198 Trails actions. — Zoology. 



recorded from such deep water — indeed, hitherto the New 

 Zealand species have only been recorded from swamps. 



Turning to the North Island lakes, Taupo presents us 

 with the richest fauna. Its depth is only 534 ft., very shallow 

 as compared with Wakatipu. It yielded thirty-two specimens 

 for four hauls, belonging to five genera. Of these Taiqjodrilus 

 is the most interesting, and is widely distributed, having 

 occurred at two spots ranging from 150 ft. to 500 ft. in depth ; 

 and it is apparently pretty common, as about a dozen mdi- 

 viduals were collected. Linmodrilus lucasi and Enchytrmns 

 simulans are also about as numerous, though only obtained at 

 one spot each. In this lake I find a single specimen of a 

 second species of Phreodrilus. 



Waikare, with a maximum depth of 9 ft., yields chiefly 

 Limnodrilus, which genus is represented by a distinct species 

 in Eotoiti, where it occurs in abundance. 



From Waikaremoana, which with a depth of 846 ft. 

 ought to have yielded some interesting forms, I only received 

 sixteen specimens, which, unfortunately, are so badly pre- 

 served as to be unidentifiable, though some at least belong to 

 the genus Limnodrilua. 



Art. XXIII. — An apimrently Neiv Species of Regalecus 



(E. parkeri). 



By W. B. Benham, D.Sc, M.A., F.Z.S., Professor of 



Biology in the University of Otago. 



[Read before the Otago Institute, 9th June, 1903.] 



Plate IX. 



In November, 1902, I received a silvery Oar-fish, which was 

 washed ashore in Deborah Bay, near Port Chalmers, in Otago 

 Harbour. It was observed with its head downward and the 

 tail flapping above water in the air. 



The colour was silver, without — so my informant states — 

 any other coloration. The long nuchal fin-rays were broken 

 off at the base, as also were the pelvic fin and the tail, so 

 that it is possible that the two former fins may have had the 

 bright-red colouring known in E. glesne. The silver was 

 marked by 14 dark transverse bands set at fairly regular 

 intervals from the back of the head to the end of the body. 

 Eacli band extends over the entire depth of the body, and is 

 separated from its neighbours by a space about equal to its 

 own length, which varies from liin. to 2 in. (30 mm. to 

 50 mm.), the latter being the length of the bands near the 



