PISCES 257 
Length.—196 mm. 
This species was taken only at Station 28. six miles east of 
Oamaru, in 19-22 fathoms. I also have examples taken in 
Lyttelton Harbour. 
Writing under Monacanthus peroni Giimther’+ has the 
following note :—‘‘Balistes scaber (Forst.) from Queen Char- 
lotte’s Sound, New Zealand, appears to be allied to this species ; 
but the manuscript drawing made by Forster represents the 
dorsal spine as much more slender, without strong anterior 
barbs, which are most characteristic of M. peronw. The outline 
of the snout of B. scaber is concave.”’ 
Hutton®® also refers to this species of Forster, and, placing 
it under M. convexirostris Giinther, remarks that it ‘‘was most 
likely this species,’? and again®® ‘‘This is certainly the 
Balistes scaber of Forster.’’ Since that time Balistes scaber has 
disappeared from the New Zealand list, but I feel quite justified 
in identifying the present specimens with Forster’s species, and 
in pronouncing the two as distinct as will be evident from a 
comparison of the accompanying illustrations, if my interpreta- 
tions are correct. 
PSEUDOMONACANTHUS CONVEXIROSTRIS Giinther. 
SmootH LEATHER JACKET. 
Plate LVII, 
Monacanthus convexirostris Giinther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. viii., 
1870, p. 248, Hutton, Cat. Fish. N.Z., 1872, p. 71, and 
Hector, ib., p. 120, pl. xii., fig, 114. 
Stations 70, 78. 
Dem. 362 A. 36; P. 12.'0) 12: 
Length of head 3.4, height of body at the vent 2.3, length of 
caudal 4.3 in the total; diameter of eye 4.0, length of snout 1.1, 
and interorbital space 3.3 in the head. 
The gill opening is oblique, placed under the anterior half of 
the eye, its distance therefrom is less than the vertical diameter 
of the orbit: the nostrils are close together, placed in front of 
the middle of the eye. The head is deeper than long and the 
upper profile is almost flat; the interorbital space is convex: 
the ventral process is very extensible. 
Fins —The front edge of the dorsal spine stands over the 
middle of the eye, and midway between the end of the snout 
and the dorsal rays; its length is 1.46 in the head; two rows of 
(55) Hutton, Cat. N.Z. Fish, 1872, p. 71. 
(56) id, T.N.Z.1. ix. 1877, p. 354. 
