’’ Its infusion, however, proved innocuous to test fish. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. We desire to express our indebtedness to various donors and corres- pondents receiving mention in the text of this paper; also to Professor T. T. Waterman (Berkeley, Cal.), Messrs. C. Hedley (Australian Museum, Sydney), L. Glauert (Perth Museum), and J. W. Beattie (Hobart), for various information. Our thanks are also due to Mr. C. T. White, Assistant Government Botanist, for botanical identification; and to the State Agricultural Chemist, Mr. J. C. Briimnich, for placing at our disposal facilities for the chemical examinations of specimens. LIST OF AUSTRALASIAN AND AUSTRO-PACIFIC MURIDAE.—LONGMAN. 23 LIST OF AUSTRALASIAN AND AUSTRO-PACIFIC MURIDAE. By HEBER A. LONGMAN. ‘At the present time any worker on the Australian rodents has to face con- siderable difficulties owing to the need for searching through a very numerous series of articles in various publications. With the exception of the necessarily brief refer- ences in the Catalogue of Australian Mammals by J. Douglas Ogilby, published in 1892 by the Australian Museum, and the descriptions and illustrations in Lucas and Le Souéf’s popular work, “The Animals of Australia”’ (1909), there have been no attempts to issue a consecutive list of our rodents. From time to time Oldfield Thomas, of the British Museum, has dealt with distinct groups, and thanks to the efforts of that well-known authority there has been a useful process of what may be termed “straightening out.” Itis hoped that later on some central expert will prepare a com- plete and comprehensive catalogue, but in the meantime the publication of a list with references may be welcomed. It has also been thought advisable to refer in some cases to associated literature apart from the purely systematic work. With a few exceptions, the writer has made no attempt to reprint generic or specific descriptions, as in the majority of cases abridgments are apt to be misleading. The interest attaching to the Australian rodents has been dwarfed by the special prominence given to our marsupial fauna. Some of the earlier writers, indeed, looked upon the endemic rodents as being almost negligible. But the presence of such distinctive genera as Hydromys, Xeromys, and Mastacomys stultifies the old view, whilst the evolution of the characteristic Jerboa-like forms of the central districts offers a fascinating problem to students. The theory which associates our mammalian fauna with that of South America, through antarctic connections which linked the southern lands before the evolution of the more characteristically placental mammals, does not account for the existence of about fifty autochthonous species of rodents in Australia and Tasmania. Nor can these rodents all be disposed of as recent immi- grants. The presence of several highly specialised marsupials in the north-eastern districts and in adjacent Pacific islands is another interesting factor. At present the biotal evidence, particularly when supplemented by that of fossil forms, is so complex that varying views may be emphasised by giving prominence to certain points. The problem is too great to be adequately dealt with here, but it may be noted that on herpetological evidence alone there are pronounced Australian affinities with Papua, Ceram, Timor, and several other East Indian Islands. When all the facts come to be critically marshalled, we may find the truer key to the origin of our mammals (mar- supials as well as rodents) in northern land connections with continental associations in the past. Occasionally rodents attract attention by their abundance, and the antipathy aroused by plagues of rats or mice generally results in a strenuous campaign of exter- mination. So far as Queensland is concerned, an article by E. Palmer, ‘“‘ Notes on a 24 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. great visitation of Rats in the north and north-western plain country of Queensland, - in 1869 and 1870,” may be referred to.1. The rat was written of as an indigenous one, but is compared to Mus decumanus. The writer says that the numbers were almost incredible, and that ‘‘ one rat to every ten square yards in each mile would not represent anything like their numbers.” Spencer and Gillen, writing of the higher and lower steppes of the interior, state: “ Rodents are far more abundant than the smaller marsupials, and in addition to the indigenous ones, the imported Mus musculus has now made its way into the Centre.”* Lucas and Le Souéf give a remarkable account of migrating rats in Western Queensland and Central South Australia.® The association of rodents and disease has brought forth a wealth of pathological literature—far too voluminous to note. 1892.—Conilurus apicalis, Ogilby, Cat. Austr. Mamm., pe WiC, 1896.—Hapalotis apicalis, Spencer, Horn Exped., ii, p. 11. 1898.—Conilurus apicalis, Waite, Pr. Roy. Soc. Vic., x, p. 115, pl. 5, figs. of skull, molars, and foot. 1906.—Leporillus apicalis, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., RVI, spies Habitat : Central Australia. Genus NOTOMYS, Lesson. 1842.—Notomys, Lesson, N. Tabl. R.A. Mamm., p. 129. Podanomalus, Waite, Pr. Roy. Soc. Vic., x, 1898, p. 117, is a synonym. Notomys mitchelli, Ogilby. “‘ Mitchell’s Jerboa-rat.” 1838.—Dipus mitchelli, W. Ogilby, Tr. Linn. Soc., xviii, p. 129. 1892.—Conilurus mitchelli, J. D. Ogilby, Cat. Austr. Mamm., p. 119. 1898.—Hapalotis mitchelli, Waite, Pr. Roy. Soc. Vic., x, 2, p. 121. 1906.—Notomys mitchelli, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xvii, p. 83; P.Z.S., p. 539. Habitat : Central districts. As to the habits of the Jerboa-like species, Spencer and Gillen suggest that “ probably the real advantage of the jumping method of progression amongst the smaller animals lies in the difficulty that birds experience in pouncing down upan an animal which is proceeding by leaps and bounds. It has certainly nothing to do directly with the sandy and arid nature of the country.’ Notomys longicaudatus, Gould. 1844.—Hapalotis longicaudatus, Gould, P.Z.8., p. 104. F 1863.—Hapalotis longicaudatus, Gould, Mamm. Austr., iii, pl. vii. 1892.—Conilurus longicaudatus, Ogilby, Cat. Austr. Mamm., p. 119. 1896.—* Hapalotis mitchelli,’ Spencer, Horn Exped., ii, p. 10. 1898.—Podanomalus longicaudatus, Waite, Pr. Roy. Soc. Vic., p. 117. 1906.—Notomys longicaudatus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xvii, p. 83. Habitat : Central Australia. Notomys gouldii (Gray, 1841), Gould, 1863. This species was first noted by Gray in the Appendix to Grey’s “ Travels in Australia,” pp. 404 & 413, but it was not described. It was then figured by Gould in Mamm. Austr., iii, pl. 9, as Hapalotis mitchelli, but the correct designation of H. gouldit was pointed out by Gould in his introduction. Apparently Hapalotis richardsoni, Gray, is a synonym. In our “ Zool. Voy. Erebus & Terror,” vol. i, dated 1845-1875, the reference on p. 12d notes a previous publication of the same work which suggests priority to richardsoni, but Oldfield Thomas has pointed out (Brit. Mus. Cat. Marsupialia, p- 227, footnote) that the official date is 1875. 1841.—Hapalotis gouldii, Gray, Appen. Grey’s Trav. Aus., pp. 404 & 413, nomen nudum. 1863.—Hapalotis gouldii, Gould, Mamm. Austr., i, p. Xxxv ; ili, pl. ix. 1906.—Notomys gouldii, Thomas, P.Z.S., p. 767. Habitat : Western Australia. 11 Spencer and Gillen, ‘‘ Across Australia,” p. 103 (1912). LIST OF AUSTRALASIAN AND AUSTRO-PACIFIC MURIDAE.—LONGMAN. 37 Genus ASCOPHARYNX, Waite. Oldfield Thomas considers this genus as not distinct from Notomys, as its type, H. cervinus, Gould, “‘agrees both in dental and pedal structure with mitchelli and longi- caudatus.” Waite founded the genus on the possession of a gular pouch, which, he suggests, ‘‘ is used, as in the Geomyide, for storing food.” Thomas notes (P.Z.S., 1906, p- 539) that sree, of Notomys mitchelli “* have an indication of a glandular organ on the throat, Ascopharynx cervinus, Gould. “‘ Fawn-coloured Jerboa-rat.” 1851.—Hapalotis cervinus, Gould, P.Z.8., p. 127. 1863.—Hapalotis cervinus, Gould, Mamm. Austr., iii, pl. x 1892.—COonilurus cervinus, Ogilby, Cat. Austr. Mamm., p. 120. 1896.—Hapalotis cervinus, Spencer, Horn Exped., ii, p. 11. 1898.—Thylacomys cervinus, Waite, Pr. Roy. Soc. Vic., x, 2, p. 122. 1900.—Ascopharynx (Thylacomys pre-oc.) cervinus, Waite, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist, V,.pa222- 1906.—Notomys cervinus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xvii, p. 82. 1912.—_Notomys cervinus, Spencer & Gillen, ‘‘ Across Australia,” i, p. 166. 1915.—Ascopharynx cervinus, Waite, Tr. Roy. Soc. South Aus., xxxix, p. 735. Habitat : Central Australia. Genus CONILURIS Ogilby. Conilurus albipes, Licht. ‘‘ Nest-building Jerboa-rat.” 1829.—Hapalotis albipes, Licht., Darst. der Saugth., tab. 29. 1838.—Conilurus constructor, Ogilby, Tr. Linn. Soc., xviii, p. 126. 1839.—Hapalotis albipes, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., ii, p. 308. 1849.—Mus conditor, Gould in Sturt’s Ex. Cen. Aus., i, p. 120, plate ; li, Appen., p. 7. 1863.—Hapalotis conditor, Gould, Mamm. Austr., i, pl. vi. 1863.—Hapalotis albipes, Gould, Mamm. Austr., iii, pl. i. 1892.—Hapalotis albipes, Ogilby, Cat. Austr. Mamm., p. 114. 1906.—Conilurus albipes, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xvii, p. 84. Habitat (J. D. Ogilby): South-Eastern Australia ; southern portion of South Australia. A curious lapsus calami occurs in T. 8. Palmer’s useful list of the Generic and Family Names of Rodents (Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., xi, p. 259, 1897), where this species is noted as Conilurus destructor. Conilurus penicillatus, Gould. ‘‘ Black-tailed Jerboa-rat.”’ 1842.—_ Mus penicillatus, Gould, P.Z.8., p. 12. 1843.—Hapalotis melanura, Gray, Mamm. Brit. Mus., p. 115. 1863.—Hapalotis penicillata, Gould, Austr. Mamm., iii, pl. v. 1892.—Conilurus penicillatus, Ogilby, Cat. Austr. Mamm., p. 117. 1906.—Conilurus penicillatus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xvii, p. 84. Habitat : Northern Queensland. ‘‘ Long-haired Jerboa-rat.” vo Oo MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Genus MESEMBRIOMYS, Palmer, 1906. This genus supersedes Ammomys, Thomas, 1906 (pre-occupied), Pr. Biol. Soc., Wash., xix, p. 97. Mesembriomys hirsutus, Gould. 1842.—_ Mus hirsutus, Gould, P.Z.8., p. 12. 1851.— Mus hirsutus, Gould, P.Z.8., p. 127. 1863.—Hapalotis hirsutus, Gould, Mamm. Austr., iii, pl. iv. 1892.—Conilurus hirsutus, Ogilby, Cat. Austr. Mamm., p. 117. 1897.—Conilurus hirsutus, Collett, P.Z.S., p. 322. 1906.—Ammomiys hirsutus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xvii, p. 84. 1909.—Mesembriomys hirsutus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., ii, p. 372. Habitat : Northern Queensland. Hapalotis hemileucura, described by Gray (P.Z.8., xxv, p. 243, 1857) and illustrated by Gould (Austr. Mamm. ui, pl. iii), has not been incorporated by Oldfield Thomas in his revised list, and is probably regarded as a synonym. Only a single specimen was procured. Mr. A. R. McCulloch (Australian Museum) informs me that it is listed as a valid species in Trouessart’s Catalogus Mammalium, i, 1897, p. 504. Unfortunately, this work is not obtainable in Brisbane. Mesembriomys macrurus, Peters. 1876.—Hapalotis macrurus, Peters, Mon. Ak. Berl., p. 355, plate p. 366. 1892.—Conilurus macrurus, Ogilby, Cat. Austr. Mamm., p. 115. 1904.—Conilurus macrurus, Thomas, Nov. Zool., xi. p. 222. 1906.—Ammomys macrurus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xvii, p. 84. 1909.—Mesembriomys macrurus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., uli, p. 372. R. Collett (P.Z.S., 1897, p. 322) says there is much reason to believe that Hapalotis bowert, Ramsay (P.L.S. N.S.W. (2), i, p. 1153, 1886), is identical with MACrUurus. Habitat : North Reoreetg Genus ZYZOMYS, Thomas. Separated from Mesembriomys, 1909. Zyzomys argurus, Thomas. 1889.—Mus argurus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., iii, p. 433. 1906.—Ammomys argurus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xvii, p. 84. 1909.—Mesembriomys argurus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., i, p. 151. 1909.—Zyzomys argurus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., ii, p. 372. Habitat : South Australia. Zyzomys argurus indutus, Thomas. 1909.—Zyzomys argurus indutus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., ili, p. 151. Type locality : Parry’s Creek, Kimberley, N. W. Australia. LIST OF AUSTRALASIAN AND AUSTRO-PACIFIC MURIDAE—LONGMAN. 39 Genus LAOMYS, Thomas. “The species of this genus are remarkable-looking animals, quite unlike ordinary Muride, and more suggesting members of the South-American Octodontinz.” Laomys woodwardi, Thomas. 1909.—Laomys woodwardi, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., iii, p. 373. Habitat : Kimberley, N. W. Australia. Laomys pedunculatus, Waite. 1896.—Conilurus pedunculatus, Waite, Horn Exped.., ii, p. 395, fig. 1, a-f. 1898.—Conilurus pedunculatus, Waite, Pr. Roy. Soc. Vic., x, 2, p. 117. 1906.—Ammomys pedunculatus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xvii, p. 84. 1909.—Laomys pedunculatus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., ili, p. 373. 1912 —Ammomys pedunculatus, Spencer & Gillen, “ Across Australia,” i, p- 166. In his original description, Waite notes a var. brachyotis. Type locality : Alice Springs, Central Australia. Genus MASTACOMYS, Thomas. 1882.— Mastacomys, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., ix, p. 413. “ Like Mus, but with the molars enormously broadened and of a enna different pattern,-and with fewer mamme.” Mastacomys fuscus, Thomas. 1882.— Mastacomys fuscus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., ix, p. 413. 1885.—Mastacomys fuscus, Lydekker, B.M. Cat. Fos. Mamm.., i, p. 227 (fossil remains from Wellington Valley Caves, N.S.W.). 1892.— Mastacomys fuscus, Ogilby, Cat. Austr. Mamm., p. 120. Habitat : Tasmania. Mastacomys sp. E. R. Waite, who has done much useful work on Australian Muride, refers (Horn Exped., Zool., ii, p. 406) to specimens of Mastacomys from Alice Springs, Central Australia, which have the characteristically broad molars of this genus, but which were too immature for specific determination. Genus UROMYS, Peters. 1867.—Uromys, Peters, Mon. Ak. Berlin, p. 343. This large genus was founded by Peters on the Mus macropus of Gray; the great majority of the species are Papuan. 40 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Uromys macropus, Gray. 1866.—Mus macropus, Gray, P.Z.8., 1866, p. 221; loc. cit. 1867, p. 597. 1867.—Hapalotis caudimaculata, Krefit, P.Z.8., p. 316, fig. 1-7 (skull). 1867.—Uromys macropus, Peters, Mon. Ak. Berl., p. 344, with plate. 1887.—Uromys macropus, Collett, Zool. Jahr., p. 840. 1892.—Uromys macropus, Ogilby, Cat. Austr. Mamm., p. 121. Habitat : North-Eastern Australia. Uromys cervinipes, Gould. 1863.—Mus cervinipes, Gould, Mamm. Austr., iii, pl. xiv (ref. to P.Z.S., 1852 ; not found). 1888.—Uromys cervinipes, Thomas, P.Z.8., pp. 237 & 484. 1889.—Uromys cervinipes, Thomas, P.Z.8., p. 248. 1892.—Uromys cervinipes, Ogilby, Cat. Austr. Mamm.., p. 121. Habitat : Eastern Australia. Uromys melicus, Thomas. 1913.—Uromys melicus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xu, p. 215. ‘““ A very similar Uromys occurs in some of the islets off the Cape York coast, but our material is not sufficient to say if it is or is not specifically identical with the Melville Island species.’”’-—Thomas. Habitat : Melville Island, Northern Territory. *Uromys rufescens, Alston. 1877.—Uromys rufescens, Alston, P.Z.S. (1), p. 124; loc. cit., p. 743. 1877.—Mus musavora, Ramsay, P.L.S. ae (July), p. 15. 1881.—Uvomys musovorus, Pet. & Dor., Mus. Civ., Gen., xvi, p. 705. This is apparently included by Oldfield Thomas (P.Z.S., 1888, p. 484) in the synonymy of U. cervinipes. Habitat : Duke of York Island. *Uromys bruijnii, P. & D. 1876.— Uromys bruijnii, Pet. & Dor., Mus. Civ., Genov., viii, p. 336 ; loc. cit., xvi, 1881, p. 704. 1897.—Uromys brurijnit, Thomas, Mus. Civ., Genov., xviii, p. 617. This species is closely allied to U. cervinipes. Habitat : Papua. Type locality : Salawatti. Uromys banfieldi, De Vis. 1907.—Uromys banfieldi, De Vis, Ann. Qld. Mus., 7, p. 8. Oldfield Thomas (Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xii, 1913, p. 215) refers to this species s “ doubtfully distinct ” from U. cervinipes. Habitat : Dunk Island. LIST OF AUSTRALASIAN AND AUSTRO-PACIFIC MURIDAE.—LONGMAN. 41 *Uromys aruensis, Gray. 1873.—Uromys aruensis, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xii, p. 418. Habitat : Aru Islands. *Uromys validus, Pet. & Dor. 1881.—Uromys validus, Pet. & Dor., Mus. Civ., Gen., xvi, p. 703. 1897.—Uromys validus, Thomas, Mus. Civ., Gen., xviii, p. 616. 1907.—Uromys validus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xx, p. 73. 1913.—Uromys validus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xii, p. 212. Type locality : Katau, Papua. *Uromys moncktoni, Thomas. 1904.—Uromys moncktoni, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xiv, p. 399. “ Allied to U. levipes, Thos., but with shorter feet and more hairy tail.” Habitat : Papua. *Uromys stalkeri, Thomas. 1904.—Uromys stalkeri, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xiv, p. 202. Habitat : Gira River, Papua. *Uromys stalkeri calidior, Thomas. 1914.—Uromys s. calidior, Thomas, Tr. Z.S., xx, 9, p. 321. Habitat : Dutch New Guinea. *Uromys levipes, Thomas. 1897.—Uromys levipes, Thomas, Mus. Civ., Gen., xviii, p. 617. Habitat : Papua ; “ typical locality, Haveri.” *Uromys platyops, Thomas. 1906.—Uromys platyops, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xvii, p. 327. 1914.—Uromys platyops, Thomas, Tr. Z.8., xx, 9, p. 322. Habitat : Aroa River, Papua. *Uromys gracilis, Thomas. 1906.—Uromys gracilis, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xvii, p. 328. Habitat : Owgarra, Angabunga R., Papua. *Uromys anak, Thomas. 1907.—Uromys anak, 'Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xx, p. 72. Habitat : Brown River, Papua. *Uromys naso, Thomas. 1911.—Uromys naso, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., vii, p. 386. 1914.—Uromys naso, Thomas, Tr. Z.8., xx, 9, p. 321. “The distinction of this Uromys from U. lorentzii is perhaps rather doubtful. ‘The two skulls of it in the collection are, however, markedly larger than those of any of the considerable series of that animal.”’ Habitat : Papua. 42 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. *Uromys obiensis, Thomas. 1911.—Uromys obiensis, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., vii, p. 208. Habitat : Obi Island. *Uromys lorentzi, Jent. 1908.—Pogonomys lorentzi, Jent., Res. Ex., Néerl. Nouv.-Guin., i, 9, p. 8. 1913.—Uromys lorentzi, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xii, p. 210. 1914.—Uromys lorentzi, Thomas, Tr. Z.S8., xx, 9, p. 321. Habitat : Dutch New Guinea. *Uromys porculus, Thomas. 1904.—Uromys porculus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xiv, p. 400. Habitat : Guadaleanar, Solomon Is. *Uromys sapientis, Thomas. 1902.—Uromys sapientis, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., ix, p. 446. 1904.—Uromys sapientis, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xiv, p. 400. Habitat: Ysabel Island, Solomons. *Uromys leucogaster, Jent. 1908.—Pogonomys leucogaster, Jent., Nov. Guin., Rés. Exp. Scien., Néerl.,. chy | Open 1914.—Uromys leucogaster, Thomas, Tr. Z.8., xx, 9, p. 322. Habitat : Noord River, Dutch New Guinea. *Uromys multiplicatus, Jent., 1907. 1907.—Pogonomys multiplicatus, Jent., Nova Guinea, 5, p. 367. 1913.—Uromys multiplicatus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xii, p. 209. 1914.—Uromys multiplicatus, Thomas, Tr. Z.8., xx, 9, p. 320. , Habitat : Dutch New Guinea. *Uromys scaphax, Thomas. 1913.—Uromys scaphax, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xii, p. 209. 1914.—Uromys scaphax, Thomas, Tr. Z.8., xx, 9, p. 321. Habitat : Dutch New Guinea. *Uromys barbatus, Mil.-Edw. igco 1910.—Mus barbatus, Mil.-Edw., Bull. Mus. Paris, p. 167. 1907.—‘‘Mus barbatus,” Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xx, p. 73. 1913.—Uromys barbatus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xii, p. 212. Habitat : Papua. *Uromys arcium, Thomas. 1913.—Uromys arcium, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xu, p. 214. Habitat : Rossel I., d’Entrecasteaux Group. LIST OF AUSTRALASIAN AND AUSTRO-PACIFIC MURIDAE.—LONGMAN. 43 *Uromys lutillus, Thomas. 1913.—Uromys lutillus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xii, p. 216. Habitat : Papua. Uromys murinus, Thomas. 1913.— Uromys murinus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xii, p. 216. Habitat : Murray Islands, Torres Strait. *Uromys nero, Thomas. 1913.—Uromys nero, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xii, p. 208. Habitat : Dutch New Guinea. *Uromys mollis, Thomas. 1913.—Uromys mollis, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xii, p. 210. 1914.—Uromys mollis, Thomas, Tr. Z.S., xx, 9, p. 322. Habitat : Dutch New Guinea. *Uromys ductor, Thomas. 1913.—Uromys ductor, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xii, p. 213. Habitat : Avera, Aroa River, Papua. *Uromys prolixus, Thomas. 1913.—Uromys prolixus, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xii, p. 213. Habitat : Haveri, Papua. *Uromys muscalis, Thomas. 1913.—Uromys muscalis, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xii, p. 217. Habitat : Lower Fly River, Papua. *Uromys rothschildi, Thomas. 1912.—Uromys rothschildi, Thomas, Noy. Zool., xix, p. 91. Habitat : Rawlinson Mts., Papua. *Uromys (?) salamonis, Ramsay. 1882.— Mus salamonis, Rams., P. Lin. Soc. N.S.W., vii, p. 48, pl. v. 1887.—Mus salamonis, Thomas, P.Z.8., p. 327. 1888.—Mus salamonis, Thomas, P.Z.S., p. 481. 1902.—Mus salamonis, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., ix, p. 446. Habitat : Solomon Islands. Uromys papuanus, A. B. Meyer, Ann. Mag. Nat. His., 1876, p. 146, was not described. Hapalotis papuanus, Ramsay (P.L.S. N.S.W., viii; 1883, p. 18), has been referred to Uromys, but Oldfield Thomas says (Ann. Mag. Nat. His.. xii, 1913, p. 213) : ‘T think it best to treat the species as indeterminable,” the type having disappeared. 44 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. *Genus MALLOMYS, Thomas, 1898. *Mallomys rothschildi, Thomas. 1898.—Mallomys rothschildi, Thomas, Nov. Zool., Vv, Paks 1912.—Mallomys rothschildi, Thomas, Nov. Zool., xix, p. 92. 1914.—Mallomys rothschildi, Thomas, Tr. Z.8., xx, 9, p. 319. Habitat : Papua and Dutch New Guinea. The species tentatively named “ Dendrosminthus aroaensis” by De Vis (Annals of the Queensland Museum, No. 7, 1907, p. 10) is a synonym, although the idiosyn- crasies of description might not suggest identity. The skin is not available, but the skull of De Vis’ type agrees in detail with the characteristics noted by Thomas. It may be considered a doubtful matter as to whether De Vis’ tentative naming constitutes an official record. His specimen came from the head of the Aroa River, whilst the type location for M. rothschildi is further inland. The collector of the Queensland Museum specimen states that this rat is arboreal. *Mallomys hercules, Thomas. 1912.—Mallomys hercules, Thomas, Nov. Zool., xix, p. 92. Habitat : Rawlinson Mts., Papua. This species is larger than M. rothschildi, and is the giant of the subfamily Murine. *Genus HYOMYS, Thomas, 1903. *Hyomys meeki, Thomas. 1903.—Hyomys meeki, Thomas, P.Z.S., ii, p. 198, pl. xxiii, figs. 2, a-c. Habitat : Aroa River, Papua. *Genus ANISOMYS, Thomas, 1903. *Anisomys imitator, Thomas. 1903.—Anisomys imitator, Thomas, P.Z.S., ii, p. 200, pl. xxiii, figs. 1, a-e. Habitat : Aroa River, Papua. *Genus POGONOMYS, Mil.-Edw., 1877. *Pogonomys macrourus, Mil.-Edw. 1877.—Pogonomys macrourus, Mil.-Edw., Comptes Rendu, Paris, vol. 85, p. L081. Habitat : Papua. *Pogonomys mollipilosus, Pet. & Dor. 1881.—Mus mollipilosus, Pet. & Dor., Ann. Mus. Civ., Gen., xvi, p. 698. 1897.—Pogonomys mollipilosus, Thomas, Ann. Mus. Civ., Gen., xviii, p. 618. Habitat : Katau, Papua. *Pogonomys dryas, Thomas. 1904.—Pogonomys dryas, Thomas, Nov. Zool., xi, p. 600. Habitat : Papua. LIST OF AUSTRALASIAN AND AUSTRO-PACIFIC MURIDAE.—LONGMAN. 45 *Pogonomys loriz, Thomas. 1897.—Pogonomys lorie, Thomas, Ann. Mus. Civ., Gen., xviii, p. 613. Habitat : Haveri, Papua. *Pogonomys lepidus, Thomas. 1897.—Pogonomys lepidus, Thomas, Ann. Mus. Civ., Gen., xviii, p. 614. Habitat : Haveri, Papua. *Pogonomys vates, Thomas. 1908.—Pogonomys vates, Thomas, Ann. Mag, Nat. His., 1, p. 495. Habitat : Papua. *Pogonomys sexplicatus, Jent. 1907.—Pogonomys sexplicatus, Jent., Nova Guinea, 5, p. 366. Habitat : Sentaki Lake, Dutch New Guinea. *Pogonomys forbesi, Thomas. 1888.—Chiruromys forbesi, Thomas, P.Z.S., p. 239, figs. 1 & 2. 1897.—Pogonomys forbesi, Thomas, Mus. Civ., Gen., xviil, p. 613. Habitat : Haveri, Papua. The genus Chirwromys was established by Thomas in 1888 (loc. cit.), but was afterwards merged in Pogonomys ; the name, however, may be retained for a specialised section including P. forbesi, pulcher, and lamia. *Pogonomys pulcher, Thomas. 