386 Transactions. 



Fins. — Dorsal spines short, not half the height of the fins. The base of 

 the first spine lies midway between the front edge of the eye and the base 

 of the second spine ; the length of its base, excluding the spine, is slightly 

 more than one-fifth the distance between the two fins. The second fin is 

 much larger than the first, and its basal length from the front edge of the 

 spine is rather less than the space between its hinder insertion and the base 

 of the caudal. The pectoral is large, its length being equal to the distance 

 from the tip of the snout to the first gill-opening ; its inner angle is 

 rounded, and the fin does not reach nearly to below the fleshy part of the 

 first dorsal. The ventral is placed very far back, a third of its base lying 

 posterior to the root of the second dorsal spine. Caudal deep, with a 

 pronounced lower lobe. 



Scales. — The scales on the tip of the snout are granular, forming 

 mosaic ; those on other parts of the head and the whole of the body and 

 fins are imbricate, strongly tricarinate, and tricuspid. 

 The lateral ridges and cusps as strong as the median 

 ones, but not quite so long. Each scale has 'numerous 

 (up to 8) roots. 



Colour. — Uniform dark brown. 



Length (a female), 1,414 mm. 



The anterior position of the eye, the greater relative 

 length of the pectoral (inserted midway between the 

 snout and the first dorsal), the character of the second 

 dorsal being longer than the first, and the backward 

 position of the ventral, are points of difference between 

 this species and C. joliaceus. The teeth also appear 

 to be difierent, the upper series being much larger and more acute and 

 disposed in more rows, and the lower ones with a less horizontal cutting- 

 edge and a single row only, two rows being figured in C. joliaceus. The 

 dermal denticles are apparently more strongly keeled, with more pronounced 

 lateral cusps, the latter being not so much smaller than the median one. 

 The character of the roots in C. joliaceus has not been described. 



With His Excellency's kind permission, I have dedicated this new species 

 to Lord Plunket, Governor of the Dominion, recognising his interest in the 

 Canterbury Museum, and gratefully remembering His Excellency's kindness 

 when, as his guest, I accompanied him on his cruise to the southern islands 

 of New Zealand in 1907. 



3. Triarcus australis, Hector. Plate XXXVIII, fig. 1. 



This species was originally described by Hector* under the genus 

 Maurolicus, but Hutton,"!" noting the presence of scales, removed it to 

 Gonostoma. In his Index, however, hej appears to have overlooked his 

 previous note, and reverts to Maurolicus, under which name I catalogued 

 it. A re-examination of the specimens identified by Hutton, which are 

 preserved in the Canterbury Museum, and were taken in the Province of 

 Canterbury, reveals the remarkable fact that they possess but three gills, 

 instead of the four characteristic of the Malacopterygii. The association 

 with the Gonostomidce may thus be severed ; the peculiarity, coupled with 

 other features, merits at least generic xecognition. 



* Hector, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vii, 1875, p. 250, pi. xi. 



t Hutton, ib., viii, 1876, p. 215. 



i Id., '■ Index Faunae Novae-Zealandise," 1904, p. 50. 



