fish. 



93 



posterior extremity, and cut nearly square, reaching to beyond the middle. Lower jaw a little 

 the longest, and ascending to meet the upper. Several rows of sharp velutine teeth in each 

 jaw, with some here and there stronger and more hooked than the others, those below almost 

 fine card : a band on the vomer and on each palatine. Tongue of a triangular form, free and 

 pointed at the tip, with a ridge of asperities down the median line. Eyes high, but hardly inter- 

 rupting the line of the profile ; their diameter one-fifth the length of the head ; distant one 

 diameter from the end of the snout. No filamentous appendages of any kind on any part of the 

 head ; but an irregular circle of pores nearly surrounding the orbit ; also a few very distinct pores 

 beneath the lower jaw. Preopercle rounded, with distant pores along the margin. Opercle 

 terminating posteriorly in a sharp salient angle with the basal margin ascending ; beneath which 

 the subopercle and interopercle are both very distinct. Branchial membrane free and open all 

 round, not adhering to the isthmus underneath, but deeply notched in the middle. 



The dorsal commences in a line with the posterior point of the gill-cover, and is very 

 similar to that of Clinus. Spinous portion long, and, excepting the first two rays, of nearly 

 uniform height, equalling nearly half the depth ; the membrane deeply notched between the 

 spines, the tips of which are invested with filamentous tags. Soft portion of the dorsal more 

 elevated than the spinous, and with only four rays. Between the end of this fin and the caudal 

 is a small space equalling nearly two-thirds of the depth beneath. The anal commences under 

 the twelfth dorsal spine, and exactly corresponds to the posterior half of that fin, reaching also 

 to the same point. The spines in both fins are sharp and moderately strong ; the soft rays 

 articulated and branched, and terminating rather in a point behind. Caudal rounded, with four- 

 teen branched rays, and a few shorter simpler ones. Pectorals one-seventh of the entire length, 

 rounded when spread open, with all the rays except the last branched. Ventrals narrow and 

 pointed, about the same length as the pectorals, and inserted but very little in advance of those 

 fins: the spine well developed, and half the length of the soft rays : first soft ray long, and 

 deeply divided so as to appear like two ; the second ray slender and shorter. 



Body covered with very minute scales; but none on the head or on any of the fins. Three 

 very distinct lateral lines, with a portion of a fourth, as already stated above. 

 B. 6 ; D. 20/4 ; A. 9/4 ; C. 10, &c. ; P. 17 ; V. 1/2. 

 Length 3 inc. 8 lin. 

 Colour.— Not noticed in the recent state. In spirits it appears of a nearly uniform bister brown, 

 with the fins and some portion of the head darker than the rest, especially a blackish spot on 

 the opercle. 



Habitat, Bay of Islands, New Zealand. 



There are four specimens of this new fish in the collection, all similar except 

 in size. The above is the largest. The others measure in length from one inch 

 and three quarters, to not quite three inches. The two largest are from the Bay 

 of Islands, New Zealand. The other two have lost their labels : I only presume 

 therefore that they are from the same locality. 