1895.—Chiruromys pulcher, Thomas, Nov. Zool., ii, p. 164. 1897.—Pogonomys pulcher, Thomas, Mus. Civ., Gen., xviii, p. 613. Habitat : Fergusson Is., D’Entrecasteaux Group. *Pogonomys lamia, Thomas. 1897.—Pogonomys lamia, Thomas, Mus. Civ., Gen., xviii, p. 613. Habitat : Papua ; type locality, Ighibirei. *Genus LORENTZIMYS, Jent., 1911. *Lorentzimys nouhuysii, Jent. 1911.—Lorentzimys nouhuysti, Jent., Nova Guinea, 9, p. 174. Habitat : Noord River, Dutch New Guinea. * Echiothrix (Craurothrix) leucrurus, Gray, once attributed mistakenly to Australia, is a Celebes species. 46 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. SNAKES AND LIZARDS FROM QUEENSLAND AND THE NORTHERN TERRITORY. By HEBER A. LONGMAN. SNAKES. ACROCHORDUS JAVANICUS, Hornstedt. (Plate VI.) THrouGcH the kindness of Mr. Esmond Parkinson, of: the Queensland Railways Department, the Queensland Museum received in June last a magnificent specimen of Acrochordus javanicus (Q) nearly 7 feet in length. This snake was secured alive from the Leichhardt River, which flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria. In the collection there previously existed a head, attributed to the same genus, said to have come from the Gilbert River in the same district, but as there was some doubt as to the locality no record was published. Now it is evident that this head represents an immature example of the same species. This snake is occasionally found in the Malay Peninsula, Siam, Java, and New Guinea, and its discovery in North Queensland makes an interesting addition to its range. With its ally Chersydrus granulatus, it is placed im the subfamily Acrochordine of the Aglypha series. Barbour suggests that Chersydrus ‘‘is barely separable generically’’ from Acrochordus, and that it may on critical analysis be reduced to subgeneric rank. Our specimen agrees weil with the descriptions given by Giinther? and Boulenger,*? but there are a few points which may be noted. Running from the gular region to the anus are ventral series of narrow elongated spinose scales, about four wide, which are sharply differentiated from the adjoining lepidosis. Duméril and Bibron state*: ‘‘Te ventre est plat, quoique présentant une légére saillie correspondant a la série des tubercules, qui se joignent deux a deux par une sorte de suture.’’ The writer has no exotic specimens for purposes of comparison, and it is thus possible that the sharply differentiated median ventral series of scales in Gur snake may be so distinct from the more northern forms as to establish varietal or even specific rank. This Leichhardt River snake is light chocolate brown above, with lghter very irregular markings forming an indistinct series of bands. The sides and ventral surface are lighter, and many of the spinose scales (which in structure bring to mind those of certain Agamid lizards) present the appearance of white enamel. There are about 145 seales around the body, 24 rows or so of the median dorsal series being considerably larger, some being over 3 mm. high. The dimensions are as follow:—Total length 2,100 mm.; head 68 mm.; tail 245; max. diam. 300 mm. Weight 8 lb. 7 oz. 11912. Barbour, Zoogeog. East Indian Is., Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Harv., xliv, No. 1. 2 Giinther, Rept. Brit. India, 1864, p. 336. 3 Boulenger, Brit. Mus. Catalogue, i, p. 173. 4 Duméril et Bibron, Erp. Gén., vii, p. 33, 1854. _ ACKOCHORDUS JAVANICUS. PLATE VI. ACROCHORDUS JAVANICUS, Hornstedt. (Photogtaphed shortly after death.) Face page 46 SNAKES AND LIZARDS FROM QUEENSLAND AND N. T.—LONGMAN. 47 Giinther mentions (loc. cit.) that this snake grows to a length of 8 feet, and S. 8. Flower records that he obtained a specimen from Sapatoom which was 6 feet in length. 8. S. Flower® says: ‘‘This snake, when alive and fresh caught, is of immense girth and very powerful, twisting round one’s arms with a grasp like that of a python. It seems to be purely aquatic (though Cantor records an exception), frequenting canals and ditches. On land as a rule it is very sluggish, but when aroused will strike suddenly with great force, and can inflict an unpleasant bite, as its teeth are apt to break off in the wound.’’ F. F. Laidlaw notes that the Malays call this reptile ‘‘the elephant’s trunk snake.’’” On examining our specimen for entozoa, the remarkable length of he | tracheal and true lung was noted, it being extended through the whole body cavity. On reference to literature, the writer finds that this specialisation has already been recorded by J. C. Thompson in his useful contribution to the anatomy of the Ophidia.’ In the stomach were found remains of elytra of beetles, which Mr. H. Hacker informs me belong to the Dytiscidw, a family of water beetles. Earlier observers have noted that this species feeds on fruits—a curious characteristic for an ophidian. Cantor stated that a female in his possession brought forth not less than twenty-seven young ones in the course of about twenty-five minutes; they were very active and bit fiercely. Reg. No. Q:M. J 15/2384. In November, 1915, we received a skin (6 feet 3 inches in length) of this species which had been obtained in the Lukin River, near Ebagoolah, a more northern stream which also flows into the Gulf cf Carpentaria. For this snake the Museum was indebted to Mr. H. 8S. Martin. The close ally, Chersydrus granulatus, Schneid., which is occasionally found on the North Queensland coast, is a smaller snake.™ Its seales are far less rough, being tuberculated and not strongly spined, and the nostrils are not placed so anteriorly as those of Acrochordus javanicus. ASPIDIOTES MELANOCEPHALUS, Krefit. From Maneroo Station, near Longreach, a specimen was forwarded to the Museum which extends our knowledge of the dietary of a hungry snake. This consists of the fore part (about 12 inches) of a black-headed python, Aspidiotes melanocephalus, and almost completely engulfed in its enormously extended jaws is the head of a large plain turkey or Australian bustard, Chloriotis australis. As the snake is a comparatively small one, being only about 1 inch in diameter, whilst the turkey’s head is fully two and a half times that, the bony bulk of the attempted meal will be realised. It seems that one of the men on the station, after shooting a turkey, had eut off its head and thrown it down. Subsequently passing the spot he found the snake lying dead. The specimen was preserved and then donated to the Queensland Museum by Mr. J. Dickson. 5§. 8. Flower, P.Z.5., 1899, p. 658. 6 ¥. F, Laidlaw, P.Z.S., 1901 (2), p. 576. 7. J.C. Thompson, P.Z.S., 1913. p. 414. 7a Lonnberg and Anderson (Vet.-Ak. Handl., Stockholm, Bd. 52, No. 7, 1915) note an example of this snake from Cairns as its first Australian record. The Queensland Museum has received a number of specimens, and the snake was recorded for Australia twelve years before by E. R. Waite in vol. v, Records of the Australian Museum. 48 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. ASPIDIOTES RAMSAYI, Macleay. A very robust specimen of Aspidiotes ramsayi, Just over 2 metres in length, has been forwarded from Yeulba in Western Queensland by Mr. J. P. Bennett. Some doubt has been expressed as to the presence of suboculars separating the upper labials from the eye in this species. Macleay’s type is apparently lost, and his description has been differently interpreted by Boulenger® and E. R. Waite.’ In specimens examined by the last-named, the seventh labial enters the eye, but our snake is of interest because there are very distinct shields separating the labials from the eye on each side. Each new specimen received adds to our knowledge of the variability of the head-shields of these snakes. RHYNCHELAPS AUSTRALIS, Krefft. Ten Queensland specimens of this snake were recently examined, and the following variations may be noted. In one the maximum number of body-seales is but 15, and there are but 5 upper labials. Two other examples show this reduction of the upper labials, and Krefft also noted a Clarence River specimen with this variation.’° In all our specimens the frontal is distinctly shorter than its distance from the end of the snout. The internasals are in one case completely separated by the posterior angle of the rostral. RHYNCHELAPS LATIZONATUS, De Vis. This snake, described by De Vis in Annals of the Queensland Museum, No. 6, 1905, p. 49, cannot be separated from the larger forms of Fwrina occipitalis, D. & B. PSEUDELAPS CHRISTIEANUS, Fry. In February, 1915, we received from Mr. Gerald F. Hill a species of Pseudelaps from Port Darwin which the writer described in manuscript as new, associating with it the name of the donor, to whom the Queensland Museum is indebted for many interesting specimens. Correspondence with Mr. D. B. Fry, then of the Australian Museum, Sydney, showed that he had previously received the same species from the same locality, and this was subsequently deseribed and fioured as Pseudelaps christicanus.. Our specimen agrees well with Fry’s description, but is somewhat larger, being 290 mm. in length. There are 175 ventrals and 57 pairs of subeaudals (tail uninjured). The writer has also received a specimen of the allied Pseudelaps diadema from Port Darwin. Garman recorded this species from Cooktown’ and Bouilenger from ‘‘ North Australia.’’ LIZARDS. CALYPTOTIS FLAVIVENTER, De Vis. In 1886 De Vis described,1* in conjunction with three species of Salarius, a new genus and species of skink which appear to have escaped notice except for a nominal record in Lucas and Frost’s list.14 Although the type is lost, there is 8 Boulenger, B.M.C. Snakes, i, p. 92. ® Waite, P.L.S. N.S.W.., ix, p. 715, 1894. 1 Krefit, Snakes of Australia, 1869, p. 52. 11 Fry, Roy. Soc. Qld., xxvii, pt. 1, p. 91, 1915. 12 Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Harv., xxxix, p. 12, 1901. 18 Proc. Roy. Soc. Qld., ii, 1886, p. 57. 14 Aus. Assn. Ad. Sci., Rep. 1901, p. 261. SNAKES AND LIZARDS FROM QUEENSLAND AND N. T.—LONGMAN. 49 no doubt that De Vis’ species was a Lygosoma (Siaphos) scutirostrum, Peters. Several examples of this skink were recently collected by the writer at Toowoomba, eing partly buried in the humus under logs.) The deep yellowish colour of the ventral surface, which is very noticeable in life, generally disappears in specimens preserved in formalin. The species is recorded by Boulenger in the British Museum Catalogue, ili, p. 330. LYGOSOMA BANCROFTI, sp. nov. From the Upper Dawson River district we recently received, through Dr. T. L. Baneroft, a skink which is of considerable interest because it illustrates another intermediate stage of limb degeneration Mm“the Lygosoma verreauxu, truncatum, frontalis, ophioscincus group. Body elongate and resembling that of ZL. verreauxi. Anterior limbs didaetyle; posterior undivided and very minute, only projecting about a milli- metre. Head much as in L. verreauaxti, but prefrontals larger and frontal subhexagonal with antero-lateral sutures almost as long as postero-lateral sutures. Lower eyelid sealy. Ears hidden. Twenty scales around the middle of the body; dorsals slightly larger. A pair of enlarged preanals. Tail (apparently undamaged) shorter and thinner than body. Silver grey above, many of the scales having a dark spot in the centre; whitish below. There is no trace of the white (rarely orange) nuchal band which is so characteristic of L. verreauxi. Total length 185 mm.; tail 50; fore-limb 3-5; body diam. 7. Reg. No. Q.M. J 15/2560. As it was desirable to note the range of variation in LZ. verreauaxi, a series of over sixty specimens of that common skink was examined. Considering the dactylic variation which has been noted in this genus by Boulenger and others, it is surprising to find that in every case, except where the limbs were obviously broken, three digits were present. ‘The digitS are, however, more prominent in verreauxu than in bancroftt, and the hind limbs are relatively longer. Although there is considerable variation in the shape of the frontal in this large series, the antero-lateral sutures between it and the prefrontals are relatively distinctly less than in LZ. bancrofti. The didactyle fore and the minute hind limbs, together with the shape of the frontal and the absence of a nuchal collar, easily distinguish this new species from verreaurn. Although the limbs are so degenerate, they are still of considerable use te these skinks. When a living L. verreaurv is placed on the ground, the stumps are moved with remarkable speed and vigour in the endeavour to promote locomotion over a comparatively smooth surface. It 1s perhaps worth recording that in the tiny pelvic girdle of this skink, all three elements (ilium, ischium, and pubis) are present on each side in a specimen examined. Anomalopus lentiginosus, De Vis,*° deseribed as with fore-limbs didactyle and with a white nuchal collar, is recorded by Boulenger as a synonym of L. verreauxu (Zool. Rec., 1888). LYGOSOMA TRUNCATUM, Peters. A specimen which agrees well with Peters’ description was found at Moreton Island last April by Mr. R. W. McMillan and donated to the Queensland Museum. This rare lizard is 90 mm. in length and nearly 4 mm. in diameter. 16 Proc. Lin. Soc. N.S.W. (2), 11, 1888, p. 823. D 50 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. MOCOA CHRULEOCAUDA, De Vis. It may here be conveniently recorded that Mocoa ceruleocauda, De Vis,*® from Sudest Island, Louisiades, is a synonymn of Lygosoma cyanurum (Lesson). DIPLODACTYLUS INTERMEDIUS, J. D. Ogilby. From the Darling Downs we have received specimens which were first referred to Diplodactylus strophurus, D. & B., but on further examination these are thought to be more correctly designated as D. intermedius, Ogilby.* It is remarkable that Smgge Ocilby, and Werner refer to Duméril and Bibron’s D. strophurus as being without tubercles in the caudal region, and this negative characteristic appears in diagnostic tables. This is not in keeping either with the illustration (Plate 32, fig. 1) or the original description by the French herpetologists, as the following extract will show :—‘‘ Sur le dessus de la queue, on voit successivement, depuis sa racine jusqu’aux deux tiers de sa longeur, deux rangs transversaux de tubercules, et deux rangs de trés petits grains squammeux; mais a partir de cet endroit les rangs de grains augmentent de plus en plus jusqu’a la pointe caudale.’’!S Ogilby’s D. intermedius is thus more closely allied to D. strophurus than has been noted, but it seems distinguish- able by its yellow tubercles and the black granules which dot both lower and upper surfaces. From D. spinigerus it is marked by its longer snout and more regular series of dorsal tubercles. Duméril and Bibron’s species came from Shark’s Bay, Western Australia, whilst Ogilby records as habitat for intermedius “* interior of New South Wales.’’ Boulenger notes (B.M.C., i, p. 100) two specimens of D. strophurus from Sydney. D. spinigerus, intermedius, and strophurus are undoubtedly closely allied, and some of our southern specimens also show traces of the spines in the supraciliary border which distinguish Boulenger’s D. ciliaris. This tuberculate group thus presents an interesting example of a small range of variation over a continental area, and perhaps later authorities will prefer to use trinomials for the four species. We are indebted to Mrs. Haager for our latest specimens. DELMA FRASERI, Gray. Two specimens from Port Darwin, donated by Mr. Gerald F. Hill, add to Queensland Museum records of the range of this snake-hke lizard. Boulenger in 1885 stated Western Australia as its habitat.1? In the Horn Expedition Reports, Lucas and Frost note ‘‘ All over Australia’’ as its distribution.2° F. R. Zietz records specimens as taken ‘‘ from under fallen logs in the MacDonnell Ranges.’”??- The common Melbourne form has been figured by McCoy.*? In 1888 De Vis described two closely allied Queensland species, Delma tincta and plebeia,?®> which were separated on very slender grounds from D. fraseri. 16 Annals Queensland Museum, ii, 1892, p. 12. 17 Ogilby, Rec. Aus. Mus., ii, 1892, p. 10. 18 Dum. & Bibr., Erp. Gén., iii, 1836, p. 398. 19 Brit. Mus. Catalogue, i, p. 244. 20 Horn Exped. Zool., ii, p. 125, 1896. 21 Proc. Roy. Soc. South Aus., xxxviil, p. 442, 1914. 22 Prod. Zool. Vic., dec. xvi, pl. 153, fig. 1, 1888. 23 Proc. Lin. Soc. N.S.W., (2) 11, p. 824. SNAKES AND LIZARDS FROM QUEENSLAND AND N. T.—LONGMAN. 51 Garman’s D. reticulata,** with dark-edged scales as in plebeia, was secured in the Cooktown district. His counting of fourteen scales evidently includes the ventral series, which brings it into line with De Vis’ species. The type of tincta has the third supralabial elongated and below the eye, as in reticulata. When a large series is examined (the Museum has over twenty), it will be seen that little value can be placed on this and certain other characters. The second supralabial has a tendency to divide, and we have two specimens with three labials in front of the subocular on the one side and but two on the other. The longitudinal rows of body-seales (including ventrals) vary from 14 to 16, and McCoy records 18. The nasal shields also exhibit variation. Gtinther has stated?° that ‘‘confluence of two shields into one is by no means of uncommon occurrence in this lizard ’’ (D. fraseri). The type of Rosénburg’s DP. lincata,?® a close ally, had the anterior part of the nasal fused with the first supralabial. Garman seems not to have been aware of De Vis’ species when he deseribed D. reticulata, which is certainly not distinct. D. reticulata, tincta, and plebeia have much the same colour markings on the head, the bars of which are very distinct in young specimens. J). plebeia has no median preanal scale, but it would be unwise to lay much stress on that character. In the opinicn of the writer, the only satisfac- tory way to deal with a large series of these lizards is to regard reticulata as a synonym and tincta and plebeia as but variations of D. fraser. It is interesting to note that at least one of the earlier Australian herpeto- logists has mistaken the fore part of a Delma fraseri for a young brown snake, and T. S. Hall has drawn attention to the resemblance of the barred head of these lizards to the juveniles of Diemenia textilis as a possible case of advantage- ous mimicry.?* It may be added that Gimther, when describing D. baileyi,?> did not endorse the separation of Cryptodelma as a distinct genus by Fischer on account of the presence of preanal pores, stating that ‘‘ a comparison of the allied species will show that this technical character leads to a rather unnatural subdivision of the genus.’’ DIPOROPHORA BILINEATA, Gray. A large series of this common lizard has been sent from Port Darwin by Mr. G. F. Hill. The remarkable variation in colour and lepidosis of this and the allied species, D. australis, Steind., has been pointed out by Boulenger (B.M.C., 1, p. 394) and by R. Broom.?? The head of D. bilineata is figured by N. de Rooij in her useful work, ‘‘ The Reptiles of the Indo-Australian Arechi- pelago’’ (Leiden, 1915, i, p. 134). Physignathus mgricollis, Lonnberg and Andersson,*” has a most suspicious resemblance to forms of D. australis and is either a synonym or a curious case of convergence. 74 Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Harv., xxxix, p. 5, 1901. 25 Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xii, p. 145, 1873. 26 Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xvi, p. 131, 1905. *7 Victorian Naturalist, xxii, p. 74, 1905. 28 Ann. Mag. Nat. His., xix, p. 170, 1897. 29 Proc. Lin. Soc. N.S.W., xxii, 1897, p 641. 30 Vet.-Ak. Handl., Stockholm, Bd. 52, No. 7, p. 4, 1915. bo MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. On “SOME AUSTRALIAN FISH-SCALES. By T. D. A. CocKERELL, University of Colorado. I AM again indebted to Dr. Hamlyn-Harris for an interesting series of scales, which are described below. It may be worth while to give a brief account of the method of preparing scales for study. We first tried mounting them in baisam, which rendered them too transparent and obscured the markings; after various trials it was discovered that dry mounts were by far the most satisfactory. The procedure is as follows :— (1) Remove the scales from the middle of the side of the fish, trying to avoid latinucleate (regenerated) scales. (2) Place the scales, while wet, on a glass slide, and cover with a cover- glass, or, if the scales are large, with a second slide. (3) Put on a clamp to keep the cover-glass down and in place, or, if a second slide is used, two or three clamps. (4) Put on two square gummed labels, each overlapping one side of the cover-glass ; or, if a second slide is used, put the labels over the ends, so as to bind them together. (5) The next day the clamps may be removed, and the slide is finished. Scales hardly ever slip out, but it is best to keep them in flat trays or flat card-boxes. If the scales are not mounted when removed from the fish they are best preserved dry in small paper envelopes. They must then be moistened before mounting. The apical part of the scale is covered with skin, which should usually be rubbed off. BELONID. Tylosurus impotens Ogilby. Moreton Bay. Scales variable, quadrate, nearly square or broader, large ones about 4-5 mm. long and broad ; apical field extensive, without circuli, but frequently with irregular cracks ; circuli in the basal and sublateral fields concentric, simple, or variously connected by irregular cross-lines, forming a network, the meshes of which may be very dense in the region about the nucleus. This whole system of crossed lines is of the nature of cracks or interruptions in the scale- substance, and passes into broad cracks which invade the apical field. So far as superficial appearances go, portions of the scales curiously simulate the scales of the Amphibian IJchthyophis. Tylosurus acus, from the Atlantic, differs greatly from T’. impotens in the very broad scales, with the nucleus surrounded by circuli, which extend right across in the apical field, not leaving a large sculptureless area. In T. acus there are innumerable very fine radiating and transverse cracks, which have nothing to do with the circuli, and when they cross each other do not appear connected, but form a very minutely square-meshed net, as it were of independent strands. SOME AUSTRALIAN FISH-SCALES.—COCKERELL. 53 Tylosurus schismatorhynchus Bleeker. Moreton Bay. The scales sent are small, about 2 mm. diameter, transversely elongate, nucleus apicad of middle; apical field without circuli, but with an imperfect labryinthine pattern of minute pustuliform dots and lines, and frequently with very large cracks. Circuli fine, without any cross- lines forming a network. The following key separates the Australian species of T'ylosurus from the Atlantic ones, so far as my material goes :— Cireuli complete around the nucleus 78 sis .. I’. acus (Woods Hole) and 7. scapularis (Balboa, Panama Canal Zone). Circuli interrupted above the nucleus, the apical field free from circuli cic T’. impotens and T. schismatorhynchus. T. acus is the type of T'ylosurus, if T'. cantrainii is that species, as has been supposed. The genus should possibly be subdivided. SPHYRANID AL. Sphyreena obtusata Cuv. & Val. Moreton Bay. The larger scales are about 6 mm. long and 8 broad ; smaller ones are about square, and probably come from near the tail. There is an exceedingly fine and dense system of circuli and radii, the basal cireuli finely beaded, or rather crenulate. In the apical field the radii are lost, but the circuli continue, but become broken up in the submarginal area into irregular labyrinthiform markings. The basal radii are only about 112 microns apart. This may be compared with S. picuda B. & 8., from Tampa, Florida, which has the same dense radii and circuli, but the circular fibrillz are considerably coarser and less distinctly crenulate. In both these species the radii are continuous, at least in the basal field, not moniliform or reduced to a series of pit-like structures as they are in S. borealis De Kay from Woods Hole. Thus the large-scaled species seem readily separable on the structure of the scales from the smaller-scaled forms such as S. borealis. The type of the genus has even smaller scales than S. borealis. HOLOCENTRID. Holocentrus ruber Forsk. Barrier Reef. Scales about 7 mm. long and 10 broad, the apical margin irregularly dentate ; apical field pitted ; five or six basal plice, close together, making the middle of the basal margin deeply undulate ; circuli very fine and numerous ; microscopical cracks forming lines as in T'ylosurus acus. ‘This is scarcely different from other Holocentrus scales. H. microstoma from Samoa has the marginal teeth much longer, sharper and closer, and the basal plicee weaker and less regular. H. laticeps from Kaui has the tecth like those of H. microstoma, but the plice (only three or four) like those of H. ruber. H. xantherythrus from Hawaii has teeth of the same general type as H. ruber. H. diadema from Hawaii is like H, laticeps. Thus, according to the scales, H. ruber and xantherythrus might be grouped together, apart from the other species mentioned. TOXOTID. Toxotes chatareus Ham. Buch. Norman River. Scales 6 to 8 mm. long and broad, subquadrate, but with rounded corners; circuli very fine, the lateral ones 54 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. reaching the margin at an extremely acute angle ; 7 to 10 basal radii, arranged fan- . wise, the basal margin only weakly scalloped ; nucleus apicad of middle ; ctenoid patch large, occupying the whole apical field, but the elements very small, the marginal teeth extremely minute. The ctenoid structures are modified circuli, into which they can be seen to pass; they appear to be, in fact, crowded segments of circuli, all much longer than broad. These scales suggest those of Anabas, but differ as follows :—Basal radii less numerous, and not nearly so close together ; lateral circuli much finer and denser ; no circuli meeting at an angle above the nucleus ; ctenoid patch much more extensive ; apical teeth much smaller. The Anabas examined are A. munii from Egypt and A. scandens from the Philippine Islands. There are many families in which the scales are of the same general type as those of Toxotes, but in no case, so far as my material shows, is the resemblance very close. SERRANID i. Interpreting this family in a broad sense, the following may be included :— Radial system consisting of a more or less elongate ring in the nuclear region, from which proceed strong radi, the basal ones many and long, the apical ones short ; cireuli extremely fine Plesiops nigricans Rupp. (Moreton Bay). Radii ordinary, all basal ; no nuclear ring on Ws a Be oh ae 5 i 1. Seales broader than long ; basal radii 4 to 6 ; apical circuli transverse ; scales wholly cycioid Ambassis nalua Ham. Buch. (Cape Bowling Green). Seales longer than broad, with ctenoid elements, though not always with marginal teeth .. 