66 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



to breathe. The eyesight was good. Fish are reported as being 

 occasionally dug up in the "button-grass country " on the west 

 coast of the island, and are stated by a miner to have no eyes, 

 though otherwise similar. That the fish are by no means rare is 

 shown by the fact that twelve were recently dug up from the same 

 locality at Strahan, and lived in a pickle bottle in water for various 

 periods up to three days. 



This is all explicit enough, and the fact that the fish burrows 

 and is quite healthy when taken out of the soil seems, on the clear 

 evidence supplied, to be beyond cavil. As regards its identifica- 

 tion, it is clearly a Galaxias, but as only a single specimen, 

 hardened and shrunken by strong spirits, is available, its specific 

 determination must stand over. It is a slender form and is marked 

 by chevron-shaped dark bands of small spots, which mark out the 

 myotomes in the middle of the body, but become irregular towards 

 the head and tail. Its total length is 44 mm. 



The burrowing genus from New Zealand, Neochanna, has no 

 ventral fins and but a rudimentary eye.* It habitually lives 

 deeply buried in mud, but soon dies when placed in clean water. 



The family Galaxidse, containing only the two genera men- 

 tioned, is an Antarctic one, and occurs in all southern lands 

 where physical conditions do not forbid its existence, and it is 

 interesting to find that two members of the group should have the 

 same habit, though in the New Zealand form the absence of 

 ventral fins, a character common in burrowing fish, points to its 

 earlier acquirement and a more persistent adoption of it. 



The question that naturally suggests itself is — Is this the only 

 Galaxias that burrows, or do some of our continental forms behave 

 in the same way ? It is quite possible that we do have burrowing 

 forms here, and the fact is also likely to escape notice, since digging 

 in swampy land is not a pastime which generally commends itself 

 to people. Now that attention is directed to the fact, it is probable 

 that attempts will be made to settle this point, and it is one 

 deserving of attention. 



BOOK NOTICE. 



Nests and Eggs of Birds Found Breeding in Australia 

 AND Tasmania. By Alfred J. North, C.M.Z.S., Ornith- 

 ologist, Australian Museum, Sydney. 



The first part of this work, which is published by the Trustees 

 of the Australian Museum, Sydney, is to hand, having been 

 issued on 15th June. It is termed "Special Catalogue No. i," 

 and is really a second edition of the " Museum Catalogue, 

 No. XII.," but has been so altered in style and almost rewritten 

 that it may be considered a new work. The advent of this part 



* " The Fishes of New Zealand," by F. W. Hutton, F.R.S., &c., p. 130. 



