244 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Of the family Gymuodontes, group Tetrodoutina, we have 

 now found indigenous Tetrodon richei, the two I hereafter 

 describe {T.gillbanksii and 2'. checsevianii), and Dicoiylichthys 

 joculifenis. 



T. richei is very numerous on the west coast of the South 

 Island, the sweeping of a seine-net on the beach frequently 

 (iravvung them up in hundreds, quite vitiating the air on such 

 (Occasions with the nauseous and unpleasant odour appertaining 

 CO this species. As far as my inquiries extend, it appears to 

 be of much less frequent occurrence from Cook Strait round 

 the west coast of the North Island. I have often captured 

 I hem on a light line when fishing for the so-called " herring " 

 [Agonostoma) in the Holdtika Eiver. The spines so freely and 

 densely covering its body are always prominent and exposed, 

 and may be described as short and bristly. Dr. Giinther's 

 catalogue description states the caudal peduncle is smooth, 

 but as a more general rule I have found that the minute 

 spines are present thereupon. I have had a long acquaint- 

 ance with the Tasmanian variety, T. liamiltonii, having caught 

 them in that colony in a small trawl-net, with the seine- and 

 shrimp-net, and on the line. In the latter description of fish- 

 ing they used to be a- constant source of annoyance to those 

 anglers who frequented the Tamar and neighbouring portions 

 of the North and youth Esk Eivers at Launceston in order 

 to take the mullet {Agonostoma and Miigil) and the fish there 

 designated " salmon-trout " (Arripis), but in this I understand 

 their office has been usurped by the acclimatised Tinea vulgaris. 

 I invariably found T. hamiltonii perfectly spineless, either ex- 

 ternally or in situ, and that they had practically no capacity 

 for distension of the body, nor had they any lateral fold. If 

 actually the same fish, for such last reason it should be 

 removed from the sub-genus Gastrophysus. This fish is very 

 poisonous, and has caused loss of life when eaten, to my own 

 knowledge. 



It is undoubtedly unsafe to use any of the Tetrodons or 

 Diodons for food, as they seem to be invariably poisonous, 

 though their generally repulsive appearance protects them 

 from such use in a great measure. 



The variety of spines throughout the Tetrodoutina run 

 in gradations from plain striated or granulated scutes with 

 scarcely any central prominence, and planted on the surface 

 of the epidermis, to complicated or simple bulbous-rooted 

 spines, either placed on the surface or wholly or partially 

 imbedded in the dermis in grooves, pores, or fossae, and of 

 different lengths, shapes, and thickness, from that of a dagger- 

 blade in miniature to the thinness of a hair, being either per- 

 manently rigid or capable of voluntary ejection or erection, and 

 occurring in bands, patches, or all over the fish. In this 