2. . Ctenoid patch large, marginal teeth numerous and well developed ; scales moderately broad .. Plectroplites ambiguus Rich. (Condamine River). ho Ctenoid patch small, marginal teeth few or absent, scale narrower .. 3. 3. Ctenoid (tooth or spine like) elements only developed in a pateh just above the ‘nucleus, the region beyond with broken remains of circuli, more or less V-shaped, consequently no apical teeth whatever .. ne aha ye ae .. Epinephelus lanceolatus Forsk. (Moreton Bay). Ctenoid elements reaching the margin, where there are © projecting spine-like teeth ; scales small and very narrow re ate ae a = . Oligorus macquariensis C. & V. (Condamine River). It will be seen that at least three entirely different types of scale are represented here. It must be stated, however, that some Plesiops scales (P. corallicola, Eton Is.) have the nucleus very near the apex, with long radii proceeding fan-wise basad from it, no radial ring and no apical radii. In P. corallicola scales, whether as just described or with the radial ring and apical as well as basal radii, there are strong ctenoid elements on the apical margin, with many sharp teeth. In P. nigricans the ctenoid features are less distinct, largely concealed by the dark skin. According to Boulenger, P. corallicola is not to be separated from P. nigricans. Ambassis constitutes a very distinct group, Ambassine or Ambasside. Other species of Hpinephelus, as E. niveatus and LE. megachir, have very strongly developed apical teeth, so EH. lanceolatus appears to be an aberrant species. Oligorus scales. closely resemble those of Epinephelus niveatus C. & V., from the Atlantic. SOME AUSTRALIAN FISH-SCALES.—COCKERELL. or i APOGONIDAS. I do not believe that the rules, correctly interpreted, require us to write Ama for Apogon. Glossamia aprion Rich. Norman River. Scales transversely oval or oblong, about 4 mm. long and 5 broad, some a little larger ; corners rounded ; nucleus a short distance above middle ; basal radii delicate and numerous ; basal margin only feebly crenulated ; radii above the nucleus complete, rounded, not angled ; ctenoid patch very distinct, the elements elongated ; marginal teeth numerous, small. The sub- marginal ctenoid elements are much longer and more spine-like than in Cheilodip- terus nigroteniatus Sm. & Rad. (U.S. Nat. Mus.; type). Apogon fasciatus Shaw. Moreton Bay. Scales transversely elongated, about 4-5 to 5-5 mm. long and 5°5 to 6°5 mm. broad ; differing conspicuously from Glossamia in the subapical nucleus (which, with the obtusely angulate apical margin, recalls the Gobiide, although the ctenoid elements are in many rows), and also in the deeply crenulate basal margin. The marginal teeth are small and very sharp; the submarginal ctenoid elements are relatively broad and short, of the same general type as those of Cheilodipterus. In this last feature Apogon, Cheilodipterus, and Apogonichthys fall together, apart from Glossamia. Through the kindness of Dr. H. M. Smith I have scales from the types of a number of species of Apogon (Amia 8S. & R.) lately published by Smith and Radcliffe. They entirely confirm the generic characters ascertained from A fasciata. In A. uni- notatus (S. & R.) the scales are unusually short and broad, and the basal circuli are very fine and close. There are good specific characters in the structure of the ctenoid elements, which are hard to describe. I figure those of A. uninotatus, A. nigrocinctus, and A. fasciatus. HASMULID “ZL. Pomadasis hasta Bloch. Moreton Bay. Scales subquadrate, about 5 mm. broad and long, the nucleus far above the middle ; basal radii ordinary, about 12 ; basal margin moderately crenulate ; ctenoid area large, marginal teeth small and sharp ; ctenoid elements much like those of Apogon nigrocinctus, the submarginal elements as broad as long, much as in the Percid Boleosoma. There is no material difference from the scale of Orthopristis. Pomadasis macracanthus, from Balboa, Panama Canal Zone (Meek and Hildebrand, U.S. N.M.), presents no material difference in the scales. The Pomadasis scale represents a very conservative acanthopterygian tvpe. THERAPONIDi. Therapon fuliginosus Macleay. Burdekin River. Scales longer than broad, about 6 mm. long and 4:5 broad, but variable ; about 12 to 15 basal radii; basal margin scarcely crenulate ; ctenoid patch large. T. unicolor Gthr. Burnett River. Scales little longer than broad, or even sometimes broader than long, the largest not over 5 mm. long; basal margin hardly scalloped or crenulate. T. percoides Gthr. Walsh River. Scales square, about as broad as iong, the largest about 4 mm. long; basal margin finely scalloped. 56 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. T. jarbua Forsk. has the smallest scales, according to my material, with the basal margin distinctly scalloped. All these keep the generic charcaters indicated for 7’. jarbua in Mem. Queensl. Mus., voi. ii, p. 56. They are very ordinary acanthopterygian scales, distinguished from those of Pomadasis by the closer basal radii. SPARID 4. Lateral circuli transverse or somewhat oblique we at ae 56 one 7 ae Lateral circuli vertical, or if oblique, more nearly vertical than transverse sf oe 1. Upper lateral circuli broken into interrupted lines, irregular and often hooked at end ; radii five or six, none reaching lateral margins .. ah a. a Pentapus aurifilum Ogilby (Off Cape Moreton). Lateral cireuli entire, normal, but there is an area between the uppermost cireuli and the etenoid area which is entirely free from sculpture zi Dentex spariformis Ogilby (Off Cape Moreton). . Baset radii six to nine, none reaching lateral margins ; region above level of nucleus with some 5) small perforations ; ctenoid structures as in P. aurifilum, but submarginal elements shorter Pentapus setosus C. & V. (Moreton Bay). Some of the radii reaching lateral margins (not always in Sparus australis) 3. 3. Lateral circuli oblique, forming an angle of perhaps 30 degrees with margin; ctenoid elements weak ote 8 32 As BY. Xe 4c Ae Sparus australis Gthr. (Moreton Bay). Lateral circuli vertical, parallel (or almost parallel) with margin ms ifs ae oie) ye 4, Scales quadrate, about as broad as long; ctenoid patch large ; submarginal ctenoid elements elongate .. oe = a 2% ae 3m oh Lethrinus glyphodon Gthr. (Moreton Bay). Seales broader than long (some are square in Gymnocranius) Bc Fe bb: ie eae 5. Submarginal ctenoid elements elongated = ae ae Lethrinus nebulosus Forsk. (Moreton Bay). Submarginal ctenoid elements short ; scales larger sis Gyymnocranius bitorquatus Ogilby (Moreton Bay). The characteristic ctenoid elements of Lethrinus (LZ. harak) were described in Mem. Queensl. Mus., vol. ii, p. 56. The additional species agree. The two species of Pentapus in the above key seem to be subgenerically distinct. The European Dentex vulgaris has the lateral circuli oblique, practically as in Sparus australis ; it is very different from D. spariformis, which is perhaps not congeneric. Sparus sarba has the upper lateral circuli quite transverse, but the lower ones are oblique. CHATODONTID 2. Holacanthus nox Bleeker. Barrier Reef. Scales small, the ctenoid area with strong continuous ridges, ending in teeth. In Mem. Queens]. Mus., vol. ii, p. 44, it is stated (whether by a slip of the pen or a misprint I do not know) that H. bicolor has small separate elements in the basal part of the ctenoid area. The statements there made (section 4) refer not to H. bicolor but to H. sexstriatus. The next section (5) properly refers to H. bicolor. H. nox, at least in some scales, has very distinct basal radii, with the basal margin strongly scalloped. Holacanthus imperator has complete rods in the ctenoid area, as in bicolor and nox. SOME AUSTRALIAN FISH-SCALES.—COCKERELL. 57 MONACANTHIDAL, Cantherines trachylepis Gthr. Moreton Bay. The thick skin is minutely pigment-dotted, and out of it arise, at regular intervals, the rows of five (rarely four) sharp short spines representing the scales. The scales are expanded beneath the skin, the concealed portion consisting of coarse fibrille, which give it a striated appear- ance. These scales are not like those of Monacanthus or Ceratacanthus ; they are rather more suggestive of Balistes. SCORPAINIDE. Apistus macrolepidotus Ogilby. Hervey Bay. Scales elongate, 3 to 4 mm. long, 1-75 to 2-25 mm. broad ; sides approximately parallel ; nucleus far above middle ; circuli dense ; basal radii about 10 to 12, strong; basal margin scalloped; apical margin with immense irregular teeth, supported by median slender ribs, these teeth four to eight, or occasionally only three, one sometimes larger than the others. This is a very unique and remarkable scale, remotely approaching Sebastes. I take the opportunity to note that Pterois lunulata Schleg., from Misaki, Japan (Stanford University), has short scales, about as broad as long, of the same type as those of Scorpena plumieri Bi., but whereas in the Scorpena there are rudimentary -denticles, in the Pterois the scale is strictly cycloid, with the transverse apical circuli zigzag or strongly wavy. DACTYLOPTERIDA (CEPHALACANTHID A). Ebisinus procne Ogilby. Moreton Bay. These scales have a sharp central keel and a dentate margin, entirely in the manner of Cephalacanthus volitans. The marginal teeth number about ten. PTEROPSARID i. Parapercis nebulosa Quoy & Gaim. Moreton Bay. Scales like those of P. cylindrica, but considerably longer. SOLEID At. Brachirus niger Macleay. Moreton Bay. Scales greatly elongated (about 4-25 mm. long and 1-50 broad), parallel-sided, nucleus far above the middle, basal radii about 6 to 10 ; apical teeth about 8 to 12, long and sharp. These scales are from the pigmented side of the fish. The ctenoid elements are quite as in Solea, with the ‘same characteristic submarginal structures (see fig. 49, Bull. U.S. Bur. Fish, xxxu, po 472). 58 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. ICHTHYOLOGICAL. ITEMS. By ALLAN R. McCuLtocn, Zoologist, Australian Museum. (Plates VIL. to IX. and Four Text-figures.) THe following contribution consists of miscellaneous notes on fishes which have come to hand from various sources. In the endeavour to elucidate some of the problems relating to our fishes, many scraps of information concerning them are accumulated, which, though disconnected and imperfect in themselves, serve as stepping-stones towards the greater object in view. Some of these, together with descriptions of several species, are therefore submitted as items of ichthyological interest. A feature which largely facilitates the accumulation of these notes is the advancement in recent years of our several Australian museums, and the vastly improved condition and storage of their contained collections. An appreciation of the extreme importance of typical specimens and of others which have been described or illustrated in literature has been generally developed, and invaluable material, hitherto largely neglected or lost in a maze of unsorted miscellanea, has been redis- covered and valued at its proper worth. Faded and dilapidated remains of specimens, valuable only because of their history, have been given pride of place over others more showy and of more general interest. This improvement has come none too soon, since not a few types and other specimens of equal value have either been lost or are decayed beyond redemption. It is fortunate for Australian ichthyology that the specimens on which Castlenau, Macleay, de Vis, and Johnston founded their numerous species are now being diligently sorted out of the various collections in which they are contained, and made available for examination. intimately associated with this advancement is a freer interchange of material between the various institutions in the different States. Until recently, ichthyological papers published in Australia have dealt almost exclusively with limited collections, and large series for comparative study and illustrating variation have been rarely obtainable. The conditions having improved, however, the collections of all the museums may now he called upon when occasion demands such a course. Ever ready to assist in this direction is Dr. 2. Hamlyn-Harris, Director of the Queensland Museum, to whom I am indebted for many courtesies, and it is due to him that I have been able to investigate some of the matters referred to in the following pages. I also wish to express my thanks for the loan of specimens to Mr. Edgar R. Waite, Director of the South Australian Museum; to Mr. J. A. Kershaw, Curator of the National Museum, Melbourne ; and to Mr. W. B. Alexander, Keeper of Biology, Western Aus- tralian Museum. D FISHES. NSLAN i = LY, QUI: PLATE VIL. ‘azig ye) ‘tous, SAS ASIAN ‘PP “YI0)N DOW A ‘VW Face page 59. ICHTHYOLOGICAL ITHEMS.—McCULLOCH. 59 Faminry EXOCM@TID 4. GENUS CYPSELURUS, Swainson. CYPSELURUS (EXONAUTES) CRIBROSUS, Kner. (Plate VIL.) Exocetus unicolor ? Cuv. & Val., vel cribrosa, Kner, Reise ‘“‘ Novara,” Zool., i., Fische, 1867, p. 325. (Not H. wnicolor, Cuv. & Val.) Exocetus dovii, Ogilby, Mem. Austr. Mus., ii., 1889, p. 71. (Not #. doviz, Gill.) Exonautes rondeletii, Waite, Rec. Austr. Mus., v., 1904, pp. 156 and 195. (Not E. rondeletii, Cuv. & Val.) Exonautes unicolor, Jordan, Study of Fishes, 1905, i., fig. 226, and ii., p. 213. (Not H. unicolor, Cuv. & Val.) Cypsilurus unicolor, Jordan & Seale, Bull. U. 8. Fish. Bur., xxv., 1906, p. 209, fig. 12. (Not #. unicolor, Cuv. & Val.) Exonautes fulvipes, Ogilby, Proc. Roy. Soc. Qld., xxi., 1908, p. 8. EHxonautes cribrosus, Ogilby, loc. cit., p. 13. Two specimens, 232-235 mm. long from the snout to the middle caudal rays, only differ from the description of C. cribrosus in having longer pectorals, which reach almost to the base of the caudal. According to Kner, they only extend to the anal in C. cribrosus, but as he compared that species with C. wnicolor and CO. rondeletit, both of which are long-finned species, it is probable his ‘‘ Anale” is a misprint for “ Caudale.” I have compared them with the type of C. fulvipes from Lord Howe Island, and find them identical, while the fish figured by Jordan as C. unicolor is also. appa- rently the same species. When fresh, these two specimens were deep ultramarine blue above and silver below; the pectorals are dark without lighter cross-bands, but their margins and lowermost rays are pure white ; the ventrals are light-coloured, the rays being either a little dusky, or white with darker margins; caudal with lighter margins, the lower lobe a little darker than the upper. The pectoral fins reach either to the base of the caudal or only to the end of the dorsal; the ventrals also vary slightly in length. The anal may be as long as or shorter than the dorsal, and both fins may have either eleven or twelve rays each. Loc.—Off Port Hacking, New South Wales, 26th July, 1915. Famity SOLEIDA. Grnus ASERAGGODES, Kaup. ASERAGGODES HAACKEANA, Steindachner. Solea (Achirus) haackeana, Steindachner, Anz. Akad. Wiss. Wien, 1883, p. 195, and Sitzb. Akad, Wiss. Wien, Ixxxviii. i., 1884, p. 1104, pl. i., fig. 3. Solea (Aseraggodes) textilis, Ramsay & Ogilby, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, (2), i., 1886, p. 6. A comparison of the type of Solea tertilis with Steindachner’s description and figure of S. haackeana shows that they represent the same species. The former is described as having the lower eye slightly in advance of the upper, but this is incorrect. This species belongs to the genus Aseraggedes, having no pectoral fins, the ventrals subequal and free from the anal, and the vent on the median line of the body. 60 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Genus SOLEICHTHYS, Bleeker. SOLEICHTHYS HETERORHINOS, Bleeker. Solea heterorhinus, Bleeker, Atlas, Ichth., vi., 1866-1872, p. 17, pl. cexl., fig.2. Jd., Kent, “ Great Barrier Reef,” 1893, p. 297, pl. xvi., fig. 5. Solea lineata, Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, vii., 1883, p. 406. The typical specimen of Solea lineata is preserved in the Australian Museum, though it is in very bad condition and has lost some of its fins. It does not differ from an Indian example of S. heterorhinos, and proves Ramsay’s description to be inaccurate in several details. He described the pectorals as about twice as long as the head, whereas the right is much longer than the left, and is only about half as long as the head. He counted 120 scales on the lateral line; I find about 109 on its straight portion as far as the hypural. Ramsay described the posterior dorsal and anal rays as produced ; these have since been lost, so that this detail cannot now be checked. S. heterorhinos has been recognised from Thursday Island, Torres Strait, by Kent. Ramsay’s type was collected at Port Stephens, New South Wales. Genus SYNAPTURA, Cantor. Brachirus, Swainson, Nat. Hist. and Classif. Fishes, ii., 1839, p. 303 (? preoccupied by Brachyrus, Swainson, loc. cit., p. 264). Synaptura, Cantor, Cat. Malay. Fish., 1850, p. 222 (a substitute for Brachirus, considered to be preoccupied). Nomenclature.—1 am indebted to Professor David Starr Jordan for the following note on the use of the name Synaptura in preference to that of Brachirus. He writes : “T would say that Brachirus Swainson, 1839, p. 303, is antedated by Brachyrus Swainson, p. 264. Both mean Brachychirus apparently.” This opinion, it must be noted, is in contradiction to that expressed by Jordan and Evermann! in regard to Scaphirhynchus and Scaphorhynchus when they wrote : ‘‘ We regard all generic names not spelled alike as distinct.”” The matter being open to doubt either way, | follow Professor Jordan in adopting Cantor’s Synaptura, which is in common use. Key to the species here described. a. Interocular space scaly. b. Upper pectoral fin shorter than the eye. c. Body with numerous dark cross-bars 54 ae oe re i .. fasciatus. ce. Body without cross-bars at : 5 Fc ae ae 5 .. breviceps. bb. Upper pectoral fin longer than the eye 39 xc =: 32 se .. salinarum, aa. Interocular space naked. Body with cross-bars. d. Pectorals rudimentary. Scales smaller, 1. lat. 112-130. Less than twenty cross-bars cancellatus. dd. Pectorals short. Scales larger, 1. lat. 90. Twenty or more cross-bars .. .. craticulus. SYNAPTURA CANCELLATA, sp. nov. (Plate VIII., fig. 1.) D.75; A. 67. L. lat. 112 from the operculum to the hypural ; L. tr. 35/1/47. Greatest depth 2-8 in the length from the snout to the hypural ; head 6-7 in the same. Kye about 4, posterior dorsal and anal rays 1-5, median ray of right ventral about 3 in the head ; caudal fin almost as sa as the head. 1 Jordan and Evermann, Bull. we S. Nat. ‘Mus., ., No. ‘44, part 1., 1896, p. 107. S. * Hy, QUEENSLAND FISHE PLaTeE VIII. ulloch. C Me A LAT NCEL A AC APTUR Y og 1 Ss 1 Fi A. R. McCulloch, del. 61. Ke] 3) S a Face p 3 Nat. Size. LY. « € SYNAPTURA FASCIATA Macle oO Fig. A. R. McCulloch, del. ICHTHYOLOGICAL ITEMS.—McCULLOCH. 61 Scales ctenoid above and below, and extending onto the fin-rays. Head closely scaly above, without cirri; lower surface with many minute cirri projecting from between the scales, while the margin of the gill-opening is closely fringed with them. yes rather large, without any scaly interorbital space ; the upper is in advance of the lower. Upper anterior nostril forming a short, simple tube, the posterior in a minute tube directly before the eye ; lower anterior nostril with a low skinny border, placed above the middle of the lip, the posterior in a tube beneath the hinder portion of the upper eye. Teeth minute, apparently present on the blind side only. Mouth opening backward to below the anterior third of the eye; lower lip not fringed. Gill-membranes with skinny flaps which unite with the rudimentary pectorals to form broad tubular openings. Dorsal fin commencing a little before the middle of the eye ; the rays increase regularly in length backwards, and their tips are bifurcate and project slightly beyond the membrane. Anal of similar form to the dorsal. Caudal rounded. Ventrals opposite each other, and free from the anal; they each have four rays, of which the second is longest, but the left ventral is only half as Jarge as the right. Pectorals rudimentary, of equal size, the longest ray about half as long as the eye; they are united with the gill-membranes as described above. Lateral line straight from the back of the head to the median caudal rays ; on the upper side it curves upward and forward to the front margin of the head. Colour.—Light brown above with fifteen cross-bars on the head and tail ; the first is broad and largely covers the snout ; second and third narrow, the former passing through the eyes and the latter across the operculum ; the remainder increase in width backwards and are about as wide as the interspaces. Dorsal, anal, and caudal each with a white margin, followed by an interrupted black submarginal band ; the cross-bars of the body are also continued onto the fins. Blind side colourless. Described and figured from a specimen 193 mm. long. Five others exhibit some variation in their colour-marking ; the cross-bands vary in number up to nine- teen, and some may be interrupted and irregular ; in some specimens the white margins of the fins are very narrow. The dorsal rays vary from 71-81, and the anal 64-70, while there are from 112-130 scales on the lateral line. Loc.—Neighbourhood of Fremantle, Western Australia. SYNAPTURA FASCIATA, Macleay. MANY-BANDED SOLE. (Plate VIII., fig. 2.) Synaptura fasciata, Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, vii., 1882, p. 14. Jd., Waite, Mem. Austr. Mus., iv., 1, 1899, p. 126, pl. xxx1. D. 75-87 ; A. 65-74; C. 15-16; V.4. L. lat. 92-96; L. tr. 27/1/36. Greatest depth 2-5 in the length from the snout to the hypural; head about 6 in the same. Kye about 4, posterior dorsal and anal rays 1-5, longest ventral ray 3-2, and caudal fin 1-2 in the head. Scales ctenoid above and below, and extending onto the fin-rays. Head closely scaly above with a few cirri on the anterior portion, and many on both its dorsal and ventral profiles, and on the margin of the gill-opening ; lower surface of head closely covered with cirri which leave only the middle of the operculum bare (in spirit- specimens the cirri are much shrunken, and not easily detected). Eyes of moderate 62 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. size, separated by a scaly interorbital space ;,the upper is in advance of the lower. Upper anterior nostril in a simple tube which may reach the anterior margin of the lower eye ; posterior nostril in a tube directly before the eye : lower anterior nostril above the upper lip, with a raised skinny margin ; the posterior in a tube beneath the uppereye. Teeth in a band on the left ramus of each jaw. Mouth opening backwards to below the anterior fourth of the eye ; lower lip with a few tentacles, but not fringed. Gill-membranes projecting posteriorly, and uniting with the rudimentary pectorals to form broad tubular openings. Dorsal fin commencing slightly before the anterior margin of the eye; the rays increase regularly in length backward, and are all simple, with their tips pro- jecting slightly beyond the membrane. Anal of similar form to the dorsal. Caudal rounded, its rays simple. Ventrals opposite each other and subequal, the second rays longest. Pectorals rudimentary, subequal, with a few short rays which are less than half as long as the eye; they are united with the gill-membranes as described above. Lateral line straight from the back of the head to the median caudal rays ; on the upper side, it curves upward and forward to the front margin of the head. Colour.