Miscellaneous. 95 



special interest ; and therefore we have carefully investigated the few 

 representatives of the ichthyological fauna of that island, for which 

 science has to thank the researches of the expeditions of the 'jN'ovara' 

 and of the commission of the transit of Venus. Although it is only 

 known by a very small number of species (ten), this fauna has led us 

 to some results to which we beg the Academy to attend for a few 

 moments *. 



In consequence of the geological structure of the island, the spe- 

 cies found at 8t. Paul have a very limited geographical extension ; 

 but the study of the species is for this reason only the more 

 instructive. 



Of the species collected at St. Paul, only three have been met 

 with in other regions ; and two others of them have been captured 

 in the open sea. 



Acantliias indgarls is a shark of very wide geographical distribution, 

 the species having been indicated in the Channel, the Atlantic Ocean, 

 and the Mediterranean, at the Mauritius, and at the Cape. The 

 tjqies of Latris hecateia and Nemadaeti/Jus concinnus were found at 

 Van Diemen's Land by Eichardson. The other species belong to 

 the genera Sen-anus, Boviclithys, Sebastes, Mendosoma, Labriclithys, 

 and Motella. 



The Sermnus, named by Kner S. novemcinctus, belongs to the 

 group of Sermnvs scriba, which must have passed into the Mediter- 

 ranean during the Tertiary epoch, when that sea communicated with 

 the Red Sea. 



At the same epoch the type of the Sebasies of the Indian Ocean, 

 the European representative of which is Sebastes (Sebastichthys) 

 dactylopterus, emigrated towards the Mediterranean. It is to this 

 group of Sebastichthys that the Sebastes of St. Paul, which we regard 

 as a new species, belongs. Allied to the Sebastes percoides of New 

 Zealand, Van Diemen's Land, and South Australia, the Sebastes 

 Moucliezi differs therefrom by the naiTOwer space between the eyes, 

 the longer muzzle, the narrower palatine band, the smaller backward 

 prolongation of the maxillary, the black tongue, the shorter dorsal 

 and anal spines, and the uniform tint of the body. 



It is with the species of the south of Australia (that is to say, with 

 those that we find almost under the same parallel) that the fishes 

 of the island of St. Paul present the most relationships. We have 

 mentioned Latris hecateia and Nemadactylus concinnus, and described 

 Sebastes Moucliezi, allied to S. percoides ; we can further cite two 

 species oi. Labriclithys representing South- Australian species. 



One of these, Labrichthys Lantzii, n. sp., belongs to the groiij) 

 which includes species of which the cheeks and the base of the dor- 

 s;ils are garnished with several rows of scales. Our species differs 

 from those resembling it by the presence of a posterior canine tooth, 

 several series of teeth in the jaws ; the body of a light mahogany 

 colour, tinged with violet on each scale, a violet line uniting the 



* The Museum of Natural History has received the fishes of the island 

 of St. Paul, throu<rh the care of MM. de I'lsle and Velain. 



