Arthur. — On the Picton Herring. 211 



Teeth. — None perceptible to touch, but mandible rough. 



Contents of stomach. — Mass of brown granules same as in No. 2 and 3. 

 Air-bladder silvery. Pyl. caac, 69, but so much decayed as to be doubtful. 



In April last, a fish caught at Otago Heads was given by Mr. Jewit, 

 fishmonger, Dunedin, to Mr. Hugh Maclean, who, on having it cooked and 

 eaten, was of opinion that it was a real herring. I did not see it, and it is 

 impossible now to decide its species, only that I understand the fishmonger 

 called it a Picton herring, which it probably was. However, on the 20th 

 November, 1882, I got possession of an undoubted Picton herring from Mr. 

 Maclean, and which had been taken in Otago Harbour ; and the following 

 is a description of it : — 



In form, fusiform, dorsal outline nearly straight, belly curved from 

 mouth to ventral fin deeply ; head triangular in profile and transversely, 

 interorbital space straight, broad and flat ; fine strise on operculum pointing 

 to origin of pectoral fin, opercula same as in above specimens ; mouth 

 small and opening to three-quarters of an inch ; maxillary fine, curved and 

 with circular end ; mandible projects slightly ; eye ^j inch in diameter and 

 situated close to ridge or interorbital space, pupil blue, iris yellow, 

 depressed in cavity of orbit, transparent covering disc same as in specimen 

 No. 1., only the opening or slit was much wider being equal to half diameter 

 of eye. Fins fine, clear and delicately formed, dorsal and pectoral finely 

 pointed ; origin of ventral at vertical from base of eighth dorsal ray ; 

 caudal or tail-fin very much forked and having four scales as in above 

 examples. No serrature of abdominal outline, but bony scales present or 

 derruo-hsemal processes under true scales as figured above, overlapping and 

 having short end pointing tailwise from pectoral to anal fin. No lateral 

 line visible, but eight distinct bands parallel to axis of fish from gill open- 

 ings to base of caudal, blue in colour along back and more or less distinctly 

 spotted with marks of an indigo hue ; those towards the belly lighter and 

 greenish in colour, but without spots. In colour, back an indigo, sides and 

 belly white, but the whole with a covering of silvery scales, nacreous under 

 certain lights. 



Dimensions.— W. 2± oz. ; L. 8 T V in. ; D.lfisi G. 3^ ; 1. d. of T., & ; 

 head, 1 t 6 q. 



Finrays.— D, 18or 165; P, 17; V, 8; A, 17; C, 19; Br., 7. Lengths— 

 D, l^o ; P, 1 ; V, 3% ; A, ^ ; C, long ray, 1 T %, s.r., £>, spread, 1^. 



Teeth. — None perceptible to touch about the mouth anywhere. 



Scales. — Lat. 1. 60 ; trans. 1. 12 ; large and irregularly rounded, over- 

 lapping. 



Vert. — 36, but incomplete owing to some getting astray before examina- 

 tion, and so lost. 