—Dark brown above, with from twenty-two to twenty-four darker cross-bars on the head, body, and tail, which are narrower than the interspaces. The margins of the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are lighter than the remaining portions, and the cross-bars of the body are also faintly indicated on the fins. Described from two specimens 190-200 mm. long; the figure represents the larger specimen. I have compared these with Macleay’s type, and find them to be structurally identical in all details except the formation of the upper anterior nostril ; in the type, this is bilobed instead of simply tubular, but I regard this as being probably abnormal. The specimen described and figured by Waite is preserved in the Australian Museum ; it only differs from mine in having fewer cross-bars on the body. Locs.—\ have examined five specimens from the northern portion of the New South Wales coast as follows :— Kight miles N. 10° E. of the north head of the Richmond River, 16-18 fathoms ; Eleven miles 8. x E. from Ballina, Richmond River, 28 fathoms ; Eleven miles north of Cape Byron, 27 fathoms. SYNAPTURA CRATICULA, sp. nov. (Plate IX., fig. 1.) DD. 73-79 ; A. 62-67; V.4; C.17-18. L. lat. 90; L. tr. 30/1/38. Depth 2.3-2.4 in the length from the snout to the hypural; head 6-3-6-5 in the same. Eye 3-3-3, posterior dorsal and anal rays 1-5-1-7, longest ventral ray 2-2-2, and caudal fin 1-1-1 in the head. Scales ctenoid above and below, and extending onto the fin-rays. Head closely scaly above, without cirri; lower surface with cirrhose scales on the anterior portion, and numerous cirri ‘on the lower profile and along the margin of the gill- opening. Eyes rather large, contiguous, and raised above the head; the upper is very slightly in advance of the lower, and there is no scaly interorbital space. Upper anterior nostril in a simple tube, which just reaches the anterior margin of the eye ; lower anterior nostril not dilated. Microscopic teeth are present on the blind side = - - aS. NSLAND FISHE > vi QUEE IPAM es Size. Nat. 1.—SYNAPTURA CRATICULA MeCulloch. Fig. McCulloch, del. A. RB. Nat. Size. .—PHYLLICHTHYS SCLEROLEPIS Macleay. 9 Fig. Face page 63. A. R. McCulloch, del. ICHTHYOLOGICAL ITEMS.—McCULLOCH. 63 only. Mouth opening backward to below the anterior third of the eye ; lower lip with a few tentacles, but not fringed. Gill-membranes dilated posteriorly, and united with the pectorals. Dorsal fin commencing slightly before the anterior margin of the eye; the rays increase regularly backwards, and are bifurcate, with their tips free. Anal of similar form to the dorsal. Caudal rounded. Ventrals opposite each other, and free from the anal; the right is nearly twice as long as the left. Pectorals subequal, or the right slightly larger than the left ; the longest rays are half or less than half as long as the eye. Lateral line straight from the back of the head to the median caudal rays; on the upper side it curves upward and forward to the front margin of the head. Colour.—Light brown above, with twenty to twenty-four dark cross-bands, which are about as wide as the interspaces, and have their margins defined by series of blackish dots ; the interspaces also are crossed by narrow, indistinct bands. The bands are continued onto the fins, and the dorsal and anal are also marked with a few dark blotches near the margins. . Described from two specimens 148-159 mm. long; the smaller is selected as the type, and is figured. The subequal pectoral fins readily distinguish this species from the closely allied S. zebra. Loc.—Near Bowen, Queensland. SYNAPTURA BREVICEPS, Ogilby. Brachirus breviceps, Ogilby, Proc. Roy. Soc. Qld., xxiii., 1910, p. 36. Weveres..0'; C.. 2; P. dex..67) sins V.?.. iy lat.77 3 da, tr. 25/30, Greatest depth, measured on the lower surface, 3 in the length to the base of the caudalfrays ; head 5-7 in the same. Eye 6-8 in the head, and equal to the interocular Bn, ae | | 4 ; Text-fig. 1. SYNAPTURA BREVICEPS Ogilby. Nat. Size. space. Longest ray of right pectoral fin shorter than the eye, 7-3 in the head, and shorter than that of the left pectoral, which is 5-4 in the head. Caudal ray equal to the length of the head. 64 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Scales ctenoid above and below except on the lower surface of the head, where they are cycloid ; the upper surfaces of the fin-rays are scaly, but the lower are naked in the type. All the upper portion of the head, except the lips and anterior half of the snout, is scaly; the naked portion is separated from the rest by a fold of skin which crosses the snout and is connected with the anterior dorsal ray : lower surface of head naked anteriorly, with scattered cirri. Eyes small and round, the upper partly in advance of the lower; interorbital space scaly. Upper anterior nostril with a tentacle which does not reach back to the anterior margin of the lower eye, and which has a minute, inferior, secondary lobe at its base ; posterior nostril opening into a short tube placed near the lip in front of the eye. A band of microscopic teeth on the left side of each jaw. Mouth opening backward to the anterior margin of the lower eye ; lips not fringed. Fins imperfect in the type. Dorsal commencing in advance of the upper eye ; its rays increase in length backward, the posterior ones being almost as long as those of the caudal. Anal similar to the dorsal. Caudal incomplete. The ventrals are much damaged, and partly wanting; they were evidently opposite each other and subequal anteriorly, and separated from the anal by a short interspace. Pectorals minute, the left a little larger than the right. Lateral line straight from the middle caudal rays to the back of the head ; it is arched upward and forward on the upper surface of the head. Colour.—Uniform greyish brown after long preservation. Described from the type of the species which was lent me for the purpose by Dr. R. Hamlyn-Harris, Director of the Queensland Museum. It is in very bad condi- tion, and its fins are so damaged that the details of their structure cannot now be determined, but enough is left to show that they are not altogether in accordance with Ogilby’s description. The left pectoral is longer instead of shorter than the right. The ventrals are so imperfect that their form and extent cannot be made out, but the anterior rays of each are present and are close together and subequal ; the second ray of the left fin is also present, and well developed, so that the fin cannot be described as “‘ atrophied.”’ Some of the dorsal and anal rays are missing, and those remaining are so shrivelled that Iam unable to measure them satisfactorily ; the outlines of these fins in the accompanying figure may therefore not be correct. Loc.—Rockhampton, Queensland. SYNAPTURA SALINARUM, Ogilby. Brachirus salinarum, Ogilby, Proc. Roy. Soc. Qld., xxui., 1910, p. 35. D. 68 +2; A. 47+ 2; GC. ?; P. 7-8; V. 6. L.latecs97; L. treaaaes Greatest depth, measured on the lower surface, 2-8 in the length to the base of the caudal rays ; head 5-1 in the same. Eye 7-2 in the head, and less than the interocular space, which is 6 in the head. Pectoral fins 2-8, median dorsal rays 2-6, and median ventral rays 2-6 in the head. Scales ctenoid above and below, and extending onto the fin-rays on both surfaces. Upper surface of head scaly to the tip of the snout: lower surface with fringes of cirri on the anterior third which extend backward near the lower border, while smaller cirri define a series of mucous canals which are arranged in the manner 65 ICHTHYOLOGICAL ITEMS.—McCULLOCH. Eyes small, | ane) =) nw gj os oO So oO oS nD ~ 5S 27 a ae BS a) NM — —_= al aS) % q a o jor 2, => shown in the accompanying figure ; the intervening spaces are scaly. the upper being half its length in advance of the lower a little more than an eye-diameter wide. Ss LH, A Ny s WY, Text-fig. 2. SYNAPTURA SALINARUM Ogilby. Nat. Size. backward to the posterior; lower anterior e the middle of the upper lip, the posterior Microscopic teeth on the left side of each jaw. Mouth rather large, reaching backward to below the middle of the lower eye; lower lip hort tube which does not reach nostril hidden in a bunch of cirri abov in a tube beneath the upper eye. with some minute tubercles, not fringed. inas Text, fig. 3: ARUM Ogilby. Upper and under surfaces of head X 3. N SYNAPTURA SALI its rays increase to the its posterior portion is . . . Dorsal fin commencing above the middle of the snout middle of its length, and then decrease again backward . ? 66 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. missing in the type. Anal similar to the dorsal, its terminal portion also lacking. Caudal missing. Pectoral fins well developed, subequal ; the middle rays are longest, and more than twice as long as the eye. Ventrals subequal, opposite each other, the median rays longest and overlapping the anterior anal rays ; the hinder rays of each appear to have been attached to the body by membrane, which is now torn, leaving them free. Colour.—Stained green in preservative, with traces of darker markings. Dorsal and anal fins with lighter margins ; pectorals dark. Described from one of the typical specimens lent me for examination by the Director of the Queensland Museum. It is 123 mm. long without the caudal fin. Ogilby’s brief description was prepared from two specimens, both of which were mutilated, the tails and the ends of the dorsal and anal fins being broken off. He counted sixty-six dorsal and fifty-three anal rays, while the proportions he gave are somewhat different from those of the specimen I have described. He counted only eighty-four scales, whereas I find about ninety-seven directly below the straight portion of the lateral line. Loc.—Saltpans at Kimberley, North Queensland. Grnus PHYLLICHTHYS, gen. nov. Allied to Synaptura, but differing in having the ventral fins more or less united by membrane, and the right ventral completely joined to the first anal ray; vent placed in front of the anal fin, but slightly to the left of the median line. Type.—Synaptura sclerolepis, Macleay. PHYLLICHTHYS SCLEROLEPIS, Macleay. (Plate IX., fig. 2.) Synaptura sclerolepis, Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, ii., 1878, p. 363, pl. x., fig. 4. D. 84; A. 71; V.4. L. lat. 93; L. tr. 30/35. Greatest depth, measured on the lower surface, nearly 3 in the length from the snout to the hypural ; head 6-3 in the same. Eye 4-6, posterior dorsal ray 1-7, and caudal fin 1-2 in the head. Text-fig 4. PHYLLICHTHYS SCLEROLEPIS Macleay. Head X 2. Scales ctenoid above and below, extending onto the fin-rays. Head closely scaly above, without cirri; anterior third of the lower surface closely covered with ICHTHYOLOGICAL ITEMS.—McCULLOCH. 67 large cirri, which are also present on the lower border of the head and on the margin of the gill-opening. Upper eye a little in advance of the lower ; interorbital space scaly. Upper anterior nostril in a short thick tube, the posterior in a broad tube directly in front of the eye; lower anterior nostril hidden among the cirri, the posterior in a large tube beneath the upper eye. Teeth forming bands on the left side of each jaw. Mouth opening backward to below the anterior third of the eye; lower lip fringed with a row of short fleshy tentacles. Gill-membranes united posteriorly with the short pectorals, with which they form broad tubular openings. Dorsal fin commencing well before the eye; its rays increase regularly in length backward, and are bifurcate with their extreme tips free. Anal similar in form to the dorsal. Caudal obtusely pointed. Ventrals subequal, opposite each other, the right united with the left and with the anal. Pectorals rudimentary, the left larger than the right, and composed of about eight rays, of which the longest is shorter than the eye. Lateral line straight from the back of the head to the median caudal rays ; on the upper side it curves upward and forward towards the front of the head. Colour.—Brownish above, indistinctly marked with lighter patches; some -of the scales are darker than the others, giving the body a spotted appearance. Described and figured from a specimen, 168 mm. long, from Port Darwin. 1 have compared it with the type of the species which is preserved in the Macleay Museum, and find it agrees in all details ; the right ventral fin of Macleay’s specimen, however, is separate from the anal, the membrane between them having apparently ‘een torn in handling. PHYLLICHTHYS PUNCTATUS, sp. nov. D. 69-71; A. 61-68; V. 4; C. 13-15. Lateral line 85. Greatest depth, measured on the lower surface, 3-01-3-08 in the length from the snout to the hypural ; head 6-03-6-2 in the same. Eye 6-6-7-3, posterior dorsal ray 1-3-1-5, and caudal fin 1-1-1-2 in the head. Scales ctenoid above and below, extending onto the basal halves of the fin- rays. Head closely scaly above, with a few cirri on the snout ; anterior third of the lower surface closely covered with large cirri, which are also present on the lower border of the head and on the margin of the gill-opening. Eyes almost on the same level; interorbital space scaly. Upper anterior nostril in a short, thick tube, the posterior in a broad tube directly before the eye ; lower anterior nostril above the upper lip, the posterior in a large tube below the upper margin of the upper eye. Teeth forming bands on the left side of each jaw. Mouth opening backward to below the anterior portion of the eye; lower lip fringed with short tentacles. - Gill-membranes expanded posteriorly, and united with the rudimentary pectorals, with which they form tubular openings. Dorsal fin commencing well in advance of the eye ; its rays increase regularly in length backwards, and are bifurcate, with their tips free. Anal of similar form to the dorsal. Caudal rounded or obtusely pointed. Ventrals subequal, almost opposite each other; the right is united with the anal, and more or less completely with the left. Pectorals rudimentary, the left larger than the right, its longest rays about as long as the eye. Lateral line straight from the back of the head to the middle caudal rays ; on the upper side it curves upward and forward on the head. 68 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Colour.—Light brown above, with darker blotches; the edge of each scale is darker. Dorsal, caudal, and anal fins with a white margin. Described from two specimens 205-233 mm. long. This species is very similar to P. sclerolepis, differing only in having smaller eyes, and fewer dorsal and anal rays. Loc.—Busselton, Geographe Bay, South-Western Australia. Famury ANTENNARIIDA. Genus RHYCHERUS, Ogilby. Rhycherus, Ogilby, Proc. Roy. Soc. Qld., xxi., 1907, p. 17 (A. wildii, Ogilby). In his definition of this genus, Ogilby has described the teeth as small, and the tongue as smooth. I regard the teeth as of moderate size, while in his typical specimen of R. wildi the tongue has strong teeth on either side of the median line. McCoy placed R. bifurcatus in Chironectes, and in defining that genus he also described the tongue as smooth, but strong lingual teeth are present in his species. RHYCHERUS FILAMENTOSUS, Castelnau. Chironectes filamentosus, Castelnau, Proc. Zool. Soc. Vict., i, 1872, p. 244, and ii., 1873, p. 65. Antennarius filamentosus, Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, v., 1881, p. 579. Chironectes bifurcatus, McCoy, Prodr. Zool. Vict., Dec. 13, 1886, pl. exxiii. Jd., Lucas, Proc. Roy. Soe. Vict., 2nd. ser., ii., 1890, p. 27. Rhycherus bifurcatus, Ogilby, Proc. Roy. Soc. Qld., xx., 1907, p. 19. Rhycherus wildii, Ogilby, loc. cit., p. 18. Four specimens, 70-207 mm. Jong, show that this species is a little variable in some of its characters, and they indicate that the synonymy quoted above is correct. One specimen is the type of R. wildiz, Ogilby, from Southern Australia, for the loan of which I am indebted to Dr. R. Hamlyn-Harris, Director of the Queensland Museum. A second small example was received from the Western Australian Museum for identification, and was collected at Cottesloe Beach, Swan River. A third is 150 mm. long, and was forwarded by Mr. J. A. Kershaw, Director of the National Museum, Melbcurne ; it was obtained at Brighton, near Melbourne, which is the typical locality of R. bifurcatus, McCoy. The fourth is the largest specimen, and comes from South Australia; it was lent me by Mr. Edgar R. Waite, Director of the South Australian Museum. Castelnau’s description of C. filamentosus apparently includes several errors, and the details given of the dorsal spines and the dentition are so confused that it is not clear what they are intended to convey. It seems, however, that they may be reconstructed to apply to the typical specimen of R. wildii, which is in agreement with the rest of the description, and I am convinced that the two names refer to the same species. Ogilby’s type differs from my other specimens in having the dermal filaments and tubercles of the body and fins more numerous and larger; the flesh is greatly shrunken upon the bones of the head, so that the cranial cavities are more pronounced, and the eyes appear to be placed upon short, broad peduncles as described by Castelnau. The terminal portion of the anterior dorsal spine is differently formed ICHTHYOLOGICAL ITEMS.—McCULLOCH. 69 in three of the specimens: in Ogilby’s type it is a crescentic appendage formed of two divergent, fleshy lobes, behind which is a low, broad, petiolate flap; in the small Western Australian specimen, the spine is surmounted by several fleshy ten- tacles of different lengths, behind which is a skinny sheath which is as long as the rest of the spine; the terminal portion of the Brighton and large South Australian specimens consists of two long branches with two basal flaps as figured by McCoy. I have no doubt that these differences are either individual variations or are due to the different state of preservation of the specimens, and regard all three as referable to the one species. The small Western Australian specimen is quite similar to the larger Brighton example in its colour-marking, and both only differ from McCoy’s figure in having the dorsal fin and an area along its base enclosed in a large, well-defined, white patch ; in the largest specimen no such white patch is present, but the dark markings are more extensive and more pronounced than in the figure. Ogilby’s specimen has become stained an almost uniform brown after long preservation in spirits. EXPLANATION OF PLATES. Pratt VII. Cypselurus cribrosus, Kner. A specimen 232 mm. long from the snout to the middle caudal rays, from off Port Hacking, N.S. Wales. Priate VIII. Fig. 1. Synaptura cancellata, sp.nov. Type, 193 mm. long, from near Fremantle, Western Australia, Fig. 2. Synaptura fasciata, Macleay. A specimen 200 mm. long, from off the Richmond River, N.S. Wales. Puate IX. Fig. 1. Synaptura crazicula, sp. nov. Type, 148 mm. long, from near Bowen, Queensland. Fig. 2. Phyllichthys sclerolepis, Macleay. A specimen 168 mm. long, trom Port Darwin, North Australia. EXPLANATION OF TEXT-FIGURES 1-4. No. 1.—Synaptura breviceps Ogilby. Type, 137 mm. long, from Rockhampton, Queensland. Partially restored. No. 2.—Synaptura salinarum Ogilby. Type, 123 mm, long without the caudal fin, from Kimberley, Queensland. No. 3.—Synaptura salinarum Ogilby. Upper and lower views of head of type. No. 4.—Phyllichthys sclerolepis Macleay. Head of a specimen, 168 mm. long, from Port Darwin. North Australia. 70 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. CHECK- LIST. OF >THE CEPHALOCRORDATES SELACHIANS, AND | FISHES ©OF QUERIES LAND. By J. DouGLas OGILBY. (With Two Text-figures.) For many years check-lists of the fishes of Tasmania, New South Wales,” Victoria,? and South Australia (in part)* have been in existence,’ the while Queensland with, perhaps because of, her magnificent fish-fauna was content to remain unlisted. The present work is designed to remove this reproach from our State. The model on which it is proposed to fashion the check-list is as follows :— (1.) Higher divisions, from Class to Family ; scientific name only or scientific name and general vernacular name. (2.) Genus; earliest scientific name and reference, with such synonym or synonyms as may at any time have been in use among or familiar to Australian authors. (3.) Species; earliest scientific name with author, and vernacular name or names if any; where more than one vernacular name is* given, that which is con- sidered preferable is printed in SmMaLty Caprrats; references to the earliest author, to Giinther’s ‘‘ Catalogue of the Fishes in the British Museum” and Macleay’s “Descriptive Catalogue of Australian Fishes” ® if included in either, and failing them to the earliest Australian notice; reference to the earliest record for Queensland. (4.) Illustration ; reference to the best figure or figures, preference being given to Australian work or, where that is not available, to the best figure in the Queensland Museum Library. . 1 Johnston ; Classified Catalogue of the Fishes of Tasmamia (Proc. Roy. Soc. Tas., 1882, pp- 53-144) and Complete List of Tasmanian Species (Ibid., 1890, pp. 30-39). V 2 Ogilby ; Catalogue of the Fishes of New South Wales, with their principal synonyms, 1886, pp. 1-67. Waite; A Synopsis of the Fishes of New South Wales (Mem. N.S. Wales Natur. Club, No. 2,:1904, pp. 1-59). 3 Lucas ; A Systematic Census of Indigenous Fish, hitherto recorded from Victorian Waters (Proc. Roy. Soc. Vic.—new ser.— ii, 1890, pp. 15-47). 4 Zietz; A Synopsis of the Fishes of South Australia; pt. 1, Leptocardii, Cyclostomata, ’ Plagiostomi, and Holocephali (Trans. Roy. Soc. 8. Austr., xxxii, 1908, pp. 288-293) ; pt. u, Cluperde to Syngnathide (Ibid., pp. 294-299; pt. iii, Syngnathide cont. to Serranide, part (Ibid., xxxiii, 1909, pp. 263-269). 5 Even West Australia has a list of sorts (Fraser, Natural History, etc., of Western Australia, 1903, pp. 150-154), but as, among other eccentricities, so well known a fish as the “ tailor” appears: twice thus—Pomatomus saltatrix, Freemantle, p. 151 and Temnodon saltuton, “ Tailor-fish,” p. 152— perhaps the less said about it the better. 6 Only the catalogue number of the species is given. i s gs CHECK-LIST OF CEPHALOCHORDATES, §c.—OGILBY. 71 (5.) Dimensions ; approximately the greatest authenticated dimensions in length, width (in certain rays), and weight. (6.) Uses; if any. (7.) Range; within the boundaries of the State, except in certain note- worthy instances, as it is considered that the extralimital distribution is beyond the scope of this work. In practice individual modifications of this scheme have of necessity been made occasionally, but these have been introduced as seldom as is consistent with the general trend of the work. Finally the reception of Garman’s “‘ Plagiostomia,” during the current May,’ necessitated the addition of references to that work, imperfect though it be. For the purpose of facilitating information regarding the geographical distribu- tion of our fishes I propose to divide Queensland into three zoological districts, as follow :— South Queensland (S.Q.).— Embracing all the coastline between the mouth.of the Tweed River, our natural boundary, and the Tropic of Capricorn, the islands and reefs outlying there- from and the hinterland to the South Australian and Northern Territory marches, with Moreton, Hervey, and Wide Bays, and Port Curtis as its principal inlets. Middle Queensland (M.Q.).— Extending in similar fashion from the tropic to 20°S8. lat., with Keppel and Shoalwater Bays, Broad Sound, Repulse and Edgecumbe Bays. And North Queensland (N.Q.)— ° Comprising York Peninsula and the Gulf of Carpentaria, with their respective islands, reefs, rivers, and hinterlands. The following abbreviations will be employed throughout this work :— A.M., Australian Museum; B.N.G., British New Guinea; B.R., Barrier Reef ; D.N.G., Dutch New Guinea ; M.Q., Middle Queensland ; N.Q., North Queens- land ; N.S.W., New South Wales; N.T., Northern Territory ; O.C., Old Collection of Q.M., Queensland Museum; S8.A., South Australia; §$.Q., South Queensland ; Tas., Tasmania; T.S., Torres Strait; Vic., Victoria; W.A., West Australia. Class I—PROTOCHORDATA. Order I—CEPHALOCHORDATA. Family I—BRANCHIOSTOMATIDA. “ THe LANCELETS.”’ Genus 1—BRANCHIOSTOMA Costa, Cenni Zool. Napol., 1834, p. 49 (lubricum lanceolatum). Syn.—Amphioxus Yarrell 1836; Dolichorhynchus Willey 1901. 7 The part dealing with the selachians was written during the winter of 1914, but was crowded out of that year’s “‘ Memoirs”’ from want of space. “J bo MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 1. belcheri Gray. