Cranxz.—On a new Fish found at Hokitika. 295 
tion. All were in the same proportion as the one above described, and 
varied but little in size; but were generally much mutilated by attrition on 
the sand and shingly beach. 
Art. XXVI.—On a new Fish found at Hokitika. By F. E. CLARKE. 
Plate XIV. 
[Read before the Westland Institute, 8th January, 1879.) 
Tur fish, hereafter described, and thé occurrence of which on the West 
Coast of New Zealand I have the honour to bring under your notice this 
evening, is interesting on account of its being the first of its genus dis- 
covered in the seas of the southern hemisphere, or, in fact, in any other but 
European waters. 
Hitherto they have been found off the coasts of Norway, Scotland and 
islands (very rarely), and the Mediterranean, in which sea 2 common 
variety occurs, which is notable as affording the silvery pigment formerly 
used in the manufacture of artificial pearls. 
The first British specimen was noted by Yarrell in 1837, and was caught 
off Rothsay in the Isle of Bute, and British specimens have been but few in 
number since then. It is stated that all specimens obtained there, and off 
the coast of Norway, occur usually after severe and cold wintry weather, 
and this kind of weather ushered in the arrival of our species which was 
found washed on shore on the South Spit, Hokitika, 6th August, 1878, by 
W. Duncan, waterman, and was kindly brought under my notice by Capt. 
Turnbull harbour master, under the impression that it was one of the 
young Californian salmon lately liberated in the river. It turned out to be 
one of the Salmonide, though not the one wished for. 
As far as can be arrived at, by comparison with descriptions, ete., our 
specimen agrees very well, except some ill-defined peculiarities, with the 
Hebrides variety, and it would be of excessive interest to have more proof 
than mere imagination, that our antipodean species had gradually worked 
its way “sub mare” in those cold lower strata of water to our coasts. 
The specimen has been forwarded as a “type” to the Colonial Museum, 
Wellington. 
Argentina. 
Seales rather large; cleft of mouth small; intermaxillaries and maxillaries 
very short, not extending to below the orbit; eye large; jaws without teeth, 
an arched series of minute teeth across the head of the vomer, and on the 
fore part of the palatines; tongue armed with a series of small curved teeth 
on each side (except in one species); dorsal fin short, in advance of the 
ventrals; caudal deeply forked, 
