1889.] NEW TO THE AUSTRALIAN FAUNA. 157 



and in so recent a condition \ I have thought it useful to draw up 

 the above detailed description of this handsome species, the more so 

 as its original describer appears to have seen but one specimen, and 

 I am not aware of its having been noticed since. The species will 

 probably hereafter be found to occur at Norfolk Island, and on 

 the northern shores of New Zealand, and perhaps even on our own 

 eastern coast. Among the Lord Howe islanders it is known as the 

 "Sandy Bay Cod," and being abundant and voracious it is taken in 

 large numbers by means of hand-lines both from boats and from the 

 shore for use as food, for which it is greatly esteemed. In this it 

 must differ much from the Australian forms, which are soft, watery, 

 and tasteless. 



JMr. Saunders also collected three specimens of a Platijstephiis at 

 Lord Howe Island, which differ from Dr. Giinther's description 

 (Cat. ii. p. 391) in the following important particulars. 



Platystethus, sp. inc. 



A. 3/27. L. 1. 52. L. tr. 6/14. 



The body is rather deeper, being thrice and three fourths in the 

 total length ; the orbit is much larger, being but thrice and one 

 fourth in the length of the head, and one fifth longer than the snout ; 

 the maxillary reaches to the anterior fourth of the eye ; the width 

 of the interorbital space equals the diameter of the orbit. The fifth 

 dorsal spine is the longest, one fourth of tlie length of the head ; 

 the pectorals are rather short, measuring one seventh of the total, 

 while the ventrals measure one thirteenth - of the same. The colour 

 of the upper part of the head and body is deep blue, each scale being 

 ornamented with a wavy silvery mark ; the remainder of the body 

 and head is silvery ; the dorsal, pectoral, and caudal fins are dusky, 

 the anal and ventrals grey ; irides brown above, golden below. 



Though many of these differences may be due to the larger size 

 of my specimens, which measure from ten to twelve and a half inches, 

 it is certainly an anomaly to find the more adult fish possessed of 

 eyes the comparative measurements of which are so much greater 

 than those of smaller examples, the reverse being ordinarily the case. 

 Should the differences enumerated above, and which are constant in 

 my three specimens, be considered sufficient to entitle the large-eyed 

 form to specific rank, I would suggest as a suitable name Plati/ste- 

 thus guentheri, after the distinguished founder of the genus. In this 

 case the following simple synopsis of the species may be of interest, 

 while the generic diagnosis must be modified so far as to read " first 

 dorsal continuous, with from eiglit to thirteen spines." 



1. Platystethus cultratus. D. 8 | 1/24. A. 3/30. L. 1. (50. 



Eye moderate, two ninths of the length of the head. Max- 

 illa reaches to anterior margin of orbit. 



2. Platystethus guentheri. D. 8 | 1/24. A, 3/27. L. 1. 52. 



^ The description was drawn up immecliately after the return of Messrs. 

 Etheridge and party. 



^ In the measurements given by Dr. Giinther at the end of his description, he 

 makes the lengths of the pectoral and ventral fins even shorter in couipariBon 

 to the total length of the specimen than in my examples. 