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1847, p. 35: Lundu River, Borneo (as Amphioxus belcheri)—Giinther, Voy. Alert, Zool., p. 32. Figure :—Kirkaldy, Quart. Journ. Micr. Sci., xxxvii, p. 313, pl. 35, fig. 8. Dimensions :—To about 50 millim. Range :—Prince of Wales Island, T.S. Genus 2—EPIGONICHTHYS Peters, Mon. Akad. Berlin, 1876, p. 325 (cultellus). Syn.—Paramphioxus Haeckel 1893 ; Heteropleuron Kirkaldy 1895. 2. cultellus Peters. Ibid.: Moreton Bay, 8.Q.—Giinther, ibid. (as Branchiostoma cultellum). Figure :—Kirkaldy, ibid., p. 316, pl. 34, fig. 2 (as Heteropleuron cultellum). Dimensions :—To about 55 millim. Range :—Coast of Queensland from south to north ; Islands of Torres Strait. 3. hedleyi Haswell. Rec. Austr. Mus., vii, pt. 1, 9 March 1908, p. 33 (as Heteropleuron hedleyi). Figure :—Haswell, ibid., text-fig. 1. Dimensions :—Of type 28 millim. Range :—Murray Island. Genus 3—ASYMMETRON Andrews, Stud. Biol. Lab. John Hopkins Univ., v, 1893, p. 237 (lucayanum). 4. caudatum Willey. Quart. Journ. Micr. Sci., xxxix, 1896, p. 219: Louisiade Archipelago— Haswell, ibid. (as Heteropleuron-Asymmetron—lucayanum). Figure :—Willey, ibid., pl. 13. Dimensions :—Of type 29-5 millim. Range :—Murray Island. Note :—I think it advisable to follow Herdman (Cambridge Nat. Hist., vii, p. 137) in keeping the eastern and western forms of Asymmetron separate, until more is known about them, expecially the latter. Key to the Genera. a Preoral tentacles forming a continuous series; infrarostral fold continuous with the right metapleur only. 61. Gonad pouches developed on both epipleurs ie: ae ae .. 1. BRANCHIOSTOMA. wie Gonad pouches dev eloped on the right epipleur only... . 2. HEPIGONICHTHYS. . Preoral tentacles not continuous ; infrarostral folds continuous 1 w vith both metapleurs ; gonad pouches developed on the right epipleur only .. ae 36 Ai 3. ASYMMETRON. Keys to the Australian Species. 1. BRANCHIOSTOMA :— a’, Myotomes 63 to 65; gonad pouches 21 to 29 ae ie a ae oe 1. belcheri. 2. EPIGONICHTHYS :— a’. A notch between the rostral and dorsal folds. 61. Myotomes 70 to 78; gonad pouches 26to 31... se Se a 32 . bassanus. b?. Myotomes 55; gonad pouches 17 to 22 ax 3 se oe 3 australis. a*, No notch between the rostral and dorsal folds ; myotomes 50 to 56 ; gonad pouches 17 to 20. cl, Preoral cirri 41 to 43; dorsal fold high .. Sn se se Qc .- 4. cultellus. c*. Preoral cirri 25 to 30; dorsalfoldlow .. oi oe Ske 5c oe 5. hedleyt. 3. ASYMMETRON :— a’, Myotomes 60... 5.0 Ae ac aie ae S6 +% -. .. 6. caudatum. CHECK-LIST OF CEPHALOCHORDATES, §c.—OGILBY. 73 Class II—MARSIPOBRANCHILI. THE LAMPREYS & HAGFISHES. Not represented in Queensland waters. Class ITI—SELACHII. Subclass A—TREMATOPNEA. Order I—EUSELACHII. ‘‘ The Sharks and Rays.’’8 Suborder a—PLEUROTREMATA. ‘“ The Sharks.” Division A—GALEOIDEI. Family I—CARCHARIIDA. ‘Tue Nurse SHARKS.” Genus 1—CARCHARIAS Rafinesque, Caratt. ale. nuov. Gen., 1810, p. 10 (taurus). Syn.—Triglochis Miller & Henle, 1837; Odontaspis, Agassiz, 1838.9 1. arenarius Ogilby. ‘“‘Gray Nurse.” Sand Shark. Ann. Queensl. Mus., No. 10, 1 Nov. 1911, p. 37: Moreton Bay, $.Q.— Giinther, Catal., viii, p. 392, part.; Macleay, Catal., 1084 part (as Odontaspis americanus). Figure :-—McCoy, Prodr., pl. 64, fig. 1 (as O. tawrus). Dimensions :—To at least 3-66 mm. Range :—Coast of South Queensland, rare. Moreton Bay (Ogilby). Type :—In the Queensland Museum. Reg. No. I. 14/1884. 8 From an economic point of view sharks and rays have been altogether neglected by our fishermen, nevertheless we find in them several products which might be turned to good account commercially. For instance shark fins are in general use throughout the Chinese Empire for thick- ening soups, etc., and I know of no reason to prevent the building up of a lucrative trade in this commodity between the two countries ; an excellent isinglass is also obtainable from these fins. Again all selachians yield a large quantity of oil, which is of such proved commercial value that the capture of sharks for this purpose alone provides employment for scores of families on the ocean coasts of Europe, even though the species sought for is small, and the fishery is prosecuted by means of hand-lines worked at a depth of 200 fathoms and over. On the Pacific Coast of North America Galeus zyopterus, the eastern representative of our “‘ school shark,” is popularly known as the ‘‘ oil-shark,’’ because of the amount of that product which may he extracted from its liver, and there is little reason to doubt that our Australian species might be as lucratively utilized ; in fact the industry was at one time in existence in Tasmania (Johnston, Proc. Roy. Soc. Tas., 1882, p. 94). In the selachians the liver is very large, that of a “‘ tiger shark”’ (Galeocerdo arcticus) measur- ing 13 feet, no uncommon size, weighing no less than 275 lb. Furthermore the skin of many of the smaller sharks and rays furnishes an unrivalled shagreen, which is extensively used in the polishing of wood and marble. From their great durability and the handsome markings of many of the species, such as the “‘ wobbegongs”’ (Orectolobus spp.), these skins would form an excellent substitute for leather, alligator skin, and the like, in the manufacture of purses, reticules, etc, They might also be advantageously employed for coating the handles of articles on which a firm hold is vitally necessary, such as the grip of a sword. For these and like purposes they would doubtless command a ready sale, while the tanned skins of the larger species should also be of marketable value. Sharks’ teeth too make up into handsome brooches, scarf-pins, and similar ornaments. Doubtless other selachian remains might be made economically useful, as fertilizers for instance. In addition to these by-products the flesh of many of the smaller sharks (Scylio- rhinide and some Orectolobide) and rays (Rhinobatide, Rajide, and Dasybatide) is excellent, and is largely used by the inhabitants of many seaward countries. I can speak from personal experience of the good qualities of a shark (Scyliorhinus canicula) and three rays (Raja clavata, R. batis, and Urolophus testaceus). Enough, however, has been written to show that these creatures are not so ~worthless as many suppose. 2 See Ogilby, Ann. Queensl. Mus., No. 10, p. 38. 74 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Family TI—ALOPIIDA. “ THe Fox SHarks.” Genus 2—ALOPIAS Rafinesque, Caratt. alc. nuov. Gen., 1810, p. 12 (macrourus = vulpinus). Syn.—Alopecias Miiller & Henle 1837; Vulpecula Garman 1913. 2. vulpinus Bonnaterre. ‘‘ THRESHER.” Fox Shark. Long-tailed Shark. Encycl. Méth., Ichth., 1788, p. 9: “‘ La Méditerranée” (as Squalus vulpinus) —Gunther, Catal., vill, p. 393; Macleay, Catal., 1085 (as Alopecias vulpes)—Garman, Plagiost., p. 30 (as Vulpecula marina). Figures :—McCoy, Prodr., pl. 88 (as Alopecias vulpes)—Garman, ibid., pl. 7, fig, aL, Dimensions :—To at least 4:5 mm. Range :—Coast of South Queensland.!° Family TII—ISURIDA. Tue “ Porspeacues” or Mackerel Sharks. Subfamily a—ISURINA. Genus 3—ISURUS Rafinesque, Caratt. alc. nuov. Gen., 1810, p. 12 (oxy- rhynchus). Syn.—Oxyrhina Miller & Henle 1837; Jsuropsis Gill 1861. 3. glaucus Muller & Henle. ‘ BLuE PornTeEr.” Plagiost., 1841, p. 69 (as Oxyrhina glauca)—Gimther, Catal., viii, p. 391; , Macleay, Catal., 1082 (as Lamna glauca)—Garman, Plagiost., p. 38. Figure :—Miller & Henle, ibid., pl. 29. Dimensions :—To at least 3:66 mm. Range :—Coast of South Queensland, rare. Subfamily b—CARCHARODONTIN A. Genus 4—CARCHARODON Miiller & Henle, Charlesworth Mag. Nat. Hist., ii, 1838, p. 37 (rondeletit = carcharias). 4. carcharias Linnzeus. ‘ WutrEe Pointer.” Great White Shark; Maneater. Syst. Nat., ed. 10, i, 1758, p. 235: ‘‘in Europa” (as Squalus carcharias)— Ginther, Catal., viii, p. 392; Macleay, Catal., 1083 (as C. rondeletii)— Garman, Plagiost., p. 32. Figures :—McCoy, Prodr., pl. 74 (as C rondeletii)—Garman, ibid., pl. v, fig. 1. Dimensions :—Normally to between 3 and 4 mm. Occasionally, however, examples of much larger size are recorded, such, for instance, as one noticed by Ginther’ as having been caught many years ago at Port Fairy, Victoria, the jaws of which are now in the British Museum, and which had attained the enormous. length of over 10/mm. (36-5 feet). “‘ Forty feet and more”’ (Garman). *° The species has-not, so far as I am aware, ever been captured in Queensland waters, but it has been seen so often at close quarters as to preclude its omission from this list. Only a short time ago Messrs. Welsby and Appel, both gentlemen of wide experience, had a most inter- esting view of a combat in Moreton Bay between a pair of these sharks and a whale, the object of the attack being a very young calf which was accompanying the latter. So intent were the marauders on their nefarious design that they allowed the steamer to steal up within its own length of them before they sheered off into deeper water, thus permitting all on board to obtain a full and close view of both sharks and whales. On the occasion of the visit of the ill-fated “Endeavour”. to this State during the winter of 1910 these sharks were seen on several occasions. I take this opportunity of recording my appreciation of the scientific value of the work done by that vessel, and my profound regret at the sad disaster which has befallen her officers and crew. 11 This species is included on the evidence of a pair of jaws taken from a “‘ small blue shark,” caught at Bulwer, Moreton Bay. I know of no other Australian shark to which the jaws could belong, as the absence of denticles debars Carcharias. 12 Study of Fishes, p. 321, text-fig. 114 (a tooth). CHECK-LIST OF CEPHALOCHORDATES, §c.—OGILBY. coe | o1 Range :—Coast of South Queensland, rare.!3 Family IV—ORECTOLOBIDA. ‘“ THE Carpretr SHARKS.” Subfamily a—GINGLYMOSTOMATIN A. Genus 5—NEBRIUS Riippell, Neue Wirbelth. Abyss., Fisch., 1840, p. 62 (concolor). Syn.—WNebrodes Garman 1913. 5. concolor Riippell. ‘“‘ Tawny SHark.” Ibid.: Red Sea—Giinther, Catal., viii, p. 409 ; Regan, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1908, li, p. 352 (as Ginglymostoma concolor)—Garman, Plagiost., p. 57 (as Nebrodes concolor). Figure :—Garman, ibid., pl. 8, fig. 7 (as Nebrodes macrurus). Dimensions :—No data as to the adult, but evidently grows to a large size, as a young male from the Solomon Group, in the Australian Museum, Sydney, though measuring 1-4 mm., has the claspers but little developed. Range :—Darnley Island (Tosh. Coll.). Subfamily b—ORECTOLOBIN AL. Genus 6—ORECTOLOBUS Bonaparte, Icon. Faun. Ital., Pesc., 1834, fasc. 7 (barbatus = maculatus). Syn.—Crossorhinus Miller & Henle 1837; Eucrossorhinus Regan 1908. 6. ogilbyi Regan. ‘‘ TassELED WoBBEGONG.” Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (8) iii, Dec. 1909, p. 529: Torres Strait—Ogilby & McCulloch, Proc. Roy. Soc. N.S.Wales, xlii, 1909, p. 272 (as O. dasypogon). Figure :-—Ogilby & McCulloch, ibid., pl. 48, fig. 1. Dimensions :—To at least 120 cm. Range :—Coast of North Queensland. Dunk Island (Ogilby). Thursday Island (Kent). Torres Strait (Macleay). 7. maculatus Bonnaterre. ‘“‘ OCELLATED WoBBEGONG.” Carpet Shark. Encyel. Méth., Ichth., 1788, p.8: “* La mer du sud” (as Squalus maculatus)— Regan, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1908, p. 355 (as O. barbatus)—Garman, Plagiost., p. 52. Figure :—Ogilby & McCulloch, ibid., pl. 42, fig. 2. Dimensions :—To at least 110 em. Range :—Coast of South Queensland. Moreton Bay (Ogilby).4 8. devisi Ogilby. ‘“‘ BANDED WoxpBecone.” Carpet Shark. Tiger Shark. Mem. Queensl. Mus., v, 1916, p. 152—de Vis, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, viii, pt. 2,17 July 1883, p. 289: Moreton Bay, 8.Q. (as Crossorhinus ornatus)—Regan, ibid., p. 289 ; Garman, Plagiost., p. 49. Figure :—Ogilby & McCulloch, ibid., pl. 42, fig. 1. Dimensions :—To at least 200 cm. Said to grow much larger. Range :—Coast of Queensland, presumably from south to north. Type :—In the Queensland Museum; Reg. No. I. 11/164. is the only authentic occurrence of which I can find any record. 14 Owing to the previous confusion between this species and the succeeding, the exact northern range of O. maculatus can not be definitely fixed, but it is much the rarer of the two in Moreton Bay. 76 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 9. tentaculatus Peters. ‘‘ SomBER WoOBBEGONG.” Mon. Akad. Berlin, 1864, p. 123: Port Adelaide, S.A.; Ginther, Catal., viii, p. 414; Macleay, Catal., 1096 (as Crossorhinus tentaculatus)— Ogilby & McCulloch, ibid., p. 278; Garman, Plagiost., p. 51. Figure :—Regan, ibid., pl. xii, fig. 3. Dimensions :—To at least 90 cm. Range :—Coast of North Queensland. Cape York (Giinther).' Genus 7—BRACHAILURUS Ogilby, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl., xx, 30 Sept. 1907, p. 27 (modestus). Syn.—Cirriscyllium Ogilby 1908. 10. modestus Giinther. ‘ Brinp SHARK.” Proc. Zool. Soc., 1871, p. 654; Macleay, Catal., 1093 (as Chiloscyllium modestum)—Macleay, ibid., 1094 (as C. furvum)—Regan, ibid., p. 354 ; Ogilby & McCulloch, ibid., p. 281. Figures :—Ginther, ibid., pl. 54; Waite, Rec. Austr. Mus., iv, pl. 4, fig. 1 (fetus) (as Hemiscyllium modestum). Dimensions :—To at least 90 cm. Range :—Coast of South Queensland. Genus 8—HETEROSCYLLIUM Regan, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (8) ii, Nov., 1908, p. 455 (colcloughi). Syn.—Brachelurus Ogilby 1908, by an oversight. 11. colcloughi. ‘‘ BLuE-Gray SHARK.” Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl., xxi, 25 Aug. 1908, p. 4: Moreton Bay (as Brache- lurus colcloughi)—Ogilby & McCulloch, ibid., p. 284. Unfigured. Dimensions :—Of type, a young male, 457 millim. Range :—Coast of South Queensland. Moreton Bay (Ogilby 4 Q.M., O.C.). Type :—Accidentally destroyed. Genus 9—CHILOSCYLLIUM Miiller & Henle, Arch. f. Nat., 1837, i, p. 395 (plagiosum). Syn.—Hemiscyllium Miller & Henle 1838. 12. ocellatum Bonnaterre. ‘“‘ EPAULETTE SHARK.” Encycel. Méth., Ichth., 1788, p. 8; ‘‘ La mer dusud ” (as Squalus ocellatus)— Giinther, Catal., viii, p. 410; Macleay, Catal., 1091; Regan, ibid., p. 398; Ogilby & McCulloch, ibid., p. 290—Garman, Plagiost., p. 44 (as Hemiscyllium ocellatum). Figure :—Shaw, Nat. Misc., pl. 161. Dimensions :—To at least 90 cm. Range :—Coasts of Middle and North Queensland, common about coral reefs. South Australian specimens belong to the same species, though as I have no decent specimens of either I am not in a position to prove my point.’’ With this opinion I am inclined to agree. We know that O. tentaculatus occurs on. the coast of South Australia, because not only did Peters’ type come from Port Adelaide, but the Australian Museum possesses a specimen from the same place (v. Ogilby, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, xiv, p. 182). But there is an alternative proposition in the possibility of the label on Herr Damel’s examples, on the authority of which alone the Queens- land locality rests, having been accidentally changed. If both the records are correct it is exceed- ingly strange that the species has never been recorded from any intermediate station on either coast of Australia. Under the circumstances, however, I do not see my way clear to erase the name from our list, even though its reputed habitat has been fairly well exploited without yielding further evidence in favour. In face of these facts Garman omits all mention of the authenticated South Australian locality and gives the distribution of the species as ‘‘ Queensland” only. CHECK-LIST OF CEPHALOCHORDATES, §c.—OGILBY. ae Green Island, Cairns (Ogilby). Hope and Murray Islands (McCulloch). Cape York and Torres Strait (Macleay). 13. trispeculare Richardson. ‘ SPECKLED SHARK.” Icon. Pisc., 1843, p. 5: Turtle Island ; Garman, Plagiost., p. 45 (as Hemi- scyllium trispeculare)—Ginther, Catal., viii, p. 411; Macleay, Catal., 1092; Regan, ibid., p. 359; Ogilby & McCulloch, ibid., p. 293. Figure :—Richardson, Zool. Erebus & Terror, Ichth., pl. 28. Dimensions :—No data ; type, a male of 560 millim. Range :—Coast of North Queensland. Turtle Island, Gulf of Carpentaria (Richardson)* ; Cape York (Giinther). 14. punctatum Miiller & Henle. ‘“‘ BROWN-BANDED SHARK.” Plagiost., 1841, p. 18: Java; Gimther, Catal., vii, p. 413; Regan, ibid., p. 360; Garman, Plagiost., p. 61. Figures :—Miiller & Henle, ibid., pl. 3; Ogilby & McCulloch, ibid., text-fig. 1, p. 289 (egg-case) and pl. 43, fig. 2 (fetus). Dimensions :—No reliable data as to adult. Garman alludes to a male of 660 millim. in which the claspers ‘“‘are very small and immature,” and naturally concludes, as indeed Ogilby & McCulloch had previously suggested, that “this is probably a species of which individuals reach a considerable size.’’ As regards our South Queens- land species it must however, be admitted that this supposition is somewhat discounted. by the small size of the egg-case, which rarely exceeds 100 millim. in length by 52 in. breadth. It is possible that we may be confounding two species, of which the Malayan form may attain a much greater size than this Moreton Bay shark, which we know only from its egg-case and fetus, and of which the adult so tantalizingly eludes our search. Range :—Coast of Queensland from south to north. Moreton Bay and Dunk Island (Ogilby & McCulloch), the latter on the evidence of empty egg-cases only, as _ also Hervey Bay (Endeavour Coll.). Thursday Island (Regan). Genus 10—STEGOSTOMA Miiller & Henle, Arch. f. Nat., 1837, i, p. 395 (fasciatum = tygrinum). 15. tygrinum Bonnaterre. ‘‘ ZEBRA SHARK.” Encycel. Méth., Ichth., 1788, p. 8: “La mer des Indes” (as Squalus tygrinus)—Gimnther, Catal., viii, p. 409; Regan, ibid., p. 364 (as Stego- stoma tigrinum)—Ogilby & McCulloch, ibid., p. 295; Ogilby, Mem. Queensl. Mus., iii, Garman, Plagiost., p. 59 (as S. variwm). Figure :—Day, Fish. India, pl. 187, fig. 4. Dimensions :—To at least 3-6 mm. Range :—Coast of Queensland presumably from south to north.4% Cape Bowling Green (Hamlyn Harris Coll.). Dunk Island (Ogilby). Little Mulgrave River (McCulloch). Cape York and Normanton (Ogilby). Family VI—SCYLIORHINIDA. “THe Cat SHarks.” Genus 11—HALXLURUS Gill, Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist. New York, vii, 1861, p. 407 (biirgert). 16. labiosus Waite. ‘‘ BLack-spoTTED Cat SHARK.” Rec. Austr. Mus., vi, pt. 2, 15 Sept. 1905, p. 57: Freemantle, W.A. (as Catulus labiosus)—Ginther, Catal., viii, p. 401; Macleay, Catal., 1087 (as Scyllium maculatum)—Garman, Plagiost., p. 88. 16 See Ogilby, Mem. Queensl. Mus., ii, p. 17 Ann, & Mag. Nat. Hist. (3) xx, p. 67. 18 Though all our Queensland records come from the northern division of the State, it occurs as far south as Port Jackson. 1 co MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Figure :—Waite, ibid., text-fig. 23 (under surface of head). Dimensions :—To at least 620 millim. Range :—North Coast of Queensland. Bramble Cay, N.Q. (brit. Mus.). There is a scyliorhinoid egg-case in the State Museum collected at Cape York by Mr. Kendal Broadbent, which probably belongs to this species. Family VI—GALEIDA. Subfamily a—MUSTELINA. “THe Hounps.” Genus 12—MUSTELUS Linck, Mag. neue Phys. u. Nat. vi, 1790, p. 31 (mustelus). Syn.—Pleuracromylon Gill 1864 (species with placenta); Cynias Gill 1903 (species without placenta). 17. antarcticus Giinther. ‘“ Gummy.’ Smooth Hound. Catal., viii, p. 387: New South Wales, etc.; Macleay, Catal. 1081; Waite, Rec. Canterb. Mus., i, p. 140—Garman, Plagiost., p. 175 (as Galeo- rhinus antarcticus). Figures :—Waite, Rec. Austr. Mus., iv, text-fig. 19, p. 177 (fetus) (as Galeus antarcticus)—McCulloch, Rec. Austr. Mus., vii, pl. 90, fig. 3 (adult). Dimensions :—To at least 105 em. Range :—Coasts and estuaries of South Queensland, not uncommon. South- port, Moreton Bay, Brisbane River, Great Sandy Strait (Ogilby). Point Lookout in 31 fath. (Endeavour Coll.). Subfamily b—GALEINA. “Tue Torss.” , Genus 13—GALEUS Rafinesque, Caratt. ale. nuov. Gen., 1810, p. 13 (galeus ; type by suggestion). Syn.—Galeorhinus Blainville 1816. 18. australis Macleay.’® ‘‘ScHoont SHARK.” ‘Tope. Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, vi, pt. 2, 12 Sept. 1881, p. 354: Port Jackson, N.S.W. ; id., Catal., 1079 ; Waite, Rec. Canterb. Mus.,i, p. 139; Ogilby, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl., xxi, p. 23. Figure :—McCoy, Prodr., pl. 64, fig. 2. Dimensions :-—To at least 180 cm. Range :—Coast of South Queensland, rare. Moreton Bay (Ogilby). Genus 14—GALEOCERDO Miiller & Henle, Arch. f. Nat., 1837, i, p. 398 (arcticus). 19. arcticus Faber. ‘‘ TigeR SHARK.” Naturg. Fisch. Islands, 1829, p. 17: Iceland (as Squalus arcticus)—Ginther, Catal., viii, p.377 ; Garman, Plagiost., p. 148—Ginther, ibid. ; Macleay, Catal., 1078 (as G. rayneri). Figures :—Miller & Henle, Plagiost., pl. 24—McDonald & Barron, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1868, pl. 32. Dimensions :-—To at least 4:5 mm. +9 Very closely allied to, if not identical with, G. galeus. CHECK-LIST OF CEPHALOCHORDATES, §-c.—OGILBY. ~] ie} Range :—Coasts and estuaries of Queensland from south to north, common.?° Subfamily c—CARCHARHININA. ‘“ Tue BLUE SHaRkKs.” Genus 15—PHYSODON Miiller & Henle, Plagiost., 1841, p. 30 (miilleri). 20. mulleri Miiller & Henle. Ibid.: Bengal; Giinther, Catal., viii, p. 360; Macleay, Catal., 1072 (as Carcharias miiller’)—Garman, Plagiost., p. 108. Figure :—Miiller & Henle, ibid., pl. xix, fig. 1 (dentition). Dimensions :—No data. Range :—Coast of North Queensland. Cape York (Macleay). Specimen in the University Museum, Sydney. 21. taylori Ogilby. Mem. Queensl. Mus., iii, 1915, p. 117 : Townsville. Unfigured. Dimensions :—Of type 657 millim. Range :—Coast of North Queensland. Type :—In the Queensland Museum. Reg. No. fe 12/738. Genus 16—SCOLIODON Miiller & Henle, Arch. f. Nat., 1837, i, p. 397 (laticaudus). 22. jordani Ogilby. Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl., xxi, 1909, p. 88 (adv. copy 25 Aug. 1908): Cal- oundra. Unfinished. Dimensions :—Of type 850 millim. Range :—Coast of South Queensland. Type :—Accidentally destroyed. 23. affinis Ogilby. Mem. Queensl. Mus., i, 27 Nov. 1912, p. 29; Noosa Head. Unfigured. Dimensions :—Of type 526 millim. Range :—Coast of South Queensland. Type :—In the Queensland Museum, by favour of the Amateur Fishermen’s Association of Queensland. Reg. No. I. 13/1526. aOuhe mos. cunning and dangerous of all our sharks, lurking about wharves and similar places, where they pick up an easy living through the refuse thrown overboard from the vessels alongside, together with an occasional dog or other animal. When on board the “‘ Endeavour” we -were witnesses to a remarkable instance of gluttony and its fitting reward. While a brace of snapper was being hauled up a large shark of this species was observed to be accompanying them from the bottom ; instead, however, of tearing them from the hook, as is the usual practice in such cases, it contented itself with merely nosing them about, not even making any more vigorous protest when they were finally lifted intact out of the water. As it persisted in continuing this form of amusement with other captures, we threw out a shark hook nicely baited with fat pork, which it soon found. Even this tempting morsel it only nosed and mumbled for several minutes before taking it into its mouth so far as to enable us to effect its capture. When opened the secret of its extraordinary behaviour was revealed, for it was found to be full actually to the gullet with large leather-jackets (Cantherines ayraudi), of which it had already swallowed no less than 32, averaging fully fifteen inches apiece, all of which were perfectly fresh, unbitten, and undigested. This shark measured over 13 feet. 80 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 24. acutus Ruppell. Neue Wirbelth. Abyss., Fisch., 1837, p. 65: Red Sea; Gimnther, Catal., viii, p. 358; Ogilby, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8S. Wales, xiii, p. 1766 (as Carcharias acutus)—Garman, plagiost. p. 111 (as S. palasorrah). Figure :—Day, Fish. India, pl. 188, fig. 2. ) Dimensions :—TYo at least 750 millim. Said to attain a considerable size (Day). Range :—Coast of Queensland, south to the Burnett River Heads, 8.Q. (Ogilby). Specimen in the Australian Museum, Sydney. 25. longmani Ogilby. Mem. Queensl. Mus., i, 27 Nov. 1912, p. 30: Moreton Bay, 8S.Q. Unfigured. Dimensions :—Of type 526 millim. Range :—Coast of 8. Queensland. Type :—In the Queensland Museum. Reg. No. I. 12/292. Genus 17—Aprionodon Gill, Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist. New York, vii, 1861, p. 411 (punctatus=isodon). Syn.—Aprion Miller & Henle 1841; not of Cuvier & Valenciennes 1830. 26. acutidens Riippell. Neue Wirbelth. Abyss., Fisch., 1837, p. 65; Gunther, Catal., viii, p. 361 ; Macleay, Catal., 1071 (as Carcharias acutidens)—Garman, Plagiost., paws: Figure :—Ruppell, ibid., pl. 18, fig. 3. Dimensions :—To at least 183 cm. (Day). Range :—Coast of North Queensland. Torres Strait (Macleay). Specimen in the University Museum, Sydney. Genus 18—RHIZOPRION Ogilby, Mem. Queensl. Mus., iii, 1915, p. 132 (crenidens). 