Waite.^ — yciv Zenhind Fishes. • 389 



length, and merge into the rays ; beyond the middle of the tin the rays 

 decrease in length, and the fin terminates about two eye-diameters in 

 advance of the caudal. The anal arises a little posterior to the middle of 

 the dorsal, and its base is somewhat more than half the basal length of 

 that fin. The ventral is very short (perhaps a character of the adult), 

 being but an eye-diameter in length. The length of the pectoral i; half 

 that of the head. Caudal large and deeply forked, the peduncle compressed, 

 its depth less than a third the length of the head. 



The scales are cycloid, very small, and rather deciduous, leaving well- 

 marked pits. Opercles scaly, the rest of the head closely beset with pores. 

 All the fins scaly, the greater part of the dorsal and anal being thus covered. 

 The lateral line forms a low arch over the pectoral, and with a less-marked 

 curve joins the straight poi'tion over the origin of the anal. 



Colour faded. 



Length, 776 mm. 



The features of the four forms may, adopting M''. Regan's synopsis, be 

 expressed as follows : — 



a. Lateral line with a short curve. D. 45 ; A. 30 . . . . C. hritannicus. 



aa. Lateral line with a rather long t^urve. 

 6. D. 37-41 ; A. 23-25. 



c. Dorsal tin rounded .. .. .. .. C. niyer. 



cc. Dorsal lin slightly emarginate in its posterior half . . C. maoricus. 

 66. D. 57 ; A. 38 . . . . . . . . . . C. huttoni. 



5. Cheimarrichthys fosteri, Haast. Plate XXXVIII, fig. 2. 



Last year Mr. Edgar F. Stead brought to me a small fresh-water fish 

 which, though he is an ardent angler, was unknown to him. I found it to be 

 an example of Cheimarrichthys fosteri, described by Dr. Haast in a paper 

 presentecl to this Institute in 1874. The original specimens were taken in 

 the Otira River, on the western slopes of the dividing-range, " where that 

 alpine torrent leaves its picturesque gorge " ; hence the generic name, 

 signifying " torrent-fish." Mr. Stead obtained his example in the Rakaia, 

 an eastern river, and I have since accompanied him to the scene of his 

 capture, for the purpose of obtaining some idea of the habits of the fish. 



After arriving near the mouth of the Rakaia River we waded several 

 streams alternating with flax (Phormium), cabbage-trees (and toitoi), and 

 reached an arm of the river. By means of a punt and some strenuous 

 pulling we landed on the further side ; but another branch had to be crossed, 

 thigh-deep, by wading. The rushing water was, however, safely negotiated, 

 and here, in a veritable torrent, the fishes were said to live. 



A small net, used after the manner of a seine and weighted with a length 

 of chain, was the instrument of capture. So strong was the rush of water 

 over the boulders that the net could not be used against the stream, and the 

 opposite course was perforce adopted. At the time of our visit the water 

 was so cloudy that nothing could be seen in it, but on successive hauls of 

 the net several specimens of the fish were obtained. 



A notice in the local Press brought me further examples from other 

 eastern rivers — namely, the Ashley and Hurunui ; and I was also told that 

 they were known as " shark bullies," in allusion to the inferior position of 

 the mouth, coupled with some resemblance to the gobies, commonly called 

 " bullies." 



The general conformation of the fish reminds one of a ground-shark, the 

 under-surface being remarkably flat, apparently to enable the fish to keep 



