200 Transactions. 



affirmed by Cuvier and Valenciennes.* They describe the colour as that 

 of cedar wood ; but do not refer to any markings, though the illustration 

 shows traces of large reticulations very similar though less extensive than 

 in our specimen. 



Guntherf" originally included this species with the perch-like fishes, but 

 afterwards accepted Lowe's { suggestion that it was a member of the Zeidae. 

 An examination of this second specimen supports the conclusion which is 

 adopted by Goode and Bean,§ who give the genus the status of a sub- 

 family, Oreosominae. Though Cuvier and Valenciennes counted only 5 

 rays in the ventral fin, the fact of our example having 7 brings the species 

 into still closer agreement with the Zeidae. The genus differs from other 

 members of the family by having the dorsal spines very short (shorter 

 than the rays), and in the development of large cones in place of the 

 usual bony plates, though they cannot be said exactly to replace them. 

 Boulenger|| is of opinion that Oreosoma is the young form of a fish 

 allied to Cyttus. It is admitted that the characters of the fish are of 

 the bizarre nature commonly associated with very young Scombroid and 

 other fishes, and such might be found in examples but little over an inch 

 in length. I am not aware, however, if such characters are likely to 

 persist so completely in a specimen over 3 in. in length. 



9. Eurumetopos johnstonii Morton. 

 Plate XII. 



The Australian Museum. Sydney, possesses a mounted example of 

 Eurumetopos johnstonii, sent from Tasmania by the late Alexander Morton, 

 the author of the genus and species. He thought it was a Serranid, stating 

 that " it bears in many respects a close resemblance to the aUgarus." I 

 examined the specimen referred to, many years ago, and came to the 

 conclusion that it was referable to the Stromateidae. It is, however, only 

 quite recently that I have been able to satisfy myself on this point, and 

 to ascertain more closely its systematic position and affinities. 



Last month (August 1911) Messrs. Dennis Brothers, of Christchurch, 

 sent a fish to me for determination, with the remark that, notwithstanding 

 their long experience in the New Zealand fish trade, they had never seen 

 one like it before. On making inquiries I found that the specimen was 

 one of five which the firm had secured, and that other fish-merchants had 

 also obtained examples of the same kind, but had readily disposed of them 

 before I became aware of the fact. Somewhat later the daily newspapers 

 contained an announcement that some large fishes were being obtained 

 at the Chatham Islands, and, though no one was able to give them a name, 

 they proved to be excellent eating, and it was proposed to put them on the 

 market as a regular commodity From the popular description supplied 

 I strongly suspected that the Chatham Island fishes would be found to 

 be of the same species as those sent to Christchurch, and therefore enlisted 

 the kind aid of Mr. A. Hamilton, Director of the Dominion Museum, as 

 the fish companies operating at the Chatham Islands ship their catches 



* Cuvier and Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. 4, 1829, p. 515, pi. 99 (O. coni- 

 fer um). 



fGunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vol. I. 1859, p. 214 ; vol. 2, I860; p. 396. 



X Lowe, " Fishes of Madeira," p. xii. 



§ Goode and Bean, Oceanic Ichth., 1895, p. 228, and fig. 



il Boulenger Camb. Nat. Hist. Fishes. 1904. p. 683. 