27. erenidens Klunzinger. Sitz. Akad. Wien, Ixxx, 1879, i, p. 426: Coast of Queensland ; Macleay, Catal., 1284 (as Carcharias crenidens). Figure :—Klunzinger, ibid., pl. 8, fig. 3 (dentition). Dimensions :—To at least 850 millim. Range :—Coast of South Queensland. Moreton Bay (Ogilby). Cape Moreton, 73 fath.; Double Island Point, 33 fath., 29 spec.; Rocky Island Reef (Lndeavour Coll.) .?1 Genus 19—CARCHARHINUS Blainville, Bull. Soc. Philom., 1816, p. 121 ~ (commersonii). Syn,—Carcharias Cuvier 1817, not of Rafinesque 1810 (g.v., p. 73). 28. stevensi Ogilby. Ann. Queensl. Mus., No. 10, 1 Nov. 1911, p. 38: Bustard Bay. Unfigured. Dimensions :—To about 2 mm. Range :—Coasts of South and Middle Queensland. Bustard Bay, 8.Q. and Nor-West Islet, M.Q. (Ogilby).”* *1'This is the most common of the smaller galeids on our southern coast, and has the right to inclusion in the New South Wales fauna, the “ Endeavour” having trawled a specimen off Cape Byron. 22 In the original description the lengths of the specimens examined are given as 164 and 187 milliim, This should read ‘‘ em.” CHECK-LIST OF CEPHALOCHORDATES, §-c.—OGILBY. 81 29. amblyrhynchos Bleeker. Nat. Tijds. Nederl. Ind., x, 1856, p. 467 (as Carcharias-Prionodon-ambly- rhynchos.) Unfigured. Dimensions :—No data. Range :—Coast of North Queensland. Cape Bowling Green (Ogilby)}. 30. melanopterus Quoy & Gaimard. Voy. Uranie, Zool., 1824, p. 194: Waigiou; Giinther, Catal., viii, p. 369 ; Macleay, Catal., 1077; Ogilby, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl., xxi, p. 88 (as Carcharias melanopterus)—Garman, Plagiost., p. 134. Figure :—Jordan & Evermann, Bull. U.S. Fisher. Comm., xxii, pl. 1. Dimensions :—To at least 3.66 mm. Range :—Coast of Queensland from south to north. Snapper Banks off Moreton Bay, 8.Q. (Ogilby). Nor-West Islet, M.Q. (Endeavour Coll.). Darnley Island (Tosh Coll.). 31. spenceri Ogilby. ‘‘ Estuary SHARK.” Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl., xxiii, 1911, p. 3 (adv. cop. 7 Nov. 1910): Brisbane River. Unfigured. Dimensions :—To at least 2:2 mm. Range :—Coasts and estuaries of South and Middle Queensland. Moreton Bay, Brisbane River, and Great Sandy Strait, $.Q. (Ogilby). Old Woman Island and Hervey Bay, 8.Q., and Rocky Island Reef, M.Q. (Endeavour Coll.).”* Subfamily d—CESTRACIONINA. “THe HAMMER-HEADED SHARKS.” Genus 20—CESTRACION Walbaum, Artedi Genera, 1792, p. 580 (zygena). Syn.—Sphyrna Rafinesque 1810; Zygaena Cuvier 1817. Subgenus ao—EUSPHYRA Gill, Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist. New York, vii, 1861, p- 412 (blochiv). 32. blochii Cuvier. Régne Anim., ii, 1817, p. 127: Indian Seas; Giinther, Catal., vii, p. 380 (as Zygena blochii)—Ogilby, Ann. Queensl. Mus., No. 9, p. 4 (as Sphyrna blochit)—Garman, Plagiost., p. 156. Figure :—Day, Fish. India, pl. 184, fig. 4. Dimensions :-—To at least 150 cm.; “attains to a very large size.” (Day, from the reports of fishermen). Range :—Coast of North Queensland. Rockingham Bay (Ogilby). Subgenus B—CESTRACION Walbaum, v. supr. 33. lewini Lord. ‘“‘ AUSTRALIAN HAMMERHEAD.”’ In Griffith’s Anim. Kingd., x, 1834, p. 640 (as Zygena lewini)—Waite, Mem. Austr. Mus., iv, 1899, p. 34 (as Sphyrna lewin). Figure :—McCoy, Prodr., pl. 56, fig. 1 (as Zygena malleus). Dimensions :—To at least 3-66 millim. Range :—Coast of South Queensland. Moreton Bay (Q./.). 23 This is the common estuary shark of our rivers, and has been known to follow shoals of fishes well beyond the tideway. A specimen 159 cm. long contained 8 fetus, each of which measured from 43 to 47 cm., or an average of two sevenths of the total length of the mother. Ay 82 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Subgenus y—PLATYSQUALUS Swainson, Classif. Fish., ii, 1839, p. 318 (tudes). 34. tudes (Cuvier MS). Valenciennes, Mém. Mus. Hist. Nat., ix, 1822, p. 225; Gunther, Catal., viii, p. 332 (as Zygena tudes)—Ogilby, Ann. Queensl. Mus., No. 9, p. 4 (as Sphyrna tudes)—Garman, Plagiost., p. 159. Figure :—Day, Fish. India, pl. 188, fig. 4. Dimensions :—To at least 3-33 mm. Range :—Coasts and estuaries of Queensland, presumabky from south to north. Tweed Heads, Moreton Bay, Cabbage-tree Creek, and Brisbane River (Ogilby). South Hill and Double Island Point—all §8.Q.—(Hndeavour Coll.).*4 Division B—SQUALOIDEI. Family VII—HETERODONTID. ‘THe BULLHEAD or Port JACKSON SHARKS.” Genus 21—HETERODONTUS bBlainville, Bull. Soc. Philom., 1816, p. 121 (phillipt). Syn.—Cestracion Cuvier 1817, not of Walbaum 1792 (q.v., p- 81). 35. phillipi Schneider.22 “ Port Jackson SHARK”; Common Bullhead ; Low- crowned Bullhead. Ovyster-crusher, Pigfish, and Bulldog Shark (Kent). In Bloch, Syst. Ichth., 1801, p. 1384: Botany Bay (as Squalus philippi)— Giinther, Catal., viii, p. 415 (as Cestracion phillipi)—Maclay & Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, iii, p. 309—Garman, Plagiost., p. 182 (as Centracion philippt). Figures :—Maclay & Macleay, ibid., pls. 22-24 ; McCoy, Prodr., pl. 113; Kent, Natur. in Austr., text-fig. p. 194. Dimensions :—To at least 140 cm. Range :—Coast of South Queensland. Moreton Bay (Kent.)® Genus 22—GYROPLEURODUS Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1862, p. 489 (francisct). 36. galeatus Gimther. ‘‘ CRESTED BULLHEAD.” Brit. Mus. Catal. Fish., viii, 1870, p. 416: Australia (as Cestracion galeatus)— Maclay & Macleay, ibid., p. 313 (as Heterodontus galeatus)—Ogilby, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, xx, p. 245, description of teeth (as Gyropleurodus sp.)—Garman, Plagiost., p. 185 (as Centracion galeatus). 24 This is much the most common hammerhead in Moreton Bay ; the young ascend our rivers to the limit of the tideway. 25 Orthographically corrected to assimilate it to the name of Governor Phillip, after whom it was called. 26 The only knowledge I possess of the occurrence of this shark in Queensland waters has been gained through the following sentence published on page 193 of Mr. Saville Kent’s “ Naturalist in Australia.” It “has been met with by the writer at such remote localities as Tasmania, Moreton Bay in Queensland, and Fremantle in Western Australia.’’ Relying probably upon this statement Garman gives its habitat as ‘‘ Queensland, Southern Australia, and New Zealand.” In the seas of the latter it does not occur. It is quite unknown to me as a native of our seas, nor can I gain any confirmative evidence of its existence from the conversation of prominent fishermen both profes- sional and amateur. As there is no local specimen in the State Museum Kent did not apparently consider it worth while to preserve his specimens, As a matter of fact | am very sceptical as to its occurrence in Moreton Bay, but in view of the explicit declaration quoted above I can not very well omit it. See also his ‘‘ Great Barrier Reef,” p. 267. CHECK-LIST OF CEPHALOCHORDATES, §c.—OGILBY. 83 Figures :—Maclay & Macleay, ibid., pl. 25; Waite, Mem. Austr. Mus., iv, pl. 1 (dentition). Dimensions :—To fully 110 cm. Range :—Coast of South Queensland. Tweed Heads (Ogilby). This is a more northern species than the preceding and I was not, therefore, much astonished at learning of the capture of a specimen north of the Tweed, and the less so that the “Endeavour” trawled a fine example off Byron Bay. Further proof of its more northern range, as compared with H. phillipi, may be found in Waite’s report that while the “‘Thetis”’ trawled that species at 14 stations between Shoalhaven Bight and Cape Hawke, not a single specimen of G. galeatus was taken.?? Suborder b—HYPOTREMATA. ‘“ The Rays.” Family VIJTI—NARCACIONIDA.”® “THe Exvectrric Rays.” Genus 23—HYPNOS Dumeéril, Rev. & Mag. Zool., 1852, p. 277 (subniger). Syn.—Hypnarce Waite 1902. 37. subniger Duméril. ‘‘ NumprisH.” Crampfish. Nummy (Stead). Ibid., p. 279: West Australia; Giinther, Catal., viii, p. 453; Macleay, Catal., 1113—Garman, Plagiost., p. 304 (as Hypnarce subnigrum). Figure :—Dumeril, ibid., pl. 12. Dimensions :—To about 70 cm. Range :—Coast of South Queensland. Moreton Bay (Q.M.); South Hill (A.F.A.Q.). Division D—BATOIDEI. “The True Rays.” Subdivision SARCURA. “The Thick-tailed Rays.” Family IX—PRISTEIDA.” ‘“ THE SawrFisHEs.” Genus 24—PRISTIS Linck, Mag. neues Phys. u. Naturg., vi, 1790, p. 31 (pristis). 38. zysron Bleeker. Nat. Tijds. Nederl. Ind., ii, 1851, p. 442: Banjermassin ; Giinther, Catal., viii, p. 438; Macleay, Catal., 1106; Garman, Plagiost., p. 262. Figure :—Day, Fish. India, pl. 191, fig. 2. Dimensions :—To at least 6 mm. Range :—Coast of Queensland from south to north. 27 Waite, ibid., p. 31. 28 If Houttuyn’s “ Nat. Hist., 1764” be binomial, as is his 1782 work, these should respec- tively be Torpedinoidei and Torpedinide. 2° The name is derived from the Greek 7pio7ts, gen, 7ploTews, “a large kind of fish,” and the family name should, therefore, by the laws of nomenclature be as above ; see 84 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 39. microdon Latham. Trans. Linn. Soc. London, ii, 1794, p. 280; Garman, Plagiost., p. 265— Giinther, Catal., viii, p. 436 (as P. perotteti)—Ogilby, Ann. Queensl. Mus., No. 9, p. 4 (as P. zephyreus). Figures :—Latham, ibid., pl. 26, fig. 4 (rostrwm)—Day, Fish. Ind., pl. 191, fig. 1 (as P. perottetz). Dimensions :—To fully 4:6 millim. Range :—Coast of Queensland presumably from south to north. Moreton Bay (Ogilby). 40. clavata Garman. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., xlvi, 1906, p. 208 : Coast of Queensland. Figure :—Garman, Plagiost., pl. xvi, fig. 5. Dimensions :—No data. Range :—Coast of Queensland. Family X—RHINOBATIDA. “THe Guitar-FisHEs.” Subfamily a—RHAMPHOBATIN 2. Genus 25—RHAMPHOBATIS Gill, Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist. New York, vii, 1861, p- 408 (ancylostoma). Syn.—Rhina Schneider 1801, not of Walbaum 1792. 41. ancylostoma Schneider. Bloch, Syst. Ichth., 1801, p. 352 : Coromandel Coast ; Ogilby, Ann. Queensl. Mus., No. 9, p. 4 (as Rhina ancylostoma)—Ginther, Catal., viii, p. 440 (as Rhynchobatus ancylostomus)—Garman, Plagiost., p. 267. Figure :—Day, Fish. India, pl. 193, fig. 3. Dimensions :—To at least 215 em. Range :—Coast of Queensland from north to south. Moreton Bay (Ogilby). Dunk Island (Banfield). Genus 26—RHYNCHOBATUS Miiller & Henle, Arch. f. Nat., 1837, i, p. 399 (levis = djiddensis). 42. djiddensis Forskal. Descr. Anim., 1775, p. 18: Jeddah (as Raja djiddensis)—Ginther, Catal., viii, p. 441; Ogilby, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, x, p. 465; Garman, Plagiost., p. 268. Figure :—Day, Fish. India, pl. 192, fig. 1. Dimensions :—To fully 215 cm. Range :—Coast of Queensland from south to north. Moreton Bay (Ogilby). Cartwright Point, $.Q. and Nor-West Islet, M.Q. (Endeavour Coll.). Subfamily b6—RHINOBATIN AA. Genus 27—RHINOBATUS Walbaum, Artedi Gen., 1792, p. 581 (rhinobatus). Syn.—Syrrhina Miller & Henle 1841. CHECK-LIST OF CEPHALOCHORDATES, §:c.—OGILBY. 85 43. armatus Gray. ‘‘ SHOVELNOSE SHARK.” (Text-fig. 1.) In Hardwicke’s Ilustr. Ind. Zool., ii, 1834, pl. xcix; Muller & Henle, Plagiost.. p. E19, Figure :—ut supra. Dimensions :—To at least 150 em. Range :—Coast of Queensland from south to north.®° 44, banksii Miiller & Henle. (Text-fig. 2.) Plagiost., 1841, pp. 123, 192: New Holland ; Giinther, Catal., vii, p. 446 ; Macleay, Catal., 1108—Ogilby, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, x, p. 464 (as R. bougainvillit)—Garman, Plagiost., p. 278 (as R. philippr). Not Miller & Henle. Figure :—Waite, Mem. Austr. Mus., iv, pl. 3. Dimensions :—To fully 125 cm. Range :—Coast of South Queensland, straying beyond the Tropic. South Hill, Moreton Bay, Cartwright Point, Low Bluff, Double Island Point, Hervey Bay, Platypus Bay, and Bustard Bay, 8.Q.; Hummocky Island, M.Q.; in 7 to 24 fath. (Endeavour Coll.). Text-figure 1.—Genus RHINOBATUS. R. banksii. R. armatus. 30 A much more littoral species than the succeeding, freely entering and even permanently . . . . . . . > residing and breeding in fresh water. This species was not once taken by the “‘ Endeavour’ on the Queensland Coast, whereas R. banksit occurred on 11 occasions. 86 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Family XI—RAJIDAH. ‘“ Tue SKATEs.” . Genus 28—RAJA Linneus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, i, 1758, p. 231 (batis). 45. polyommata Ogilby. Some new Queensl. Fish., 20 Dec. 1910, p. 86: Cape Moreton, 8.Q. Dimensions :—To at least 320 millim. Range :—Coast of South Queensland. Cape Moreton to North Reef in 70 to 75 fath. (Ogilby). 46. australis Macleay. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, viii, pt. 4, 21 Feb. 1884, p. 461: Off South Head, Botany Bay, N.S.W., in 40 to 55 fath.; Waite, Mem. Austr. Mus., iv, p. 40. Figure :—Waite, ibid., pl. 4. Dimensions :—To about 500 millim. Range :—Coast of South Queensland. Cape Moreton (A.F.A.Q. Coll.). Subdivision MASTICURA. “The Whip-tailed Rays.” Family XII—DASYBATID. Subfamily a—UROLOPHINAL. ‘“ THE STiINGAREES.” Genus 29—UROLOPHUS Miiller & Henle, Arch. f. Nat. 1837, i, p. 400 (cruciatus). Syn.—T'rygonoptera Muller & Henle 1841.31 47. testaceus Miiller & Henle.®? Plagiost., 1841, p. 174: New Holland; Garman, Plagiost., p. 410 (as Trygonoptera testacea)—Giunther, Catal., viii, p. 486; Macleay, Catal., 1121. Figure :—Miller & Henle, ibid., pl. 57; Tosh, Mar. Biol. Rep., pl. 5, fig. 3. Dimensions :—Width of disk to 30 em. Range :—Coast of South Queensland. Jumpin Pin (Josh). Cape Moreton (Q.M., O.C.). South Hill, Cape Moreton, Low Bluff, and Double Island Point (Endeavour Coll.). $1 Waite’s discovery of a dorsal fin in fetal U. cruciatus (Mem. Austr. Mus., iv, p. 43) does. away with the last shred of reason for the subdivision of this genus. %2 J have little faith in Ginther’s (Brit. Mus. Catal. Fish., viii, p. 351) Cape Upstart record of this species. In the Moreton Bay District U. testaceus is mainly a deep-water ray ; not once has it been obtained inside Moreton Bay, though it is the most abundant species captured in Port Jackson and the estuaries of the rivers of Middle New South Wales. Of the 113 examples trawled at four stations by the ‘‘ Endeavour”’ no less than 92 were taken in one haul at a depth of 73 fath. off Cape Moreton in company with Raja polyommata, Lophiomus laticeps, and other deep-water forms, but it was absent from the two hauls off North Reef in 70 and 75 fath. respectively. Off Double Island Point, which lies about midway between Cape Moreton and North Reef, a single example was trawled in 33 fath., this being the most northerly station at which it was observed. That it should be found as a littoral species so far to the north as Cape Upstart, requires confirmation. CHECK-LIST OF CEPHALOCHORDATES, §c.—OGILBY. 87 Subfamily -—DASYBATIN. Genus 30—TZENIURA Miiller & Henle, Arch. f. Nat., 1837, i, p. 400 (lymma). 48. lymma Forskal. ‘“ Lesser Fanta Ray.” Descr. Anim., 1775, p. 17: Jeddah (as Raja lymma)—Giunther, Catal., viii, p. 483; Ogilby, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, x, p. 463; Garman, Plagiost., p. 309. Figures :—Lesson, Voy. Coquille, Zool., ii, pl. 3 (as T'rygon halganz)—Miiller & Henle, Plagiost., pl. 55, fig. 3 (under side of head). Dimensions :—Width of disk to about 300 millim. Range :—Coast of North Queensland. Green Island, Cairns (Hamlyn Harris Coll.). Cape York (Ogilby). Darnley Island (T'osh Coll.). 49. mortoni Macleay.** Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, viii, pt. 2, 17 July 1883, p. 212.: Lower Burdekin River, N.Q. Unfigured. Dimensions :—No data. Range :—Coast of North Queensland. Lower Burdekin River (Macleay). Genus 31—HYPOLOPHUS Muller & Henle, Arch. f. Nat., 1837, i, p. 400 (sephen). 50. sephen Forskal. ‘‘ Great Fantatn Ray.” Descr. Anim., 1775, p. 18: Jeddah (as Raja sephen)—Ginther, Catal., viii, p. 482; Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, vili, p. 212 (as Trygon sephen)\—Garman, Plagiost., p. 385 (as Dasybatus sephen). Figure :—Day, Fish. India, pl. 195, fig. 2. Dimensions :—Width of disk to at least 180 cm. Range :—Coast of Queensland from south to north. Moreton Bay, 8.Q. (Q.M., 0.C.). Lower Burdekin River, N.Q. (Macleay). Genus 32—DASYBATUS Walbaum, Artedi Gen. Pisc., 1792, p. 581 (pastinaca). Syn.—Dasyatis Rafinesque 1810; Trygon Adanson 1817. 51. kuhlii Miller & Henle. ‘‘ BLuE-sporrep Stine Ray.” Plagiost., 1841, p. 164; Gunther, Catal., viii, p. 479 (as Trygon kuhlii)— Garman, Plagiost., p. 395. Figures :—Day, Fish. India, pl. 193, fig. 2; Tosh, Mar. Biol. Rep., pl. v, fig. 1. Dimensions :—Width of disk to at least 350 millim. : Range :—Coasts and estuaries of Queensland from south to north. Coolan- gatta, Currumbin, Nerang Creek, Moreton Bay, and Brisbane River, 8.Q. (Ogilby). Hervey Bay and Port Curtis, 8.Q., Nor-West Islet and Edgecumbe Bay, M.Q. (Endeavour Coll.). 33 Without having seen either the one or the other Prof, Garman unites this species with T. atra Macleay from New Guinea. I labour under the same disadvantage, but before accepting his determination I must be satisfied that a ray, having the “ head and body covered with small nitid granules”’ (atra), can possibly be identical with one which has the ‘‘ disk covered with close minute spines” (mortoni). The difference may be sexual, but that is highly improbable. 88 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 52. fluviorum Ogilby. ‘“ Estuary Ray.” Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl., xxi, 25 Aug. 1908, p.6: Brisbane River ; Garman, Plagiost., p.394—Kent, Great Barrier Reef, p. 267 (as T’rygon pastinaca). Figure :—Tosh, Mar. Zool. Rep., pl. iv, fig. 3. Dimensions :—Width of disk to at least 650 millim. Range :—Bays and estuaries of South Queensland. Nerang Creek, Brisbane River, Moreton Bay, and Great Sandy Strait (Ogilby). Genus 33—-HIMANTURA Miller & Henle, Arch. f. Nat., 1837, i, p. 400 (uwarnak). 53. uarnak Forskal. ‘ CoacHwuip Ray.” Descr. Anim., 1775, p. 18 (as Raja warnak)—Ginther, Catal., viii, p. 473 ; Macleay, Catal., 1117 (as T'rygon uarnak)—Garman, Plagiost., p. 376 (as Dasybatus warnak). Figure :—Annandale, Mem. Ind. Mus., ii, pls. 1-3. Dimensions :—Width of disk to at least 155 cm. Range :—Coast of Queensland from south to north. Moreton Bay, 8.Q. (Q.M., 0.C.). Platypus Bay, 8.Q. and Pine Peak, M.Q. (Endeavour Coll.). Burdekin River, N.Q. (Macleay). Goode Island, T.S. (Tosh Coll.).54 Genus 34—UROGYMNUS Miiller & Henle, Arch. f. Nat., 1837, i, p. 434 (asperrimus = africanus). Syn.—Rhachinotus Cantor 1849. 54. africanus Schneider. ‘‘ THornNy Ray.” Bloch. Syst. Ichth., 1801, p. 367 (as Raja africana)—Ginther, Catal., viii, p. 471; Macleay, Catal., 1116 (as U. asperrimus)—Garman, Plagiost., p-. 374 (as Rhachinotus africanus). Figure :—Day, Fish. India, pl. 195, fig. 1. Dimensions :—Width of disk to at least 630 millim. Range :—Coast of North Queensland. Cape York (Macleay). Darnley Island (Tosh Coll.). Subfamily c—PTEROPLATEINA. ‘Tue Burrerriy Rays.” Genus 35—PTEROPLATEA Miiller and Henle, Arch. f. Nat., 1837, i, p. 400 (altavela.) Syn.—Aétoplatea Muller & Henle 1841. 55. australis Ramsay & Ogilby. “‘ Burrerrny Ray.” Rat-TAILED Ray. Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, x, pt. 4, 3 April 1886, p. 575: Cape Hawke, N.S.W. Unfigured. Dimensions :—Width of disk to 100 em. Range :—Coasts of South and Middle Queensland. Moreton Bay, $.Q. (Ogilby). Off Port Curtis—Jenny Lind Buoy—S.Q., in 14 fath.; Cape Gloucester in 25 fath. (Endeavour Coll.).°° 341f H. gerrardi be really distinct from this species, which I greatly doubt, Tosh’s figure (Marine Biologist’s Report 1908, p. 4, pl. 5, fig. 2) suggests its occurrence on our south coast (Nerang Creek). 35 Garman’s assumption of the identity of our species with P. tentaculata is distinctly unhappy; the constantly shorter annulated tail and uniformly umber brown coloration distinguish it at a glance from that species. CHECK-LIST OF CEPHALOCHORDATES, §-c.—OGILBY. 89 Family XITI—MYLIOBATIDAE. ‘“ THe EacuE Rays” or “ Buin Rays.” Subfamily a—MYLIOBATIN At. Genus 26—MYLIOBATIS (Duméril) Cuvier, Régne Anim., ii, 1817, p. 137 (aquila). 56. hamlyni Ogilby. ‘‘ PurPLE Ray.” Ann. Queensl. Mus., No. 10, 1 Nov. 1911, p. 40: Moreton Bay, $.Q.— Macleay, Catal., 1122 (as MW. aquila, name only). Unfigured. Dimensions :—Width of disk in type 280 millim. Certainly attains a much larger size. Range :—Coast of South Queensland. Moreton Bay (Ogilby).*® Genus 37—AETOBATUS Blainville, Bull. Soc. Philom., 1816, p. 112 (narinari). Syn.—Stoasodon Cantor 1849. 57. narinari Euphrasen. “ JumpinG Ray.” Vet. Akad. Nya. Handl., xi, 1790, p. 217: Brazil (as Rava narinari)— Giinther, Catal., viii, p. 492; Macleay, Catal., 1125 (as Aétobatis nari- nari)—Garman, Plagiost., p. 441. Figures :—Jordan & Evermann, Fish. N. & M. Amer., pls. 15 & 16; Garman, ibid., pl. 49, figs 1-3 (dentition). Dimensions :—Width of disk to fully 4:5 mm. Range :—Coast of Queensland from south to north. Moreton Bay and Wide Bay, 8.Q. (Ogilby). Cape York, N.Q. (Macleay). Subfamily 5—RHINOPTERINA. Genus 38 — RHINOPTERA (Kuhl) Cuvier, Régne Anim., ed. 2, ii., 1829 (marginata). 58. neglecta Ogilby. ‘‘ Cow-NosE Ray.” Mem. Queensl. Mus., i, 27 Nov. 1912, p. 32: Moreton Bay, 8.Q.—de Vis, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl., ii, p. 12 (as Rf. javanica). Unfigured. Dimensions :—Width of disk in type 860 millim. Range :—Coast of South Queensland. Moreton Bay (de Vis).3” 36 This species is the antipodean representative of the North Atlantic M. aquila, from which it differs in dentition as noted by Giimther (Catal., viii, p. 489). Otherwise the two forms agree so well that it might possibly be preferable to refer to the southern ray as Myliobatis aquila hamlyni. Kent, writing of his visit to Elliot Island, remarks :—‘‘ Large blue-spotted Sting Rays, Myliobatis aquila, bask lazily in the intervening sandy patches” (Great Barrier Reef, p. 103). This statement is certainly wrong as there is no evidence to show that the Bull Ray (M. australis) has ever been found in Queensland waters. Kent has evidently mistaken either Dasybatus kuhliit, or young Aétobatus narinari, or both for that species. 37 Closely allied to, perhaps identical with, R. jayakari Boulenger from the Persian Gulf. 90 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Family XIV—MOBULIDA. ‘“ Tue Sea Devits.” Genus 39—-MOBULA Rafinesque, Ind. Itt. Sicil., 1810, p. 61 (auriculata=— riobillany 59. eregoodoo Cantor. ‘‘ Hornep Ray.” Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, xviii, 1849, p. 1420: Sea of Pinang; Giinther, Catal., viii, p. 497 (as Dicerobatis eregoodoo)—Garman, Plagiost., p. 451. Figures :—Day, Fish. India, pl. 193, fig. 1; Kent, Great Barrier Reef, pl. 48, figs. 2 & 3. Dimensions :—Width of disk to at least 5-5 Range :—Coast of Queensland from south to a Moreton Bay (Q.M., 0.C.). Palm Islands (Kent).38 APPENDIX A. Under this heading will be found simple keys to (1) the families of the Queens- land sharks and rays ; (2) the genera of such families as are not monotypic ; and (3) the species of the same.*? By this means it is hoped that all those who are interested in nature-study, especially those in our schools and universities, may be enabled to identify such species as come within their purview, and thus little by little enlarge our knowledge. And it is not only by the addition of new or exotic species to the Queensland. list that such knowledge may be extended, but it is of even higher importance to gain a closer insight into the habits, the comings and goings, and the limits of distribution of the common species with which we are familiar from day to day, but of whose inner life we are wofully ignorant. Only by the close observation of local workers along our whole coastline can this ignorance be dispelled. In such work the veriest tyro has an equal chance with the expert of making important discoveries. Kry 1—OUR EUSELACHIAN FAMILIES. a‘, Pleurotremata :—Gill-openings lateral. bt. Two spineless dorsal fins ; anal fin present (Galeoidet). cl. Eye without nictitating membrane. a, Ene oro-nasal grooves. . Last gill-opening in front of base of pectoral. ae Dorsal fins subequal in size oa Jt 50 Ae ..1, CARCHARIIDA, hee cao dorsal fin much smaller than fir ce . Caudal fin much produced, the peduncle without keel .. .. di. ATOPEpat a Caudal fin of moderate length, lunate, the peduncle strongly keeled iii. IsURIDz. e*. Last one or two gill-openings above base of pectoral .. Vv. SCYLIORHINIDZ d*?, Oro-nasal grooves present 2% a sé a6 .. iv. ORECTOLOBIDZ. c?, Eye with nictitating membrane ae 5e ie Se ve .. Vi. GALEIDE- b?. Dorsal fins with or without a spine ; anal fin absent or present (Squaloidez). h'. Each dorsal fin preceded by a spine ; anal fin present of .. Vil. HETERODONTID &. a*, Hypotremata :—Guill-openings ventral ; no anal fin. “, Electric organs present, between pectoral fins and head (Narcacionoidet). . Vili. ARCA GiaRamet i?. No electric organs (Batoide?). j. Tail stout and muscular ; two dorsal fins eases Be Most of Kent’ s remarks on 1 this fish refer more properly to oes Narinare. %® The genera and species which belong to monotypic families (so far as this State is concerned ) may be easily identified by the family characters given in Key 1. CHECK-LIST OF CEPHALOCHORDATES, §c.—OGILBY. 