306 Dr. A. Giinther on a new form of Mudfish. 
three species are known; and, finally, a minute form is said to 
occur in Chile. The occurrence of the same natural genus of 
freshwater fishes in Australia, New Zealand, and South America 
would appear to be significant enough, and must be the more 
so when we find that even one and the same species (Galazias 
attenuatus) inhabits the fresh waters of countries separated at 
present by the South Pacific Ocean. Nor does this fact stand 
alone, imasmuch as another family of freshwater fishes, that of 
Haplochitonide, offers a very similar instance of geographical 
distribution—one of the two genera of which it is composed 
being found in Terra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands (Hap- 
lochiton), the other in Southern Australia (Prototroctes). These 
instances seem to be confirmatory of an observation made in 
Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858, p. 390, where the Batrachian fauna of 
South America was shown to be most closely allied to that of 
Australia. 
By the last New Zealand mail I received a highly interesting 
example belonging to this family of Galaxide, differmg generi- 
cally, however, from Galazxias in being devoid of ventral fins. 
It is the type of a new genus, which may be characterized 
thus :— 
NEOCHANNA. 
General characters those of Galazias. Ventral fins none. 
Each jaw with a single series of very small, compressed (incisor- 
like) teeth of equal size; palate toothless. A series of hook-like 
teeth on each side of the tongue. Pyloric appendage single. 
Gill-rakers very short, conical, widely set. 
Neochanna apoda. Pl. VII. 
Bess Did, 9 As s7s 
Body subcylindrical, compressed behind, rather elongate, its 
depth being contained seven times and a half in the total length 
(without caudal). Head broad and depressed, its greatest width 
being much more than its depth, and at least two-thirds of its 
length, which is a little less than one-fifth of the total (without 
caudal). Snout broad, obtusely rounded. Lips broad. Cleft 
of the mouth of moderate width, the maxillary extending to 
below the eye, which is very small. Anterior nostril prolonged 
into a minute tube; several wide pores on the upper part of 
the head. A rather deep groove runs from the head along 
the middle of the back and abdomen. The dorsal and anal 
fins are about as high as the tail between them, and both are 
continuous at the basé with the rudimentary rays of the caudal 
