248 Transactions, — Zoology. 



angle of the mouth and ending in a spinous process ; the inferior edge of the 

 lower jaw is serrate ; infraorbital space scaled, the opercula naked with all 

 the lower free edges serrate. 



A strong ridge with eighteen rough scales extends from the isthmus to the 

 ventrals. The groove for the reception of the dorsal is bounded by twenty-six 

 oblique spinous scales, and that for the anal by twenty similar scales each 

 having four minute spines, the first being longest. 



The first dorsal spine is short, the second long, being half the length of the 

 head. The ventral spine is the same length, the anal spine being one-third. 

 The second dorsal spine is compressed, with a sharp anterior edge. Soft dorsal 

 does not begin with a spine. 



The length of the caudal part of the body equals the orbital diameter, and 

 has three short pointed spines above and below the base of the caudal, which 

 is rounded. Scales very narrow and rough. Teeth very minute. 



Colour silvery, with a black crescent behind the pectoral, which is very 

 small and rounded. There is also a black line along the base of the doreal and 

 anal, and a patch on the base of the caudal. 



The depressed interorbital space, shorter form, and different number of fin 

 spines are the chief characters on which this fish is separated from the only 

 other species of the genus — P. cultivatus, of which only two specimens are 

 recorded from Norfolk Island. 



Total length, 3 inches. 



Dredged by H.M.S. Challenger Expedition in 400 fathoms off Cape 

 Farewell. 



32. Scomber australasicus, C. and V., is caught in large numbers on dark 

 nights in spring between Wangarei and the Bay of Islands, where it is known 

 as the Tawatawa. 



36d. LEPTOSCOPUS ROBSONI. sp. nov. 



P. 21 ; D. 34 ; A. 39. 



Length equal to seven times the height, and four times the length of the 

 head, which is two and a half times its greatest breadth ; the eyes are lateral 

 and equal in diameter to the interorbital distance ; teeth in several rows, 

 with a cluster of long incurved teeth in the middle of the upper jaw, and an 

 irregular outer row of strong incurved teeth in the lower jaw ; vomer smooth, 

 labial cirri liardly discernible. Colour grey, spotted with light-brown, light- 

 grey beneath. 



Length, 4*5 inches. 



Cape Campbell. Collected by Mr. Robson, light-house keeper, in 1874. 



This fish differs from L. angusticepSy Hutton, in the narrow interorbital 

 space, the strong teeth, and almost total absence of cirri on the lij), but it 

 might be the immature form of that species. 



