354 Transactions. 



behind the pectorals where all the scales are shaded with pale vinaceous 

 rufous. A similar patch commences above the 4th anal ray, extending 

 along the lower side of the fish, between the margins of the body-colour 

 and the base of the anal fin, and reaches to the hinder margin of the caudal 

 peduncle. On the latter all the scales are broadly margined with primuline 

 yellow. In front of the ventrals, and reaching up to the base of the 

 pectorals, all the scales are bright lemon-yellow in colour. The colour of 

 the lateral line is somewhat deeper in tone than the body-colour, and a dull 

 magenta-purple blotch is found on it situated below the 6th-7th soft dorsal 

 ravs. Spines and rays of the dorsal fin dusky white, the membrane being pale 

 naples-yellow, streaked with greyish- white. The margin of the whole fin is 

 tipped with a narrow band of rosolane-purple, and in the centre of the soft 

 portion there is a medium band of thin coral-red throughout its length. A 

 few black streaks are found between the 7th and 8th spines. Anal fin similar 

 to the dorsal, with the exception of the coral-red band ; there is a black 

 streak posteriorly between the 10th and 11th soft rays. Ventrals yellowish- 

 white, the spines and rays somewhat lighter. Pectorals with their anterior 

 rays rosolane-purple, getting much lighter backwards, the lower rays being 

 almost pure white. Caudal with its produced tips and central rays madder- 

 violet, the procurrent rays of both lobes being light lavender-violet. 



This beautiful genus appears to be either very little known or very 

 rare, and it is most interesting to have discovered it in New Zealand 

 waters. In the British Museum Catalogue of Fishes (vol. 1, 2nd ed., 1895) 

 Boulenger gives an account of two species only — i.e., Callanthias peloritanus 

 from Madeira to the Mediterranean, and of C. allporti from the coast of 

 Tasmania. A good figure of the latter is given on pi. xv of the same 

 volume, and a comparison between C. allporti and my specimen shows 

 several marked specific differences. In C. splendens the dorsal fin has an 

 equal number of spines and soft rays, and the soft portion does not much 

 exceed the spinose in height. The greatly produced rays of the caudal are 

 another prominent feature. In C. allporti the soft dorsal has its hinder 

 rays much longer in proportion and more elevated backwards, and there 

 is one soft ray less in both the dorsal and anal fin, whilst the outer caudal 

 rays are subequal and very little longer than the rest of the fin. 



Family LABRIDAE. 

 Genus Coris Lacepede. 

 Coris sandeyeri (Hector). (Plate LIV, fig. 2.) 



Cymolutes sandeyeri Hector in Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 16, p. 323, 1884. 

 Coris rex Ramsay and Ogilby, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., vol. 10, 

 pt. iv, p. 850, 1886. 



D. ix/XII ; A. iii/XII ; V. i/V ; P. XIII ; C. XIV. L. lat. 98. 



A fine specimen of this handsome fish was caught by one of the assistant 

 keepers at Cuvier Island lighthouse, near Auckland, in August, 1918. It 

 was sent to Mr. T. F. Cheeseman, Curator of the Auckland Museum, for 

 identification, and he handed it to me for examination. I came to the 

 conclusion that it was similar to a fish very briefly described by the late 

 Sir James Hector under the name of Cymolutes sandeyeri, reference to which 

 is given above. If this is correct it is evident that Hector erred by placing 

 it in the genus Cymolutes, for I found that it possessed strong anterior canines 

 in the angles of the mouth, whereas the genus Cymolutes has none. Not 

 being quite sure of its identity, owing to the absence of comparative 



