144 
Family NARCACIONTID.. 
Narcacion, Walbaum, 1792. 
Narcacion fairchildi Hutton. 
NUMBFISH. 
Plate XVII. 
Torpedo fairchildi Hutton, Cat. Fish. N.Z., 1872, p. 83, pl. xu, fig. 134. 
Torpedo fusca Parker, Trans. N.Z. Inst., xvi, 1884, p. 281, pl. xxii. 
Stations 17, 46-49, 51, 57-60, 87, 95. 
Dise rounded and very broad, one-sixth broader than long and 
1-5 in the total length, its length 1‘7 in the same. The eyes are a little 
nearer to each other than to the front edge of the disc. The spiracles 
are not fringed, are placed obliquely, and lie about an eye-diameter 
behind the orbits. 
Breadth of mouth equal to its distance from front edge of disc ; 
the teeth small, sharp, and similar m both jaws; inner nasal valves 
confluent into a quadrangular flap, wider than long. 
The height of the first dorsal fin, measured from its origin to the 
tip, is exactly one-half more than the height of the second dorsal. 
The hinder edge of the first dorsal extends somewhat beyond that of 
the ventrals. In the male but a small portion of the ventrals are 
free from the claspers. Caudal large, truncate, its depth nearly one- 
half greater than its length. The vertebree occupy a median position, 
and do not extend to the margin; the peduncle is wider than deep, 
and a prominent keel extends along its posterior portion. 
Colour dark bluish-slate above, white beneath, without markings. 
Length of specimen, 520 mm. 
Knowing the tendency of the disc to assume and retain unnatural 
shape under the action of preservatives, I was careful to allow specimens 
to die in a vessel of ample dimensions, and several so treated present 
almost identical relative proportions. 
The specimens entirely agree with the short description of Torpedo 
/airchildi supplied by Hutton, and after consideration of all features 
I incline to the opinion that 7. fusca is not distinct. The form of the 
dorsal fin varies considerably in different examples. In some speci- 
mens the fin has a well-marked posterior angle projecting far beyond 
the hinder insertion of the fin, a feature common to many selachians ; 
in other examples the fin is leaf-like, as figured by Parker. Apart 
from this, however, the phrase “ first dorsals over the ventrals, with 
the posterior edges of both in a line ” (7. farrchildi) is not antagonistic 
to the description of 7’. fusca: “ The posterior end of the base of the 
pelvic fin is nearly opposite the middle of that of the first dorsal.” 
In fact, both statements are quite applicable to our specimens. The 
next feature referred to by Parker is the relative size of the two dorsals. 
In 7. fusca the “ length of the first dorsal fin is to that of the second 
