14 FISHES OF NEW ZEALAND. 



the lateral Ime descends abruptly below tlie posterior part of the spinoiis 

 doi'sal. 



Above plumbovis, whitish below. 



Common all round the coasts ; South Africa, Tasmania, Australia. 



This is, I believe, the fish called " Snook " in Cape Colony. 



XIPHIID^. 



Body elongated ; teeth small or none ; upper jaw much produced ; 

 one or two dorsals without a distinct spinous portion ; ventrals absent, 

 or rudimentary and thoracic ; seven branchiostegals. 



Seas near the Tropics. 



HiSTIOPHORUS. 



Two dorsals and two anals ; ventrals present ; no true scales ; small 

 teeth on the jaws and palatine bones ; none on the vomer. 

 Seas near the Tropics, 



21. HISTIOPHORUS HERSCHELII. Gray. CM. 



S^word-flsh. 



H. herschelii, Giinth., II., 513. Sword-fish s}}., Knox., Trans. N.Z. Inst., 

 18G9, II., p. 13. H. indicus, Cat. Col. Mus. 



D. 42 I 7 ; A. 12 I 6 ; VI. 



The greater poi-tion of the dorsal fin much lower than the body ; height 

 of the body more than one-half the length of the head ; and one-seventh 

 of the total ; uj^per jaw rather depressed, rounded superiorly and 

 inferiorly ; its length from the nostrils is nearly three-fourths the length 

 of the head. Dermal productions numerous, bifurcate, hidden in the 

 skin (Glinth.) 



Cape of Good Hope. 



A head of a Sword-fish, which I i-efer to this species, is in the Museum. 

 It was obtained near Waikanae and presented by Dr. Knox, who 

 desci'ibed it in the second volume of the Trans. N.Z. Institute. The 

 diameter of the eye is 2-75 inches, and the interorbital space 7 inches ; 

 both jaws are covei-ed ^\ith minute teeth ; upper profile slightly concave; 

 produced portion of upper jaw broader than high, rounded above and 

 below ; prasoperculum entire. 