91 i), Trunk passing gradually into tail ; ovoviviparous. ae Snout much produced and saw-like, without tentacles .. oC ix. PRISTEID#. . Snout not saw-like ee ic st oe go 8s RHINOBATIDA. a Trunk abruptly contracted at puse of ea oviparous 5A . Rasip2#. j?. Tail slender ; dorsal fin absent or single aad vestigial ; eee a m+, Pectoral fins not produced anteriorly Sc a .. xi. DasyBaATIDA. m*, ee, fins produced anteriorly to form cephalic appendages. . Teeth usually few, some or all laterally expanded ; nostrils approximate Xiil. MyrronaTipx. n2. Teeth numerous and minute, sometimes absent in one or the other jaw ; nostrils remote a0 56 xiv. MoBuLIDz. Kry 2—OUR EUSELACHIAN SUBFAMILIES AND GENERA. i, CARCHARIIDZ :—Monotypic, v. supra. ii. ALopirp# :—Monotypic, v. supra. ili. IsuRIDz :— a. Isurine :—Teeth long, slender, smooth. Ee Teeth without basal cusp SiC a6 se .. 3. IsuURUS. . Carcharodontine :—Teeth compressed, inenaien. porrated iv. ORECTOLOBIDA :— a1. Ginglymostomine :—Spiracles minute. 61, Teeth in three series, multicuspid ; origin of second dorsal in advance of the anal 5. NrBrius. a?. Orectolobine :—Spiracles large. cl, Lower lip with a symphysial groove ; ovoviviparous. di, Teeth dissimilar; sides of head with a more or less interrupted series of dermal lobes .. 4, CARCHARODON. ° 6. ORECTOLOBUS. d?. Teeth all similar, small and tricuspid ; sides of head without dermal lobes. e}, Head strongly depressed ; anal fin close to caudal .. ait .. 7. BRACHALURUS. e®, Head not depressed ; anal fin remote from caudal 8. HETEROSCYLLIUM. c?, Lower lip without symphysial groove ; oviparous, the egg-case bag-like. fi. Caudal fin of moderate length .. 9. CHILOSCYLLIUM. 72, Caudal fin greatly produced a at ms cae 10. SrEGOsTOMA. z g yp v. SCYLIORHINIDZ :— a, Angle of mouth with a distinct labial fold vi. GALEIDE :— a', Snout produced longitudinally, in direction of vertebral axis. b1. Mustelinc :—Spiracles moderate. c!. Teeth small and pavement-like 62. Galeinee :—Spiracles minute ; d', No pit at base of caudal d*, Precaudal pit present 68, Spiracles absent ; teeth acute. el, Teeth everywhere smooth, both base and cusp. fi. Teeth strongly depressed. . Some of the anterior teeth enlarged, their bases swollen and rounded 15. PHysopOoN . None of the teeth enlarged, their bases narrow oat diati erect or nearly so . 5 a .. 17, APRIONODON. . Bases of teeth serrated in one or both ane tha neta) lanai: aa Teeth in lower jaw erect, in upper suberect and coarsely serrated on one or both sides of base ne ate a bss 11. HALZLURUS. =e ae 50 oi .. 12. MusTELUus. teeth acute, “om eil depressed. ae ee eo an ae Fe ts 13. GALEUS. os ase sie aie aie 14. GALEOCERDO. BS ae On 16; ScoLroDON. re se ac HyPorrion.* h?. Teeth in both jaws Fee set sth fete outer feeee seater 18. RHIZOPRION. e3, All or most teeth serrated on both base and cusp, their form variable 19. CARCHARHINUS . Cestracionine :—Snout expanded laterally, at an angle to the vertebral axis 20. CESTRACION, 92 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. vil. HETERODONTIDE :— a’, Ramal symphyses long ; supraorbital ridges gradually decreasing in height posteriorly 21. HETERODONTUS. a*, Ramalsymphyses short ; supraorbital ridges terminating abruptly behind 22. GyropLEURODUS. villi. NARCACIONIDZ :— a’, Tail very short, with two dorsal fins ; spiracles close behind the eye, fringed .. 23. Hypnos. ix. PRIstrEIDz :—Monotypic, v. supra. x. RHINOBATIDE :— a. Rhamphobatine :—First dorsal fin originating above hase of ventrals. 5', Snout short, broad, obtuse ; dental surface of jaws deeply undulous .. 25, RHAMPHOBATIS. 6°, Snout narrow, produced, acute ; dental surface of jaws feebly undulous 26, RuHyNCHOBATUS. a’, Rhinobatince :—First dorsal fin inserted well behind the ventrals. ct, Nasal valves not confluent eye ae bee 2 Oo: .. 27, RHINOBATUS. xi. RagipzA :— a‘, Ventral fins deeply notched ; dorsal fins far back, near tip of tail .. ee .. 28, Raga. xii. DASYBATIDE :— a‘, Disk not or not much wider than long, the outer angles rounded or nearly so. b1. Urolophine :—Tail short, stout, muscular, terminating in a well-developed rayed caudal fin. 29. UROLOPHUS. b?. Dasybatine :—Tail moderate or long, without dorsal or caudal fin. ct, Caudal spine developed. d'. Tail moderate, inferiorly with a deep cutaneous fold which extends to its tip ss 30. TANIURA. e1, Dental surface of upper jaw angular ; tail inferiorly with a deep cutaneous fold, which is proximal in position, leaving a long free tip 5 A 31. HyPoLopuus. e*, Dental surface of jaws straight or undulous. f!. Tail moderate, with a low cutaneous fold on the upper or lower border, or on both 32. DAsyBATUS. j*. Tail very long and slender, without folds’ .. 3 Ae . 33. HIMANTURA. c*, Tail long, spineless, foldless ; back covered with osseous filberolos jnteriaeel with spini- gerous bucklers 56 se 34. UROGYMNUS. *. Pteroplateine :—Disk much wider than lone fhe eiter mies Peieed’s tail short, slender, rat- like, the dorsal fin and caudal spine, when present, vestigial 35, PTEROPLATEA. xiii, MYLIOBATIDE :— a‘, Myliobatine :—Rostral lobe simple, median. bt. Teeth in several series, middle widest .. aes ae =e te : Bes MYLIOBATIS. 6?. Teeth in a single series, very wide whe 56 . AETOBATUS. a*, Rhinopterine :—Rostral lobe paired, lateral ; tenth in gevenal series, ee aa widest 38. RHINOPTERA. xiv. MoBULIDE :— oe obuline :—Mouth inferior. . Teeth in the upper jaw a 53 oe Se ae ete 2% .. CERATOPTERA.* i Teeth in both jaws 39. Mosura. . Mantinew :—Mouth anterior. on Teeth in the lower jaw only. Manrta.* Note :—None of the three genera to which an asterisk is attached has as yet been recorded from our coast, but Hypoprion has been included, both because the Indo-Malayan H. macloti has been taken in Port Jackson, but more especially to demonstrate the dental differences which separate it from my genus Rhizoprion. Manta too has been known for many years from Port Jackson ; there- fore in view of the wide tropical distribution of the mobuloid rays, and the difficulty of obtaining specimens owing to their huge bulk, it has been thought advisable to publish the above key to the genera, in order to facilitate the identification of such examples as may from time to time be captured. CHECK-LIST OF CEPHALOCHORDATES, §c.—OGILBY. 93 KEYS TO THE SPECIES OF QUEENSLAND SELACHIANS. 1. CARCHARIAS :— a‘, Head not depressed ; 4th and 5th teeth on each side of upper jaw much smaller than the adjacent teeth ; eye-diameter one fifth of preoral length .. a 5c 1. arenarius. 2. ALOPIAS :— A single species, inhabitating the warmer parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; v. supra. p. 74. 3. Isurus :— a‘, First dorsal originating close behind vertical from hinder angle of pectoral; second dorsal partly before anal... a, ee 5.6 ic oF ee 3. glaucus. 4, CARCHARODON :— Monotypic; the single species inhabitating all warm seas; v. supra, p. 74. 5. NEBRIUS :— Monotypic ; an inhabitant of the warmer latitudes of the Indian & Western Pacific Oceans ; v. Supra, p. 75 6. ORECTOLOBUS :— a+, Nasal cirrus lobate. 64, Sides of head with a nearly continuous series of branched lobes. ec. Origin of first dorsal well postmedian a O10 ae ie a8 6. ogilbyi. b?. Sides of head with only a few widely spaced lobes. d‘, Lobe of nasal cirrus bifid or trifid, rarely simple. e1. Body with large light ocelli 5% ate oe pe 56 56 7. maculatus. e®. Body marbled, with distinct cross-bands .. aha 36 8. ornatus. . Nasal cirrus simple; dermal lobes three on each side, widely as gnikee one entire 9, tentaculatus. 7. BRACHZLURUS :— One species only, from Eastern Australia ; v. supra, p. 76 8. HmTEROSCYLLIUM :— One species only, from South Queensland ; v. supra, p. 76. 9. CHILOSCYLIIUM :— a1, Fold of lower lip interrupted ; a large ocellus above the pectoral fin. b', Body with large scattered dark spots oe are ne oe .. 12. ocellatum. b*. Body with numerous small close-set dark spots te ne .. 13. trispeculare. a, Fold of lower lip continuous ; no ocellus above the pectoral fin. cl. Origin of first dorsal peer anterior section of ventral-base 56 .. 14. punctatwm. 10. STEGOSTOMA :— Monotypic ; inhabitating the warmer parts of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans. 11. HAL&LURUS :— a, Base of anal less than ano-caudal interspace. 61, Anterior nasal valve not overlapping mouth; lower labial fold nearly reaching symphysis 16. labiosus. 12. MvustTEeLvs :— a‘, Dorsal originating above inner angle of pectoral. bt. Teeth each with an obscure transverse ridge ; upper labial fold the longer 17. antareticus. 13. GALEUS :— a@, Second dorsal and anal fins subequal ; snout somewhat produced, as long as width of mouth. 61, First dorsal equidistant from pectoral and ventral; ventral originating well behind middle of length ats as ae on ate oye te ee 18. australis. 94 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 14, GALEOCERDO :— a1, Monotypic ; inhabiting all tropical and temperate seas. . aye 96 ete 19. arcticus. 15, PHysoDON :— a!, Snout long ; labial folds short ; anal more than thrice as long as second dorsal 20. miilleri. a?, Snout short ; labial folds well developed ; anal less than twice as long as second dorsal 21. taylori. 16. ScoL1oDON :— a‘, Labial grooves very short. b1, Snout short, preoral length two fifths of head; anal wholly in advance of second dorsal 22. jordant. b?. Snout long, preoral length more than half of head ; anal partly in advance of second dorsal. c1, First dorsal higher than long; eye midway between tip of snout and fourth gill-opening 23. affinis. c®, First dorsal longer than high; eye midway between tip of snout and first gill-opening 24, acutus. a?, Labial folds well developed, outer about one third ramal length. d!, Second dorsal five ninths of base of anal 25. longmani. 17, APRIONODON :— a', Snout short and broad. b1, Second dorsal rather larger than and originating somewhat inadvance ofanal 26. acutidens. 18. RHIzZOPRION :— A single species from the coasts of South and Middle Queensland ; v. supra, p. 80. 19, CARCHARHINUS :— a\, Tail shorter than head and trunk ; snout broadly rounded a, Tail as long as head and trunk. 61, Pectoral extending to below anterior third of first dorsal; snout three fourths of width of mouth ne 53 oe 5 as a ae 29. amblyrhynchus. b?, Pectoral extending to below end of first dorsal. c}, Snout two thirds of width of mouth c?, Snout as long as width of mouth mS 5 28. stevenst. Sc is 30 ome ee 30. spencert. 31. melanopterus. 20. CESTRACION :— a‘. Nostril remote from eye ie a re ae 5c So a .. 32. blochit. a’. Nostril adjacent to eye. b1, Rostral dilation at nostril longer than wide; narial groove less than one third width of head ae oc he ere ae ate os .- 933. lewint. b?, Rostral dilation at nostril wider than long; narial groove more than one third width of head 43 Bre oe ihe Sc ac ais Ae ae 34. tudes. 21. HreTERODONTUS :— a‘, Base of anal rather less than half of ano-caudal interspace 56 .. 35. phillipt. 22. GYROPLEURODUS :— a‘, Base of anal longer than ano-caudal interspace ; first dorsal originating above end of pectoral base ; et. : sts ‘ 36. galeatus. 23. Hypnos :— Monotypic ; the single species inhabiting temperate Australia. CHECK-LIST OF CEPHALOCHORDATES, §c.—OGILBY. 95 24, PRIsTIS :— a', Posterior border of teeth grooved. 41, Rostrum long and slender, its width behind the proximal pair about one ninth of its length ; lateral teeth 25 or more, the width of the Ist about one sixth of its distance from the 2nd; no lower caudal lobe .. ie 38. zysron. . Rostrum short and ae its width behind the Seieal ite Snes two ninths of its length ; lateral teeth 22 or less, the width of the Ist about two fifths of its distance from the 2nd ; lower caudal lobe present but inconspicuous .. oc .- 39. microdon, . Lateral teeth Paie ae posterior border rounded ; nolowercaudallobe .. -- 40. clavata. 25. RHAMPHOBATIS :— A single species frequenting the shores of the warmer parts of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans ; v. supra. 26. RHYNCHOBATUS :— a1, Dorsal originating above base ot ventrals si xe ae 36 Eis 42. djiddensis. 27. RHINOBATUS :— a+, Internarial width less than half the narial diameter; spiracle with two conspicuous folds 43. armatus. a, Internarial width three tenths more than narial diameter ; spiracle without folds 44, banksii. 28. Raga :— a’, Lavender-gray or pale brown with groups of small black spots, which are white-edged in the young ; size small sie ‘ bic ie ive .. 45. polyommata. a*, Fulvous brown, uniform or with obscure Bente spots ; size moderate a 46. australis. 29. UROLOPHUS :— a, Width of mouth less than two fifths of preoral length yc ee 35 47. testaceus. 30. THNIURA :— a‘, Skin of back smooth ; fuscous, with sky-blue spots and bands Bo 0 .. 48. lymma. a, Skin of back spinigerous ; brown, without spots or bands .. ac ae .. 49. mortoni. 31. HyPoLOPHUS :— A single species inhabiting the warmer parts of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans; v. Supra, p. 87. 32. DASYBATUS :— a, Disk two thirds of tail ; buccal papille two ; pale brown or yellow, blue-spotted .. 51. kuhlii. a*, Disk four ninths of tail ; buccal papille seven ; uniform olive-brown BC 52. fluviorum. 33. HIMANTURA :— a’, Tail at least thrice the length of the body ; buccal papille four or more ; uniform sandy brown 53. uarnak. 34. UROGYMNUS :— A single species, inhabitating the warmer parts of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans ; v. Supra, p. 88. 35. PTEROPLATEA :— a‘. Tail three eighths of the length of the disk, annulated brown and aie or white blotched with black 56 Sc one ae oe : a6 55. australis. 36. MyYLIOBATIS :— a', Lower jaw with nine series of ventral plates, the width of the first three sevenths of that of last ; base of dorsal more than half its distance from ventral base -. 56. hamlyni. 37. AETOBATUS :— a1, Snout broadly rounded ; back white-spotted at oF ses ahs .. 57. narinari. 38. RHINOPTERA :— a1, Disk more than twice as wide as iene ; upper median tooth two thirds wider than pdneent tooth cn ae : a brs oe we a .. 98. neglecta. 39. MoBura :— a’, No caudal spine ; disk two thirds of length of tail an fe ss ae ercgoodoo. Note :—In the British Museum Catalogue of Fishes (viii, p. 486) Dr. Giinther records a specimen of Callorhynchus antarcticus from Cape Upstart. The only cape of that name is on the coast of Queensland near Bowen, and as it is very certain that no callorhynchid was ever caught within hundreds of miles of that place, the species must be expunged from our list. 96 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. Class IV—PISCES. Subclass TELEOSTEI. Order I—ISOSPONDYLI. Suborder a—CLUPEOIDEI. “ The Herrings, etc.” Family I—ELOPIDA. ‘“ Tue Tarprons.” Genus 1—MEGALOPS (Commercon) Lacépéde, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 1803, p. 289 (filamentosus = cyprinoides). Syn.—Brisbania Castelnau 1878. 1. eyprinoides Broussonet. ‘‘ Ox-EYE HERRING.” Ichthyologia, 1782, pl. 9 (as Clupea cyprinoides)—Giinther, Catal., vii p. 471; Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, iv, p. 383—Castelnau, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, ii, p. 242 (as Brisbania staigeri). Figure :—Castelnau, ibid., pl. 3. Dimensions :—To about 600 millim.?° Uses :—An excellent table fish. Range :—Coasts of Queensland from south to north, ascending rivers. Genus 2—ELOPS Linneus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, 1766, p. 518 (sawrus). 2. hawaiensis Regan. ‘‘ Banana Fisu.” Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (8) iii, 1909, p. 39: Hawaii; Ogilby, Mem. Queens]. Mus., ili, p. 183—Regan, ibid. (as H. australis). Figure :—Jordan & Richardson, Mem. Carnegie Mus., iv, pl. 66, fig. 1. Dimensions :—To at least 600 millim. Uses :—Of good flavour, but not equal to the preceding. Range :—Coasts of Queensland from south to north. Family II—ALBULIDA. “THe Lapy-FisHEs.”’ Genus 3—ALBULA Gronow, Zoophyll., 1763, p. 102. 3. glossodonta Forskal. <‘‘ Lapy-Fisx.”’ Descr. Anim., 1775, p. 68: Jeddah (as Argentina glossodonta)—Jordan & Evermann, Bull. U.S. Bur. Fisher., xxii, p. Ogilby, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensl., xxi, p. 87 (as A. vulpes). ‘Figure :—Bleeker, Atlas Ichth., vi, pl. 12, fig. 1 (as Conorhynchus glossodon). Dimensions :—To about 900 millim. Uses :—Held in little estimation for the table. Range :—Coasts of Queensland from south to north. Family ITI—CHIROCENTRIDA. “THE Wor HERRINGS.” Genus 4—CHINOCENTRUS Cuvier, Réegne Anim., ed. 1, ii, 1817, p. 178(dorab). 4. dorab Forskal. ‘“‘ WoLFr HERRING.” Descr. Anim., 1775, p. 72; Red Sea (as Clupea dorab)—Gunther, Catal., vii, p. 475; Macleay, Catal., 905. ao Neither I nor any of our loes al folieeien have ever seen or heard of a specimen exceeding the above measurement, and we look with grave suspicion on the statement published by Kent, and copied by Stead, that it attains a length of five feet on our coast, CHECK-LIST OF CEPHALOCHORDATES, §c.—OGILBY. OG Figure :—Bleeker, Atlas Ichth., vi, pl. 271, fig. 3. Dimensions :—To a length of 1800 millim. “ It grows to six feet in India, but specimens from New Guinea up to twelve feet are recorded ” (Day). Uses :—‘‘ While of good flavor, it is unfortunately so full of small bones as-to be almost useless . . . could probably be turned to good account if cut into suitable lengths and preserved in tins, after the manner of sardines, under such conditions that the bones would be dissolved . . . highly prized as a bait for the capture of the giant perch, Lates calcarifer’’ (Kent). Range :—Coasts of Queensland from south to north. Family IV—CHANEIDA. “THE Mirx-Fisuss.” Genus 5—CHANOS Lacépéde, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 1803, p. 295 (arabicus = chanos). Syn.—Lutodeira Riippell 1905. 5. chanos Forskal. ‘‘ MorreTon Bay SAtmon.” Descr. Anim. 1775, p. 74: Jeddah (as Mugil chanos)—Giinther, Catal., vii, p- 473; Macleay, Catal., 904 (as Chanos salmoneus). Figure :—Bleeker, Atlas Ichth., vi, pl. 272, fig. 4 (as C. salmoneus). Dimensions :—Attains a length of at least 1200 millim. Uses :—One of our most delicious food fishes. Range :—Coasts of Queensland from south to north, entering fresh water. Family V—CLUPEID:. Subfamily a —DUSSUMIERIINA. “THe Rounp Herrines.” Genus 6—STOLEPHORUS Lacépéde, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 1803, p. 381 (japonicus). Syn.—Spratelloides Bleeker 1852.4 6. delicatulus Bennett. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, i, 1830, p. 168: Mauritius (as Clupea delicatula)— Gunther, Catal., vii, p. 464; Alleyne & Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, i, p. 350 (as Spratelloides delicatulus). Figure :—Bleeker, Atlas Ichth., vi, pl. 264, fig. 3. Dimensions :—To 80 millim. Uses :—‘‘ A very delicate and delicious fish’’ (Macleay). ‘Might doubtless be turned to commercial account’ (Kent). Range :—Coast of North Queensland. Darnley Island (Alleyne § Macleay). Many of the inter-tropical districts of the Queensland Coast (Kent). Murray Island (McCulloch). N 41 Weber and Beaufort (Verh. Kon. Akad. Amsterdam (2) xvii, 1912, No. 3, p. 20) base their objection to the use of Lacépéde’s name for these fishes on the fact that his second species is undeni- ably an anchovy ; but since the first species mentioned by him, the Atherina japonica of Houttuyn, is not congeneric with his second species, S. commersonianus, it follows that, so far as the genus Stolephorus is concerned, the latter has no standing whatever. G 98 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 7. robustus Ogilby. ‘‘ Bure Sprav.” Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, xxii, pt. 1, 17 Sept. 1897, p. 64 (as Spratelloides robustus)—id., Ann. Queensl. Mus., No. 9, p. 5. Unfigured. Dimensions :—To about 100 millim. Uses :—A delicious little fish, which would make an excellent sardine. Range :—Coast of South Queensland, visiting our shores in enormous shoals during the winter months. Genus 7—DUSSUMIERIA Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xx, 1847, p-. 467 (acuta). S. hasseltii Bleeker. Nat. Tijds. Nederl. Ind., i, 1851, p. 422: Java; Ogilby, Mem. Queensl. Mus., ii, p. 134. Figure :—Bleeker, Atlas Ichth., vi, pl. 271, fig. 2. Dimensions :—To at least 170 millim. Range :—Coast of North Queensland. Cape York (Ogilby). Subfamily 8 —HYPERLOPHINAL. “THE ROUGH-BACKED SPRATS.” Genus 8—HYPERLOPHUS Ogilby, Rec. Austr. Mus., 1, pt. 2, Aug. 1892, p. 26 (sprattellides). Syn.—Omochetus (subgenus) Ogilby 1897. 9. sprattellides Ogilby. ‘“‘ SmtveR SpRat.” Tbid., p. 24 (as Clupea sprattellides)—id., Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, xx, 1897, p. 72 (as H. copit). Unfigured. Dimensions :—To about 100 millim. Uses :—A delicate and delicious little fish; ‘“‘ destined to become the very finest sardine of commerce” (Ogilby).*” Range :—Coasts of South Queensland, visiting our bays and sandy beaches in immense shoals during the winter months. Subfamily y —CLUPEINA. “Tue TruE Herries.” Genus 9 — AMBLYGASTER Bleeker, Journ. Ind. Arch., ii, 1849, p. 70 (clupeoides). Syn.—Clupanodon Jordan & Evermann 1896; not of Lacépede 1803. 10. neopilchardus Steindachner. ‘‘ PrncHarD.” Denk. Akad. Wien., xli, 1879, p. 12 (as Clupea neopilchardus)—Castelnau, Proc. Zool. Soc. Vic., i, p. 187; Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8S. Wales, iv, p. 371 (as C. sagax)—Ogilby, Rep. Mar. Dept. Queensl., 1911, p. 15. Figure :—Ogilby, Edib. Fish. N. 8S. Wales, pl. 45 (as C. sagaz). Dimensions :-—Yo at least 280 millim. Uses :-—An excellent food-fish, which will some day be recognized as a valuable national asset. Range :—Coast of South Queensland to as far north as Hervey Bay. Moreton Bay (Ogilby). Off Cape Moreton (Endeavour Coll.). 42 Queensland Naturalist, 11, p. 30. . REVISION OF AUSTRALIAN THERAPONS.—OGILBY AND McCULLOCH. 99 A REVISION OF THE AUSTRALIAN THERAPONS ewitH NOTES ON SOME PAPUAN SPECIES. By J. DouGLas OGILBy AND ALLAN R. McCuiLocu. (Plates X to XIII and One Text-figure.) INTRODUCTION. THE very confused literature relating to the Australian species of the genus Therapon and their allies has been the cause of considerable difficulty in their identi- fication. Many closely related forms, which were insufficiently described by their authors, have hitherto remained almost unknown, and their rediscovery, without reference to the types, has been almost or quite impossible. We are fortunate, therefore, in having access to the large series of specimens included in the collections of the Queensland Museum, the Australian Museum, and the Macleay Museum at the University of Sydney, where are preserved most of the types of the several species briefly defined by Count Castelnau, Sir William Macleay, and Mr. C! W. de Vis. These we have examined and redescribed in detail when necessary, and have effected con- siderable changes in their synonymy. Figures are given of all those species of which no reliable illustrations have been published, while the better-known forms are shortly defined for their easy recognition. We wish to acknowledge here the invaluable assistance afforded us by Dr. Thomas L. Bancroft, of EKidsvold on the Burnett River, Queensland, who has spared no pains to secure beautifully preserved material for us from various localities. Without his help, much of the matter dealt with in the following pages would have remained unknown. We are also indebted to Mr. Ellis Troughton and Mr. Frank McNeil, of the Australian Museum, for much patient help in counting the scales of large series of specimens, and other assistance. THERAPON Cuvier. Terapon Cuvier, Régne Anim., ed. 1, ii, 1817, p. 295 (Holocentrus servus Bloch). Lapsus calami for Therapon. Therapon Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iii, 1829, p. 125; Gimther, Brit. Mus. Catal. Fish., 1, 1859, p. 274; Day, Fish. India, pt. i, 1875, p. 68; Bleeker, Atlas Ichth., vii, 1876, p- 110; Ogilby, Edib. Fish. N. §. Wales, 1893, p. 26; Jordan & Thompson, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., xli, 1912, p. 535. Datnia Cuvier & Valenciennes, ibid., p. 138 (D. argentea Cuv. & Val.). Pterapon Gray, in Hardwicke, Illustr. Ind. Zool., 1832. Nomen emend. Mesopristes Bleeker, Arch. Nécrl. Sci. Nat., xi, 1876, p. 267 (M. macracanthus Blkr.= T. argenteus €.