] 82 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



fine, projects -^-^'va. behind vertical from posterior margin of orbit, breadth 

 one-sixth of extreme length from snout. Sub-operculum rounded in outline, 

 preoperculum slightly sinuous, margin and lower lirnb distinct ; tail forked. 

 Fins, dorsal and pectoral dirty slate colour, with black on margin and in 

 streaks ; adipose and caudal black or nearly so ; ventral and anal fins 

 white ; all small and fine as compared to size of fish ; dorsal and tail with 

 ragged and comb-like margms. 



Dimensions : Weight, 1^ lbs. ; length, 15j-Liii- ; depth, 3 in. ; girth, 8in.; 

 head, 3 in. long. 



Teeth: Eemarkably fine and delicate, points hke needles; two present 

 and one gone on head of vomer, row along body of vomer ; rows on 

 palatines, maxillary and mandible. 



Fin rays: D.ll, P.13, V.9, A.IO, C.19, with the usual 6 or 7 sub-rays 

 at root of tail or caudal fin. 



Length of fins : D.lf, P.2, V-l^^, A.l^ in. 



Scales : 16 in transverse row from adipose fin back to lateral line. L. lat. 

 138, L. trans. f§. 



Branchiosteyous rays, 10. Pyl. cceca not examined, to avoid injuring fish. 



4. S. triitta. A female, netted by Chinamen in Sawyer's Bay, Otago 

 Harbour, April 27th, 1880. 



General description : Inform, a remarkably handsome fish ; very fat, deep 

 in the flank, and so full in body as to dwarf in appearance the tail and fins. 

 Back arched; head very small, fine and clean cut, only one fifth the extreme 

 leugth of fish ; dorsal and caudal fins ragged and comb-like in margin ; caudal 

 fin slightly forked. Colour : Steel grey, with blue tint on head and back, 

 white sides and pure white belly ; bright silver coating of deciduous and 

 characteristic scales over the whole body- — except where rubbed off. Lateral 

 line distinct and raised. Dorsal, adipose, and caudal fins light blueish black. 

 Pectoral white, with blue-black streaks ; ventral, white ; anal white, with 

 light-bluish streaks in middle. A good deal of steel-blue colour about head 

 and along scales on back. Spots: A few black ones, a;-shaped, situated above 

 and below lateral line ; two round ones on gill-covers ; a few on posterior 

 part of dorsal fin, but none on adipose or tail ; no red spots. Head : Silvery 

 in colour, and small in size. Eye, small and round; pupil, black; iris, olive- 

 coloured. Maxillary fine, broad and flat ; projects very slightly behind 

 vertical from posterior margin of orbit. Mandible slightly longer than 

 maxillary, and inchned to project into a hook. Opercula rounded in margin. 

 Suboperculum nearly a sector of a circle. Preoperculum slightly sinuous 

 in margin. Lower limb not defined. Contents of stomach : A small quantity 

 of white mucus only. Roe-lobes very small, just about 1 to 1|- inches 



