Haast. — On some Undescrihed Fishes of New Zealand. 275 



cat-fish hitherto described, is 29 in. long, 11 in. 9 lines broad, and 7 in. 2 lines 

 high. 



Description of Species. 

 D. 16; A. U; P. 22; C. 11; V. 5. 

 Length of the head is four times in the total ; teeth large and bent 

 inwards in several rows, but not closely set ; six branchiostegals ; three strong 

 spines on the inferior margin of the prseoperculum, two below the mandibula, 

 and two on the throat ; head partly rugose and covered with numerous grains 

 starting from star-like centres and forming regular figures ; one dorsal, of which 

 the rays are slight and entire, whilst those of the ventral, pectoral, and anal 

 fins are strong and branched ; lateral line straight, and only slightly bent 

 down near its junction with the caudal. From the neck and the anterior 

 portion of the lateral line, which stands well above the skin, start numerous, 

 raised flat lines, branching repeatedly and diminishing gradually, the whole 

 forming an elegant pattern ; interorbital space deeply excavated ; scales none.. 

 Head and back of a brown olive colour, with darker undefined spots ; 

 sides and abdomen and tins light brownish yellow.. The upper surface of 

 the body is like the head remarkably flat. 



Leptoscopus huttonii.* sp. nov., 

 D. 31 ; A. 36; L. lat., 88 (44). 



Length four and a quarter times that of the head, which is eight times 

 the diameter of the eye. A strong and well pointed humeral spine ; caudal 

 rays branched (and in specimen B. also ventral rays) ; the scales of the 

 lateral line twice as large as. those of the adjoining series, each, corresponding 

 to the transverse series. 



The Canterbury Museum possesses two speciinens, which were both caught 

 in the river Avon. The smaller one (A), presented by Mr. E. Barker, of New 

 Brighton, is 11 in. long, and was caught near that locality. 



Colour. — ^Head above and back dark olive green, the posterior portion of 

 the latter becoming gradually lighter ; cheeks, sides and abdomen white, the 

 lateral line dark olive throughout, forming the division between the two 

 colours ; anterior portion of sides, above pectoral fins, below lateral line olive 

 green, gradually shading off into white, with a few darker spots near the 

 junction ; pectoral fins above dark olive, nearly black, below white ; anal fin 

 white ; dorsal fin white, with dark olive green rays and a fringe of the same 

 colour ; caudal fin — -central portion white, with a dark line entering it at the 

 base as a continuation of the lateral line for a third of its length, upper and 

 lower portion dark olive green, like body. 



* Named in honour of Captain Hutton, F.G.S., author of "Catalogue of New Zealand 

 Fishes." 



