srrniRs ix ai'stiumax kishks — Mcocr.i.nnt. 69 



spinous portion of the anal. Spinous dorsal unilornily dark except around 

 the base of the seventh spine; soft dorsal liglit basally but darker along 

 the middle of its length and with a narrow niaiginal stri[)e. Anal almost 

 uniformly faded but with a nairow marginal stripe like the dorsal. 

 Pectoral with an ill-defined oblique band at about the middle of its lengtli 

 and a broad dark terminal ajid mai-ginal band. Ventrals and caudal 

 uniform, the membrane of the latter apparently darker than the rays. 



Described and figured from the holotype, 404 mm. long, which is in 

 a i-ather poor state of preservation. It does not show the details of the 

 dorsal and anal 6n markings very well, so these have been supplemented 

 in the figure from those of a second specimen of similar size and characters 

 from New Zealand. 



The original description of this species was based upon a fresh 

 specimen, and the details of the colour-marking as given by Ramsay and 

 Ogilby are so different to what is now observed in the same example that 

 it is difficult to understand how such extraordinary changes have taken 

 place. It must be noted also, that the length of the specimen was stated 

 to be 16'50 inches, whereas it is now slightly less than 16 inches. Its 

 authenticit}^ however, is beyond doubt, since its registration number and 

 accompanying data tally exactly with those given b}' Ram.say and Ogilby, 

 and no other specimen in the Australian Museum collection can be associ- 

 ated with their description. 



But few specimens of this species appear to have found their way to 

 museum collections, only one other having i-eached the Australian Museum 

 since the holotype was acquired. This is 460 mm. in length, and is 

 generally dai'ker in colour with less contrast between the lighter and 

 darker markings, tliough this may be the result of its impei'fect preser- 

 vation. Stead records a third large example from Sydney, while a fourth 

 about 390 mm. long (tail imperfect), has been sent to me from New 

 Zealand for identification b}^ Mr. Louis T. Griffin, which is very similar in 

 all details to the holotype. 



Locs. — Bondi, Sydney, holotype. Cuvier Island, near the entrance to 

 Hauiaki Gulf, North Island, New Zealand. 



Family ODACID^. 



Genus Olisthops, Richardson. 



Olisthops cyaxomelas, RirJiiir(hoii. 



(Plate xiv., tig. 3.) 



Olisthops cyavomclas, Richardson, Proc. Zool. Soc, xviii., November 1850, 

 p. 75, Pise. pi. iii., figs. 1-2, and Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (2), vii., 1851, 

 p. 291. /(/., Castelnau, Proc. Zool. Soc. Vict., i., 1872, p. 155. I,L, 

 Waite, Mem. N.S.Wales Nat. Club, No. 2, 1904, p. 40, and Rec. 

 Austr. Mas., vi., 1905, p. 71. Id., Stead, Fish. Austr., 1906, p. 147, 

 and Ed. Fish. N.S.Wales, 1908, p. 85, pi. Ivi. /</., Ogilbv, Proc. 

 Rov. Soc. Qld., xxi., 1908, p. 25. 



