198 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Art. XIX. — On a Marine Galaxias from the Auckland 



Islands. 



By Captain F. W. Hutton, F.E.S. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 11th February, 1902.] 



This fish was taken out of the mouth of a specimen of 

 Merganser australis during the collecting excursion to the 

 southern islands of New Zealand made in January, 1901, by 

 His Excellency the Earl of Eanfurly. This expedition, which 

 only lasted three weeks, collected twenty-two undescribed 

 species of animals — viz., one bird, one fish, one slug, four 

 beetles (including a new genus), fourteen flies, and one earth- 

 worm. In addition, much new information was obtained about 

 the birds and about the development of some of the plants. 

 This shows how much must yet remain to be done. 



Galaxias bollansi, sp. nov. 



Body elongated, the height being less than one-sixth of 

 the length. Breadth of the head about equal to the height of 

 the body. Length of the head one-fourth that of the body. 

 Diameter of the eye about one-fourth the length of the head, 

 or two-thirds the length of the snout. Lower jaw a little 

 shorter than the upper. Maxillary reaching to the posterior 

 margin of the eye. Length of the pectoral fins two-thirds the 

 distance to the base of the ventral fins. Ventral fins two- 

 thirds of the distance to the anal. The anal fin, when laid 

 back, does not extend to the commencement of the caudal. 

 The least depth of the tail is less than the distance between 

 the end of the dorsal and the end of the tail. Caudal fin 

 rounded. Dark olive-brown, with irregular vertical bands 

 of dark-brown on the tail. A large pale spot on the pre- 

 operculum. Fins dark, unspotted. 



I have named this fish after Captain John Bollans, of the 

 Government steamer " Hinenioa," who is an acute observer, 

 and takes a great interest in natural history. 



The following are the dimensions of the specimen : Length 

 (without caudal), 3'5 in. Depth of the body, 0-55 in. Least 

 depth of the tail, 035 in. Length of the head, 0-88 in. ; 

 length of the snout, 0-25 in. Diameter of the eye, 0-18 in. 

 Breadth of the head, 06 in. Length of pectoral fin, 0-6 in. ; 

 of ventral fin, 0-6 in. Distance from base of pectorals to 

 ventrals, 0-9 in. Distance from base of ventrals to anal, 

 09 in. Distance from dorsal to end of tail, 055 in. 



This species is most nearly related to G. fasciatus, but 

 differs from that species in its more elongated form, the larger 





