Report on the zoological collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean ...

—29KEPT ILIA,BATRACHIA,ANDPISCES.BYALBERT GUNTHER.The Rephles collected in Torres Straits belong to the followingspecies :Chelonia viridis. Varanus goiildii (Thursday Isl.), Varanustimorensis (Thursday and Prince of AVales Isls.), Varanus prasinus(New Guinea), Lialis hurtonii (Thursday Isl.), Gijmnodactylusplatiints (Pt. Curtis).Of Diemenla torqaata, a Snake hitherto known from a singleexample only, a second specimen was obtained in Queensland.Two species of Tree-Feogs were obtained—the common andwidely spread Uyla ca;rulea on Thursday Isl., and the allied JlyladolicJiopsis in New Guinea.The collection of Fishes comprised fifty species, the majority ofwhich were previously known to inhabit this district of the Indo-Pacific. Those to which the greatest interest is attached are twospecies of Branchiostoma ; three Teleosteans seem to be undescribed.Trachynotus coppingeri. (Plate III. fig. A.)D.6|l.A.2|,^.The height of the body is a little less than one half of the totallength (without caudal), the length of the head is contained thriceand three fourths in it. Scales very conspicuous, arranged aboveand below the lateral line in a regular series, which is composed ofabout 85 scales. The snout is rather longer than the eye, and lessobtuse than in the typical species of the genus. The eye issituated far below the upper profile of the head, and two ninths ofthe length of the head. Cheeks covered with minute scales ; theremainder of the head scaleless. Dorsal and anal lobes produced,pointed, but not extending to the posterior end of the fins ; caudallobes long, two fifths of the length of the body. Uniform silvery ;fins grej'ish.A single specimen, 6 inches long, was obtained at Percy Island onthe coast of Queensland.