& V.); id., Atlas Ichth., vii, 1876, p. 110. Autisthes de Vis, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, ix, pt. 2, 19 Aug. 1884, p. 398 (A. argenteus, de Vis =T. puta Cuv. & Val.). Hutherapon Fowler, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1904, p. 527 (7. theraps Cuv. & Val.). Body ovate to elliptical, more or less compressed. Scales small or moderate, adherent, finely ctenoid. Lateral line continuous, extending on the base of the caudal, 100 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. the tubes simple, not quite reaching the margin of the scale. Head large, with moderate or rather long snout and narrow preorbital, partly covered with small, usually cycloid scales. Mouth terminal and protractile, with moderate, oblique cleft, the jaws equal ; lips rather thick, plicate ; maxillary exposed distally. Teeth in a band in each jaw variable in form ; on the vomer and palatines, if present, caducous. Preorbital serrated in the young, preopercle more or less strongly serrated ; opercle with one or two pungent spines ; suprascapular and coracoid bones generally exposed. One more or less deeply notched dorsal fin, with xii-xiii (rarely xi or xiv) 8-14 rays, the spinous portion longer than the soft and depressible in a groove. Caudal fin rounded, or truncate, or emar- ginate, with 17 principal rays, 15 of which are divided. Anal short, with iii 7-12 rays. Pectoral with 12 to 16 rays, varying from pointed and asymmetrical to rounded and symmetrical. Ventrals close together, inserted well behind the pectorals. Gill- membranes separate, free from the isthmus; six branchiostegals ; pseudobranchiz large ; gill-rakers in moderate number, short and stout. Air-bladder large, mesially constricted. Pyloric appendages in small or moderate number. Vertebra 12+13=25. Ribs inserted on parapophyses. (4 parov, an attendant.) Fishes of small or moderate size from the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans and the fresh waters of Australia and New Guinea. In its commonly accepted form, the genus Therapon includes a number of very dissimilar fishes, the typical forms of which are almost entirely marine, while others are estuarine, and many are confined strictly to fresh waters. Their affinities have been subject to considerable discussion by various authors, and they have been included in the families Pristipomatide by Giinther, and in the Lutjanine by Boulenger, while Jordan and his colleagues have adopted the family Theraponide to accommodate them. Regan, having examined the skeletal characters, regards Therapon as a Serranid. Their subdivision into natural groups has been attempted by several writers with more or less success. Cuvier and Valenciennes distinguished Datnia and Pelates in 1829, which, however, have been reunited with T’herapon by most authors.t The latter genus is readily separable by the junction of the gill-membranes with the isthmus and by its dentition, but we are unable to define the former, though its general appearance is very difierent to that of the typical Therapon. Hutherapon has been founded on 7’. theraps by Fowler which has larger scales than the typical 7’. servus. The relative lengths and strength of the dorsal and anal spines, and the presence or absence of strong bony ridges on the cranium, suggest characters which might be used for subdivision purposes, as also does the varying structure of the scales. The extremes of all these apparently merge one into another, howéver, and any one character is not always constant in obviously closely related species. An investigation of the skeletal characters may reveal a ready means of subdivision, but we have been unable to under- take this phase of the work. 4 The freshwater species of Australia include such widely diverse representatives as the small-scaled 7’. bidyana in which the suprascapular bone is exposed, and T. percoides in which it is hidden and the scales are large. They are united, however, by a chain of intermediate forms which appear to defy subdivision, so we reluctantly accept the genus Therapon in its broad sense, distinguishing only Pelates as a well- defined group. ‘The genus Helotes Cuvier & Valenciennes has also been included in the synonymy of Therapon by some authors, but the trilobate character of its teeth is apparently constant, and readily dis.inguishes it from its allies. REVISION OF AUSTRALIAN THERAPONS.—OGILBY AND McCULLOCH. 101 As is usual in freshwater fishes with a wide range, the Australian fluviatile Therapons exhibit considerable variation in both form and colour-marking, and it is only by an examination of large series of specimens that we have been able to determine, to our own satisfaction, the limits of the various species referred to in this paper. The fin-formulz are generally constant, but in the widely distributed 7’. wnicolor even the number of dorsal spines varies from eleven to thirteen. The scale-counts, though variable within certain limits, appear to afford useful characters for the discrimination of species. Owing to the irregularity of the squamation, however, the scales must be counted in series, preferably upwards and backwards, and not individually. We have found the number of scales between the lateral line and the middle of the spinous dorsal fin (supralateral scales), and excluding the dorsal sheath, to afford a ready guide to some species. The freshwater Therapons range over the whole of Australia, and though most abundant in the well-watered parts of Queensland, at least two species, 7’. wnicolor and 7’. percoides, extend into the small streams and waterholes of Central Australia. Some are evidently capable of resisting long periods of drought by lying dormant in the mud at the bottom of the pools in which they find themselves, until the advent of rain, and consequent filling of the pools with water, again vitalises them into fresh activities. They are a valuable item in the food supply of both aboriginals and colonists, some species attaining considerable proportions. The marine species, though edible, are but little valued as food. The species here dealt with may be distinguished by the following key :— a, Lower opercular spine greatly developed, produced beyond the opercular lobe. Body with longitudinal dark bands ; vertical fins with dark markings, spinous dorsal with a large dark blotch. Ee Seales larger, 74-8 supralateral scales .. “i Ae 26 ate 54 a6 theraps. ae smaller, 13-15 supralateral scales. . Body narrower, the depth Henly less than the length of the head ; lone yaa bands almost straight puta. *, Body deeper, the depth slightly g mcatar Tne the length ‘al the ead: Piecertacinel bands strengly curved : or servus. . Lower opercular spine smaller, mee produced Reed ie opercular fobee S cnlenenion various, no large dark blotch on the spimous dorsal. d@. Suprasecapular bone not exposed, hidden by scales. e+, Normally thirteen dorsal spines. f'. 33-38 series of scales ; body with five narrow dark cross-bars.. ae -. percoides. f?. 52-56 series of scales ; caudal fin with a broad oblique bar on each lobe caudavittatus. e?. Normally twelve dorsal spe (ravely xiii or xi); coloration nearly uniform, or with small dark spots 5c Kc 20 ve 56 .. wunicolor. *, Suprascapular bone exposed, aoe Ren by relat eas Normally twelve dorsal spines. ‘hi. Scales smaller, 75-90 between the origin of the lateral line and the hypural joint. “. Nostrils close together ; colcration nearly uniform .. Sc -. badyana. . Nostrils widely separate ; a dark shou!der-mark and Sone cross-bars on the body ; fins spotted .. 36 30 .. humeralis. age larger, less than 60 be feeen the origin oe he ae cal uae and the hypural joint. - Dorsal and anal spines very strong, longest dorsal spine longer than the rays, and second anal spine much longer than the third. ki. Nostrils close together ; maxillary entirely covered by the lip .. . . interruptus. k*, Nostrils well separated : angle of the maxillary not covered by the lip . — aryenteus. 7. Dorsal and anal spines weaker, the longest dorsal spine not longer than the rays, second anal spine not or but little longer than the third. 102 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. , Caudal fin slightly rounded: eleven anal rays se Ne ie 5¢ carbo. l?, Caudal fin emarginate : eight to ten anal rays. m1, 46-50 series of scales below the lateral 'ine Ee Sf a8 fuliginosus. m2. 51-55 series of scales below the lateral line a te oh .. bancrofti. y?. Normally thirteen dorsal spines. m1, 64-74 supralateral scales ; head larger, one third or more than one third of the length to the hypural ; body with dark bands, and dark spots at base of caudai trimaculatus. n®, 8-11 supralateral scales ; head smaller, less than one third of the length to the hypural ; coloration nearly uniform. ol. Scales smaller, 58-67 below the lateral line and 63-71 above it .. at hillir. 0”. Seales la.ger, 49-56 below the lateral line and 51-61 above it ah -. parviceps. THERAPON THERAPS Cuvier & Valenciennes. Therapon theraps Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., 111, 1829, p. 129, pl. lili ; Giimther, Brit. Mus. Cat. Fish., i, 1859, p. 274; Day, Fish. India, 1878, p. 70, pl. xviii, fig. 6; Castelnau, Proce. Zool. Soc. Vict., ii, 1873, p. 8 ; Alleyne & Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, i, 1877, p. 270 ; Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, v, 1881, p-. 360 ; Weber, “ Siboga” Exped., Ivii, 1913, p. 255, fig. 64—color variations of young. Therapon obscurus Cuvier & Valenciennes, ibid., p. 135 ; Gimther, ibid., p. 275. Therapon scualidus Cuvier & Valenciennes, ibid., p. 156; Giimther, ibid. Therapon transversus Cuvier & Valenciennes, ibid., p. 137; Gimther, ibid. Therapon cinereus Cuvier & Valenciennes, ibid., p. 138; Gitinther, ibid., p. 276. ? Datnia virgata Cuvier & Valenciennes, ibid., vii, 1821, p. 480. ? Therapon virgatus Gunther, ibid., p. 276. i ? Therapon rubricatus Richardson, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ix, 1842, p. 127. Therapon (Datnia) theraps Bleeker, Atlas Ichth., vii, 1876, p. 111, pl. ecexx, fig. 1. Therapon nigripinnis Macleay, ibid., p. 366. D. xii 10; A. iii 8-9; P. 14-15; V.i15;C.17. 56-59 series of scales between the origin of the lateral line and the hypur al joint, counted above the lateral line, and 49-50 below it ; 7-8 between the lateral line and the middle of the spinous dorsal. Cheek- scales in 5-6 rows. Proportions of an Australian specimen 153 mm. long :—Depth 3-2 in the length to the hypural joint ; head 3-5 in the same. Eye equal to the length of the snout, 3.5 in the head, and a little greater than the interorbital space which is 4-2 in the head. Fourth dorsal spine 1-6, anterior dorsal ray 2-2, third anal spine 2-6, and anterior anal ray 2-2 in the head. Body ovate, compressed. Upper surface of cranium closely covered with exposed, arborescent bony ridges. Preorbital more or less serrated. Preoperculum evenly denticulate, the teeth largest on the broadly rounded angle. Suprascapular and coracoid bones strongly denticulate. Operculum with two spines, the lower produced beyond the opercular lobe. Maxillary reaching to below the anterior portion of the eye. Nostrils large, with skinny, lobular margins; they are separated by a space equal to their own diameter. Dorsal spines strong, the fourth the longest and much higher than the rays ; the last is much longer than the penultimate one: the margin of the soft dorsal is straight and pointed posteriorly. Third anal spine longer than the second but shorter than the anterior rays : margin of the soft anal a little excavate, pointed posteriorly Pectorals and ventrals pointed, the first ray of the latter with a short filament which does not reach the vent. Caudal emarginate. Color-marking greatly developed in the young, less distinct or wanting in adults. Color more or Tess silv ery in preservative with three broad, longitudinal, dark REVISION OF AUSTRALIAN THERAPONS.—OGILBY AND McCULLOCH. 103 bands ; the upper covers the greater portion of the back, and the second extends from the eye to the upper half of the caudal peduncle. A large black blotch on the membrane between the third and seventh spines which is variable in size. Soft dorsal and anal fins with striking black and white markings in the young which are greatly reduced in larger examples. Caudal fin with a median horizontal and-two oblique bars, together with large blackish patches which cover the greater part of each lobe. The foregoing description is based on six specimens 83-169 mm. long, of which two are from India, being part of Dr. Day’s collection. The type of 7’. nigripinnis Macleay, from Rockingham Bay, Queensland, does not differ from them in any struc- tural details, though its markings are very obscure. Therapon rubricatus Richardson was based upon a color drawing of a fish from North-Western Australia ; it has been regarded as probably identical with 7’. theraps by Day and Bleeker, and there seems to be no reason to doubt their conclusion. T'. theraps has been recorded from the following Australian localities :—Port Essington, North Australia (Richardson) ; North-Western Australia (Richardson, as T. rubricatus) ; Port Darwin, North Australia (Castelnau) ; Palm Island to Flinders Island, Queensland (Alleyne & Macleay) ; Rockingham Bay, Queensland (Macleay, as 7’. nigripinnis). We have examined specimens from the Burnett River and Yam Creek, Queensland, and Torres Strait. THERAPON PUTA Cuvier & Valenciennes. Therapon puta Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., ili, 1829, p. 131; Valenciennes, Ilustr. Poiss. Cuv. Régne Anim., 1843, pl. xii, fig. 2 ; Day, Fish. India, 1875, p. 69, pl. xviii, fig. 3. Therapon ghebul (Ehrenberg) Cuvier & Valenciennes, ibid., p. 133; Gimther, Brit. Mus. Catal. Fish., i, 1859, p. 281. Therapon trivittatus Giinther, ibid., p. 280 ; Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, v, 1881, p. 361 (Not Coius trivittatus H. Buchanan.) Therapon (Datnia) puta Bleeker, Atlas Ichth., vii, 1876, p. 112, pl. ccexl, fig. 2. Autisthes argenteus de Vis, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, ix, 1884, p. 398. D.xiil0; A.ii 9. About 100 series of scales above the lateral line between its origin and the hypural joint, and about 90 below it ; 12-13 scales between the lateral line and the middle of the spinous dorsal fin. Cheek-scales in about 6 rows. Proportions of a specimen 103 mm. long :—Depth 3-7 in the length to the hypural joint ; head 3.3 in the same. Eye 3.7 in the head, a little longer than the snout and the interorbital width. Snout 4, interorbital width 4.3 in the head. Fifth dorsal spine 1.6, first dorsal ray 1.8, and third anal spine 2.1 in the head. Body elongate, compressed. Cranium and interorbital space with low bony ridges. Preorbital finely serrated. Preoperculum with spines on the posterior margin which are very strong and enlarged on the angle ; lower margin denticulate. “Lower opercular spine enlarged and produced beyond the opercular lobe. Suprascapular expcsed, denticulate. Fifth dorsal spine longest and higher than the anterior rays ; _ the last spine is much longer than the penultimate one. Third anal spine longer than the second. Light brown on the back, paler below. Three or four dark bars, which are almost straight, extend along the sides ; the first commences on the nape and runs close to the dorsal profile to the end of the spinous dorsal ; the second from above the nostrils to the soft dorsal and along the back of the caudal peduncle ; the third from the snout to the upper half of the caudal peduncle ; the fourth, if present, from behind the pectoral to the lower half of the caudal peduncle. The third bar extends along the middle of the caudal fin which also bears two oblique bars on each lobe. Spinous dorsal with a large black blotch, soft dorsal and anal with darker oblique bars. 104 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. The above definition is based on two specimens 95 and 103 mm. long from Manila, Philippine Islands. The species has been recorded from Torres Strait by Macleay as 7’. trilineatus, and from the Queensland coast by de Vis under the name Autisihes argenteus. The specimen on which the latter name is based is preserved in the Queensland Museum (No. 11/176), and, though stuffed and painted silver, leaves no doubt as to its identity with Therapon puta. THERAPON SERVUS Bloch. Holocentrus servus Bloch, Ausl. Fisch., iv, 1797, pl. eexxxviii, fig. 1. Grammistes servus Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 1801, p- 185. Therapon servus Gimther, Brit. Mus. Cat. Fish., i, 1859, p-. 278 (part) ; Steindachner, Sitzb. Akad. Wiss. Wien, lvi i, 1867, p. 310; Alleyne & Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, 1, 1877, p-. 270 ; Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8S. Wales, ii, 1878, p. 348 ; id., v, 1881, p- 361 ; Castelnau, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, iii, 1879, p. 35u ; Ogilby, Cat. Fish. N. 8. Wales, 1886, p. 12; Jordan & Thompson, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xli, 1912, p. 536, fig. 1. Therapon jarbua Klunzinger, Sitzb. Akad. Wiss. Wien, lxxx, 1879, p. 349 ; Stead, Proce. Linn. Soe. N.S. Wales, xxxi, 1906, p. 174; id., Add. Fish. Faun. N.S.W. (Fish Dept., N:S.W.); 1907, p. 15; Cockerell, Mem. Qld. Mus., ii, 1913, p. 56. (? Not 7’. jarbua Forskal.) CRESCENT PERCH. D. xii 10; A. iii 8-9; P. 13; V.i5;C.17. 91-99 scales above the lateral line between its origin and the hypural joint, and 85-95 below it ; 14-15 scales between the lateral line and the middle of the spinous dorsal fin. Cheek-scales in 8-10 rows. Proportions of two specimens 108 and 183 mm. long :—Depth 2.6-2.9 in the length to the hypural joint ; head 3-03-3-1in the same. Eye 3-7-4 in the head, subequal to the length of the snout and the interorbital width, which are 3-7-3-8 and 3-5-4 in the head. Fifth dorsal spine 1-5, first dorsal ray 1-7-2-08, and third anal spine 2-7 in the head. Body ovate, compressed. Cranium with a few obscure bony ridges posteriorly. Preorbital serrated. Preoperculum denticulate on its hinder and lower margins, with short spines on the rounded angle. Lower opercular spine enlarged, produced beyond the opercular lobe. Suprascapular bone exposed, smooth or serrated ; coracoid denti- culate. Fifth dorsal spine longest, much higher than the anterior rays ; the last spine is much longer than the penultimate one. Second and third anal spines subequal. Body with three dark longitudinal bands which are curved downward ; the first extends from the origin of the spinous dorsal to that of the soft ; the second from the nape to the upper surface of the caudal peduncle, and touching the lateral line ; the third from the occiput to the middle of the caudal peduncle. ‘The latter extends along the median caudal rays, and there are two oblique bars on either side of it ; the upper lobe of the caudal is also tipped with black. A very large black blotch on the spinous dorsal between the fourth and eighth spines, and a small one may be present on the posterior spines ; soft dorsal with two black spots. This diagnosis is based on four Australian specimens, 108-183 mm. long. Jordan & Thompson (loc. cit.) have recorded differences between specimens from various localities of the widely distributed 7’. jarbua, which, they suggest, may represent distinct species. Such material as is available to us bears out their obser- vations, the Australian specimens having smaller and more numerous scales than others from the Philippine Islands and Samoa, but in the absence of a good series from several localities we are unable to add anything to their remarks. As noted by them, PLATE X. QUEENSLAND FISHES. Fig. 1—THERAPON PERCOIDES Gunther. Nat. Size. for al A. R. McCulloch, del. Page 105. it4 CLEC ‘hear ar ‘aad Fig. 2.—THERAPON INTERRUPTUS Macleay. § Nat. Size. A. R. McCulloch, del. Page 114. REVISION OF AUSTRALIAN THERAPONS.—OGILBY AND McCULLOCH. 105 the Australian specimens agree with Japanese examples in their color-marking and scale-counts, and are therefore identical with 7’. servus Bloch, which was originally described from Japan. Locs. :—Queensland, from north to south; Mapoon, Gulf of Carpentaria ; Darnley Island ; Edgecumbe Bay ; Hervey Bay ; Great Sandy Strait ; Moreton Bay ; Brisbane River ; Nerang Creek ; Port Darwin, North Australia. Western Australia. THERAPON PERCOIDES Giinther. Therapon percoides Gimther, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (3) xiv, Nov. 1864, p. 374; id., ibid., xx, 1867, p. 58; Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S Wales. v, 1881, p. 362; id., ibid., vii, 1882, p. 69; id, ibid., viii, 1883, p. Zul ; Weber, Zool. Forsch, v, 1895, p. 262; Zietz, Narrat. Horn Exped Centr. Austr., ii, 1896, Zool., p. 177, pl. xvi, fig. 1; Bancroft, Proc. Roy. Soe. Queensl., xxiii, 1912, p 255. Datnia fasciata Steindachner, Sitzb. Akad. Wiss. Wien, lvi, i, 1867, p. 322. Therapon fasciatus Castelnau, Res. Fish. Aust., 1875, p. 11; id., Proc. Linn, Soc. N.S. Wales, ii, 1878, p. 228; id., ibid., iii, ee p- 46; Macleay, ibid., v, p. 363; id., ibid., vii, p. 69; Lueas, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, xix, 1894, p. 362. Therapon terre-regine Castlenau, ibid., ii, pt. 3, May 1878, p. 227; id., ibid., iii, 1878, p. 46, Macleay, ibid., v, 1881, p. 363; id., ibid., vii, 1882, p. 69. Therapon spinosior de Vis, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, ix, pt. 2, 19 Aug., 1884, p. 397. BLACK-STRIPED GRUNTER. (Plate X, fig. 1.) © Type localities :—Fitzroy River near Rockhampton, M.Q. (Z’. percoides). Port Jackson, N.S.W., by a mistake (D. fasciata). Swan River, W.A. (7. fasciatus). Fitzroy River, probably (Z'. terre-regine). Queensland (7'. spinosior). Body ovate to subovate, the dorsal contour considerably more arched than the ventral, its width 1-9 to 2-33 in its depth, which is 2-25 to 2-65 in its length and from one fifth to four ninths longer than the head ; caudal peduncle usually a little longer than deep, its least depth 7-5 to 8-33 in the body length. Head about two ninths longer than deep, its upper profile linear or feebly rounded to above the posterior third of the eye, beyond which it merges into the occipito-nuchal convexity, its width 1-4 to 2 in its length, which is 3 to 3-33 in that of the body. Snout obtuse and narrowly rounded anteriorly, its length 2-8 to 3-35 in that of the head. Eye large, its diameter from one seventh more to two ninths less than the length of the snout and 1-25 to 1-5 in that of the postorbital head ; interorbital region flat or feebly convex, its width 1-1 to 1-5 in the length of the snout. Maxillary not extending to the vertical from the anterior border of the eye. Preorbital strongly denticulated in the young, becoming rugose or even smooth in the adult; preopercle broadly rounded, the angle rather coarsely serrated, the serre decreasing in size on the hinder limb-and disappearing on the lower ; opercle with two flat spines, the lower the longer ; post-clavicle strongly denticulated ; humeral concealed. Jaws with a band of villiform teeth and an outer series of much enlarged conical approximate movable teeth, the tips of which are recurved; they decrease in size gradually from the front so that some of the posterior ones scarcely exceed or equal the inner teeth ; tips of all the teeth chestnut-brown. Scales in 40 to 42 (37 to 43) series above the lateral line, and 33-39 below it ; 6, rarely 7,/1/14 or 15 scales in the series extending obliquely backwards from the base 106 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. of the lst dorsal spine, 43-5 between the lateral line and the middle of the spinous dorsal fin. Cheek-scales in 4, rarely 5 series. Dorsal fin with xii rarely xiv 9, rarely 8 or 10, rays, originating above the pectoro-ventral interspace, the length of the soft portion 2-5 to 3 in that of the spinous, which is high, the spines rather slender with flexible tips, the first less than a fifth of the 5th, which is the longest, 1:5 to 1-9 in the length of the head ; beyond this the spines decrease rapidly to the penultimate, which is shorter than the last ; soft dorsal rounded, the anterior rays the longest, a little shorter than its base, and from one sixth to two fifths shorter than the longest spine. Caudal fin emarginate, with the lobes obtusely pointed, the middle rays 4:8 to 5-33 in the body-length. Anal fin with iu 8, rarely 7, rays, the last divided to the base ; spines long and strong, the Ist about five ninths of the 2nd, which is stronger and from one tenth to one third longer than the 3rd, 1-5 to 2-1 in the length of the head, and as long as to two ninths more than the longest ray ; soft fin similar to but much shorter than the soft dorsal, its length 1-2 to 1-75 in its height. Pectoral obtusely pointed, with 15 rays, the 5th the longest, its length 4 to 4-8 in that of the body. Ventral originating well behind the pectoral base , pointed, the spine long slender and flexible, 1-33 to 1-66 in the fin to the tip of the 1st ray, which is slightly produced, usually somewhat longer than the pectoral, 1-2 to 1-5 in the length of the head, and extending to midway between its origin and the posterior anal rays or further. Gill-rakers 5 or 6-++11 or 12, short and moderately slender, the longest about 4-5 in the eye-diameter. Upper surface dark blue-gray, gradually shading on the sides into the pearly white of the lower surface, the scales above the lateral line with a darker border, those below darkest basally with an increasingly widening lighter border ; back and sides with five black vertical bands two scales wide, the first from the nape to the opercle, the second and third below the spinous dorsal, the fourth below the soft dorsal, and the fifth upon the peduncle. Cheeks and vertical limb of preopercle gray with a faint tinge of yellow, the former with a median horizontal blue bar ; lower surface of head white. Spinous dorsal colorless ; soft with one or two rows of dusky spots, the basal row always present. Caudal with numerous blue spots on the proximal two thirds and the lower rays uniform dark blue-gray with a narrow white border. Anal clouded, with a broad lighter border. Pectorals colorless, as also are the ventrals, except the middle of the two outer rays which is dusky. (zépxy, perch ;