16 REPORT — 1842. 



or colourless Salmon, but gives us no clue by which to discover the species 

 to which he alludes. 



4. Centropristes mulloides. (Sciana mulloides, Parkinson, 2. t. 68. Sci- 



<E?ia mulloides, ft. (sapidissima), G. Forster, 2. t. 211. 

 This species was obtained by Parkinson at Hetrawai, and by the Forsters 

 in Queen Charlotte's Sound. 



5. Centropristes sapidissimus. (Mulloides sapidissimus, Solander, p. 22. 



Parkinson, 2.t.67.) 

 Solander has given a pretty full description of this species in his ' Pisces 

 Australia,' and mentions that it inhabits Tegadoo bay, and Tolaga, between 

 the 38th and 39th parallels of latitude. Parkinson procured the specimen 

 which he has figured at Opooragi. The drawings of these three, variously 

 named Centropristes, being unfinished, we are not in a condition to point out 

 their distinctive characters, neither is it quite certain that they are all speci- 

 fically different from the New Holland Centropristes truttaceus (C. and V.), 

 C. georgianus* (C. and V.), and C. salar (Zool. Trans. 3. p. 78.). Some ob- 

 servations on their peculiarities may be found in the paper last quoted. 



6. Aplodactylus meandratus (Rich. Zool. Trans. 3. p. 83.). (Scicena 



meandrata, Parkinson, 2. t. 65. Mceandrites, Solander, p. 2.) 

 It was not until the year 1831 that the genus Aplodactylus was made 

 known by Cuvier, on M. d'Orbigny bringing specimens of punctatus from 

 Valparaiso. A second species, the arctidens, from Van Diemen's Land, is 

 described in the third volume of the Zoological Transactions, now in the 

 course of publication ; and a third, not yet named, exists in the Museum of 

 Fort Pitt. But as long ago as October 1769 Solander was in possession 

 of a New Zealand species, which was taken off Cape Kidnappers, otherwise 

 named Matamawi, in the forty-second parallel, and Parkinson made a draw- 

 ing of it. This figure in conjunction with the extended description contained 

 in the ' Pisces Australia? ' leaves us no reason for doubting the genus of the 

 fish. 



7. Percis colias (C. and V. 3. p. 273.). Coaly Percis. (Labrus macrocephalus, 

 Solander, p. 27. Parkinson, 2. t. 57., Gadus colias, and New Zealand Cole- 

 fish, G. Forster, 2.t. 181. J. R. Forster, MS. II. 36. apud Schn. Enche- 

 liopiis colias, Bl. Schn. p. 54.) 



This fish was discovered on Cook's first voyage off Owhooragi, and was 

 named " Cole-fish" by the seamen. Parkinson's figure was done from a spe- 

 cimen which was taken at Motuaro. The Forsters afterwards found it on the 

 same coast, and ascertained its native name to be " nera-warre." The painters 

 and describers of this fish differ in the numbers of the fin rays, and we may 

 conclude either that the species is variable or that two species have been con- 

 founded. 



Solander, Pise. Austr. 



Parkinson, fig. 



G. Forster, fig. 

 17. J. R. Forster, apud Schn. 

 The two drawings however are very like one another, and there is no other 

 marked discrepancy in the descriptions than the variation of the numbers of 

 the rays. 



8. Percis nicthemera (C. and V. 3. p. 274.). 



Messieurs Lesson and Garnot brought this fish from the Bay of Islands, and 

 * Arripis georgianus, Jenyns, Zool. Beagle. 



