1905.] 



OF THE FAMILY GALAXIID^E. 



369 



Zealand and neighboiu-ing islands, Falkland Ts., Tierra del Fuego, 

 Patagonia, and Chile. 



With the type of the species, which I have been enabled to 

 examine through the courtesy of Dr. S. F. Harmer, I have com- 

 pared the types of G. scriba, for permission to examine which I 

 am indebted to Prof. L. Yaillant, of G. ivaterhousei, kindly lent by 

 the Director of the Australian Museum, and of G. krefftii and 

 G. j^unctatus, preserved in the British Museum. 



The varying size of the eye in preserved specimens is sometimes 

 due to the method of preservation ; often the eye tends to protrude 

 and the circular fold surrounding it is stretched or broken, thus 

 apparently increasing the size of the eye. In the type of G. sa'iha, 

 which measures only 74 mm. in total length, the eye is slightly 

 more than ^ the length of head. 



The Kew Zealand race may usually be distinguished by the 

 following characters : — Head moderate (5|-6^ in the length in 

 specimens of 65-135 mm.) ; eye rather large (3|-4| in the length 

 of head) ; ventrals nearly always nearer to tip of snout than to 

 base of caudal ; dorsal and anal fins almost triangular in shape, 

 the rays decreasing from the first branched ray, which is the largest, 

 to the last, which is very short, the free edge of the fin being 

 straight ; caudal distinctly emarginate. 



The Australian race often shows a slightly longer head (5-6 in 

 the length in specimens of 70-170 mm.) and a slightly larger eye ; 

 the ventrals are sometimes equidistant from tip of snout and base 

 of caudal, sometimes a little nearer to one or the other ; the dorsal 

 and anal fins are often more rounded than in the New Zealand 

 form, the anterior branched rays being longer and decreasing in 

 length less rapidly, the last ray also being longer ; the caudal is 

 usually not quite so distinctly emarginate. 



The South American race seems perhaps to difier from the New 

 Zealand one in having a slightly smaller head {^h-^h, ^^ *^® length 

 in specimens of 55-110 mm.) and a smaller eye (3|-4|- in the length 

 of head). 



Galaxias vet^sicolor Oasteln. (Proc. Zool. Soc. Victoria, i. 1872, 

 p. 176) is probably allied to G. attenuatus, agreeing in the small 

 head (5j^^ in the total length), small mouth (the maxillaiy just 



