Parker. — On a Specimen of Eegalecus. 27 



bone not being straight is peculiar, and its thicker or proximal 

 end did not correspond with the broken attached end of the 

 pelvic ray. Jennings assures me, however, that he removed 

 it from its attachment himself; moreover, it is obviously a 

 Eegalecus bone, and agrees in appearance, size, etc., with 

 nothing but the pelvic rays, so that its curvature is probably 

 teratological. 



The Otago Harbour specimen of Regalecus is obviously of the 

 same species as that from Moeraki, the only difference of im- 

 portance being the faint spots of the former. Whether these are 

 a matter of age it is impossible to say, but apparently not, as 

 both individuals were adult or sub-adult females. I therefore 

 assign tbe present specimen to the species R. argenteus, Parker, 

 the diagnosis of which (see 7, p. 295) must be amended in the 

 following particulars : — 



(1.) The number of dorsal rays and the proportion of height 

 of body and length of head to total length are variable, the 

 caudal extremity being subject to mutilation. 



(2.) The first fourteen rays of the dorsal fin form a crest 

 about three times as high as the head, and divided into an ante- 

 rior portion of five, and a posterior of nine rays : the former 

 have their lower halves connected, their upper halves fringed 

 posteriorly by membrane, and terminate in simple points ; the 

 latter are connected only at the base, fringed posteriorly, and 

 terminate in small lanceolate cutaneous lobes.* 



(3.) The body is silvery, marked on its anterior half with 

 irregular sub-vertical stripes and spots, and having sometimes, 

 in addition, faint grey spots over the whole surface. 



It appears very probable that further researches on this' inte- 

 resting genus will necessitate the union of more or fewer of the 

 species, but the information is at present insufficient to decide 

 the question. As Liitken remarks, " il est clair que le genre 

 est assez cosmopolite, mais on ne peut rien dire encore quant au 

 nombre de ses especes." 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



1. E. Collett.— " Om de i vort Aarhundrede ved de norske Kyster strandede 



exemplarer af Slasgten Regalecus.' 1 '' " Christiania Videnskabssels- 

 kabs Forhandlinger," 1883', No. 16. 



2. Cuviee. — " Regne Animal, Poissons," p. 148, and pi. 69. 



3. v. Haast. — "Notes on Regalecus pacificus, a new Species of Ribbon- 



fish from tbe New Zealand Seas." " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. x. 

 (1876), p. 246. 



* In tbe specific description referred to (7, p. 295) the words occur : " three 

 or four of them [the rays of the crest] terminate in lanceolate cutaneous 

 lobes :" the words in italics were substituted by a printer's error for " more 

 ox fewer." 



