334 Transactions. — Zoology. 



I need not enlarge upon the speculations as to the cause of 

 its rare occurrence ; but with regard to the difficulties in 

 securing a perfect specimen I should say they arise from two 

 causes — first, and mainly, to the peculiarity of its structure 

 and its extreme fragility ; secondly, to the avidity with which 

 sharks and other voracious fish aj)pear to attack it. 



With regard to the first, by reference to the drawing (Plate 

 XX.) one sees at a glance that it would be impossible for a 

 fish with such peculiar long slender ventral fins to escape 

 damage in shallow water, even if they were not — as they are 

 — very brittle in texture. The same remark applies in a less 

 degree to the elegant crest of the dorsal fin. The body of the 

 fish itself is extremely fragile — so much so that it usually 

 breaks into two or more pieces whilst being hauled into a 

 boat. 



It may perhaps be interesting to some of those present if 

 I mention a few facts about the genus before I proceed to 

 describe the present example. 



In vol. xvi. of the "Transactions," p. 284, there is an 

 interesting article by Professor T. Jeffery Parker, B.Sc, on a 

 spechnen obtained at Moeraki, Otago. In it he states that 

 Giinther (the great authority on fishes) gives sixteen as the 

 total number of captures in England from 1759 to 1878, or 

 considerably over a hundred years. Of these, eleven are 

 assigned to one species — Po. banksii. 



In New Zealand a specimeii was obtained in Nelson in 

 the year 1860, and described by Mr. W. T. L. Travers, but 

 not at all clearly enough to identify the species. Another was 

 caught at New Brighton, near Christctiurch, in 1876, and 

 described by Dr. von Haast, and made by him the type of a 

 new species. A third at Little Waimangaroa, South Island : 

 •of this no exact description is recorded. A fourth is said to 

 have been cast ashore at Moeraki in 1881 ; a fifth, the one 

 most fully and carefully described by Professor Parker ; also 

 a sixth was stranded in Otago Harbour, 3rd June, 1887, of 

 which Professor Parker, in vol. xx. of the " Transactions," 

 gives a detailed and very full description. 



The present example would thus appear to be the seventh 

 recorded specimen captured in New Zealand. 



All the species of Begalec2is are distinguished by their great 

 length in proportion to their height and thickness, most of 

 them being from 8ft. to 18ft. long, 6in. to 15in. high, and not 

 more than i2in. to 3iu. thick. 



The nunibei' of rays in the dorsal fin is very considerable, 

 varying from 134 in E. glcsne to 406 in B. grillii. Of these 

 from 8 to 15 of the anterior rays are elongated into a beautiful 

 crest. There are a variety of descriptions of this crest, facts 

 iind imagination appearing to be woven together. The most 



