REQALECUS GLESNE — "WAITE. 163 



REGALECUS GLESNE, ASCANIUS.— An ADDITION to 

 THE FAUNA OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



By Edgar R. Waite, F.L.S., Zoologist. 



In his article — "On a species of Regalecus or Great Oar-fish, caught 

 in Okain's Bay,"* H. O. Forbes mentions that the example there 

 recorded is the tenth known from New Zealand waters, the records 

 being as follows: — (1) Nelson, Oct. 1860; (2) Jackson's Bay, 

 1874; (3) New Brighton, May 1876; (4) Little Waimangaroa 

 Beach, 1877; (5) Cape Farewell, 1877 ; (6) Moeraki, 1881 ; (7) 

 Moeraki, June 1883 ; (8) Otago, June 1887 ; (9) Nelson Harbour, 

 September 1890; (10) Okain's Bay, May 1891. 



Two examples have been recorded from Australian seas. McCoy t 

 figures and describes under the name Regalecus banksi, Cuvier, a 

 specimen taken in May 1878, between Victoria and Tasmania. 

 The second occurrence was near the Tweed River, in Queensland 

 waters, and C. W. De Vis publishes a description of the fish under 

 the new name Regalecus mastersii.X In his Catalogue § Macleay 

 includes Regalecus gladius, Cuv. & Val., with the remark, "said 

 to have been seen on the Tasmanian Coast. Johnston, possibly 

 on this authority, places it in his list of Tasmanian species. || The 

 example described by Ramsay as Regalecus jacksoniensis^ is really 

 a IVachypterus. 



I have now to record a third Australian example. On August 

 12th last, a very fine specimen was discovered by a fisherman 

 cast up on Shark Beach, within Port Jackson. It was obtained 

 by Mr. Fitzwilliam Wentworth, of Greycliff, Vaucluse, who pre- 

 sented it to the Trustees. 



Examples of the genus have never been obtained perfect, due 

 to the extreme fragility of their members. The portions missing 

 in our specimen were the lower parts of the head, including the 

 branchiostegals, the cephalic and nuchal crests, one of the ventral 

 filaments, and the end of the caudal. The body was cut almost 

 in halves, by, it is presumed, a boat : otherwise it was in fair 



* Forbes— Trans. New Zeal. Inst., xxiv., ]891, p. 192. 

 t McCoy— Prod. Zool. Vict., Dec. xv., 1887, pi. 145. 

 X De Vis— Proc. Roy. Soc. Qd.. viii.. 1892, p. 109. 

 § Macleay— Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., \i., 1882, p. 55. 

 II Johnston— Proc. Roy, Soc. Tasmania, 1890, p. 34. 

 1 Eamsay— Proc. Linn. feoc. N.S.W., v., 1881, p. 631, pi. xx. 



