Mr. R. Walker on a Species o/Regalecus. 13 



III. — On the Occurrence of a Species of Regalecus among the 

 Rocks at St. Andrews ; with a few Notes on its Anatomy, 

 By Robert Walker, Assistant- Curator of the St. Andrews 

 Museum, 



In the month of April last, my attention was called by Mr. J. 

 Howie to a fish cast ashore among the west rocks at St. Andrews. 

 This fish proved, after examination, to be a species of Regalecus, 

 very likely Banksii ; but, as it was rather too imperfect for exact 

 specific identification, I propose giving the following description, 

 which may assist zoologists in arriving at that determination : — 

 The fish was perfectly fresh, but much mutilated. The head 

 was entirely destroyed, and a considerable portion of the posterior 

 end of the body was wanting : as it was, it measured from what 

 appeared to be the coracoid {i, e. immediately behind the gills) to 

 the broken end 7 feet 2 inches ; 9 inches deep at the coracoid j 

 13 inches a little before the anus; and 8J at the broken end. 

 The body was very much compressed, and was of a sword-blade- 

 like shape, the greatest thickness being somewhat below the 

 middle of the depth, where it was 2J inches thick. From this 

 it gradually tapered away to the dorsal and ventral margins, the 

 dorsal edge being considerably the thinnest of the two, scarcely 

 amounting to J inch. There was a dorsal fin extending the 

 whole length, and consisting of 167 rays, which were much 

 broken, as was also their connecting membrane. The longest of 

 these rays measured 2| inches in length. There was no anal 

 fin. On the right side the pectoral and central fins were lost. 

 On the left side the pectoral consisted of eJeven broken rays, 

 the longest about 1 inch in length ; and the ventral, of a 

 spine about f inch in length, and ^ inch in thickness. The 

 skin was completely covered by what appeared to be bony tuber- 

 cles, the largest of which were arranged in four pretty distinct 

 longitudinal belts, which, from their size, gave to the sur- 

 face of the body a somewhat ridged-like appearance. These 

 belts or ridges varied from IJ to f inch in breadth, and the 

 spaces between them were occupied by smaller tubercles. None 

 of these tubercles were regularly arranged, but seemed to be 

 placed without any regard to individual connexion or relation to 

 each other. Between some parts of the tubercles there was a 

 beautiful silvery-looking lustre, which was very easily taken off, 

 adhering to the fingers or to any object that came in contact 

 with it. There were a few faint dark streaks on the anterior 

 part of the body, proceeding from the dorsal margin and extend- 

 ing obliquely dow awards and backwards, but not appearing to 

 cross the lateral line. The lateral line at the coracoid was about 

 one-third from the dor^l edge ; thence it de.sccndcd obliquely 



