308 Dr. A. Giinther on a new form of Mudfish. 



occur to any one who had not the opportunity of comparing this 

 fish with the allied forms. I have frequently seen individuals 

 of carp, Anabas, &c., taken under similar circumstances, the 

 appearance of which was so much altered that they could not be 

 readily identified. However, the fish sent by H.E. Sir George Grey 

 is not merely such an abnormal individual, although it may be 

 regarded as a degraded form of the more highly developed type 

 of Galaxias. Even if it did not generically differ by its peculiar 

 dentition and absence of ventrals, still we should be obliged to 

 distinguish it specifically on account of the large number of fin- 

 rays and the small size of its eye. By the latter character Neo- 

 channa is distinguished in a remarkable manner from the true 

 Galaxias, which appear to inhabit more open and clear waters 

 (those from Terra del Fuego are found in "alpine lakes'') and 

 have the eyes fully developed ; while the almost rudimentary 

 eyes of Neochanna indicate clearly that it lives habitually in mud 

 or swampy places ; and I have no doubt that Dr. Hector is 

 correct in thinking that it will be found in such localities in the 

 neighbourhood of Hokitika. It is not surprising that the spe- 

 cimens obtained were killed by the sudden immersion in clear 

 water; perhaps they might have survived if the change had 

 been made in a more gradual manner. 



All Galaxias are extremely fat, so that it is impossible to 

 handle them, even for a very short time, without the fat pene- 

 trating through the skin, and soiling everything which comes 

 into contact with them. I was much surprised to find this also 

 to be the case in our specimen of Neochanna (which I should 

 have supposed to have undergone a protracted trial of fasting), 

 — and still more so when the stomach proved to be distended 

 with food, which appeared to consist of the semidigested remains 

 of the larvse of a small dipterous insect. 



In conclusion I would draw attention to the remarkable fact 

 that in numerous groups of fishes which live in mud, or are even 

 enabled to pass a longer or shorter time in soil periodically dried 

 and hardened during the hot season, forms occur entirely devoid 

 of or with only rudimentary ventral fins. Thus in the family 

 of Labyrinthici two genera, Osphromenus and Trichogaster, have 

 the ventral fins reduced to a thin filament. I have also seen 

 specimens of Anabas abnormally devoid of ventral fins, though 

 the pubic bones were present. Among the Ophiocephalidse 

 Channa is entirely destitute of these organs. There are several 

 ventral-finless Siluroid and Cyprinodont genera ; but, unfortu- 

 nately, we are acquainted with their habits only in a very general 

 manner. Gymnarchus is nothing but a Mormyrus witliout any 

 of the lower fins. The chief function of these fins is to balance 



