84 



Tertical diameter of the eye ; the maxillary reaches to a little 

 Leyond the vertical from the middle of the orbit ; the band 

 of teeth in the lower jaw is composed of three irregular 

 series and is but a little broader in front than behind ; 

 second ray of the first dorsal fin smooth, not extending when 

 laid back to the origin of the second dorsal, its length equal 

 to hall of the head ; it is inserted immediately behind the 

 base of the pectoral ; second dorsal rays very low ; anal well 

 developed, originating a little in advance of the second dorsal, 

 the longest ravs anterior to the middle of the fin and one 

 third of the length of the head ; ventral inserted entirely 

 behind the base of the pectoral, its outer ray slightly pro- 

 duced, extending to the vent, Avhich is situated beneath the 

 dorsal interspace ; pectoral pointed, reaching as far back as 

 the ventral, rather longer than the postorbital portion of the 

 head. Scales of the body with from 18 to 23 parallel keels, 

 each of which is composed of a series of strong, acute, com- 

 pressed, overlapjnng spines, the last one passing beyond the 

 free border of the scale ; scales of the head smaller and very 

 rough, covered with radiating striae, each of which is armed 

 •with short branched spines ; scales on the opercles, the series 

 above the infraorbital ridge, and two rows on each side of 

 the occiput more regularly striated. Dark brown above, 

 light brown below ; all the darker scales with a whitish 

 oblong spot at their base. 



The example measures 520 millimeters. 



Among the more pronounced points of difference between 

 the sj^ecies under consideration and Coelorhynchus australis* 

 the following characters may be specially noticed ; the figures 

 within brackets pertain to the latter species : — The much 

 greater size of the head, the comparative measurements 

 being 4| and (nearly 5) in the total length ; the much smaller 

 number of rays in the second dorsal, 68 (88), and anal 71 

 (87-96) fins ; the much larger scales, 88 and (ca. 130) ; and 

 the different pattern and strength of the scale armature, for 

 while the number of keels present on each body scale in 

 C. mortoni is from 18 to 23, and these are arranged in 

 parallel series and terminate each in a strong, free spine, 

 which conjointly form the j^osterior border of the scale, in 

 C. australis there are only 12 to 18 rows of keels and the 

 border of the scale is more or less scalloped in appearance. 



As Coelorhynchus australis is more abundant on the New 

 Zealand coast than elsewhere I must leave to the scientists of 

 that colony the task of determining whether the differences 

 pointed out above represent only such as are likely to be 



* C. australis was originally described by Sir John Richardson from an example 

 taken at Port Arthur, Tasmania ; it is also a native of the New Zealand seas. 



