364 MR, C. TATE REGAN ON THE PISHES [NoV. 28, 



So long as they were supposed to be a fresli-watei^ gi'oup, the 

 geographical distribution of the Galaxiidas was considered to be of 

 considerable interest, occurring as they do in the tSouthern half of 

 Austi"alia, Tasmania, New Zealand and the neighbouring islands, 

 Chile, Patagonia and the Falkland Islands, and at the Cape of 

 Good Hope. 



The occurrence of Gcdaxias maculatus in the sea has been 

 recorded by Valenciennes and by Philippi, off the Falklands and off 

 the coast of Chile respectively. The observations of Johnston in 

 Tasmania and of Hutton and Clarke in New Zealand are to the 

 effect that Gcdaxias attenuattts descends to the sea periodically to 

 spawn. Mr. Rupert Yallentin has seen shoals of little fishes, 

 which I identify with the Galaxias graciUimus of Canestrini, in 

 the sea at the Falkland Islands. Recently Galaxias brevipinnis 

 has also been found to be marine, G. bollansi, described by 

 Hutton from the Auckland Islands, proving to be identical with 

 this species. 



The Galaxiidee pi-esent many analogies to the Salmonidse of the 

 Northern Hemisphere, both being circumpolar groups of marine 

 origin which are establishing themselves in fresh-watei'. In both 

 families we meet with non-migratory forms which appear to have 

 finally left the sea and with others which return to the sea 

 periodically ; but whilst the migratoiy Salmonidse are anadromous, 

 the migratory Galaxiid^e, on the contrary, are catadromous. 



The enormous range of variation in the fresh-water Salmonidas 

 renders the delimitation of species a matter of great difiiculty, 

 and so it is with the Galaxiidse, with the similar result that a 

 large number of nominal or insufficiently defined species have 

 been described. 



In some species numerous small blackish spots on the body and 

 fins, dtie to the presence of parasitic organisms, are almost always 

 present, and have been mistaken for colour-markings characteristic 

 of the species (e. g. G. lynx and G. olidus). 



The burrowing-habits of a species of Galaxias have been recorded 

 by T. S. Hall (Yict. Nat. xviii. 1900, p. 65), who states that, 

 according to the observations of Mr. Russell Ritchie of Launceston, 

 in Tasmania Galaxias have been dug up in moist peaty soil, and 

 swim when placed in water. As many as twelve at a time have 

 been dug up in one place and lived in water in a pickle-jar for 

 various periods up to three days. The loss of the ventral fins and 

 the small eyes of the New Zealand Neoclianna apoda, which 

 burrows in damp clay, show its special adaptation to similar habits. 



The material on which the present revision is based consists of 

 the specimens in the British Museum, including all the types 

 described by Richardson and by Giinther, as well as a series of 

 specimens from Tasmania, sent by Mr. R. W. Johnston in 1880, 

 representing the species described by him, and typical examples of 

 G. nigothoruk Lucas and G. bollansi Hutton. A large series of 

 specimens has been i-eceived from the Australian Musevim, in- 

 cluding the types of G. occidentalis, G. ivaterhousei, and G. hayi. 



