46 
FISHES. 
Medusa, gemmed with various dies of refracted light, one might behold submarine groves 
of madrepore, peopled with fish of a most lovely choice and brilliancy of colour, which 
in waving morrice were seen disporting among their branches.” — L. 
At Bow Island a large species of S comber was obtained, of which we have no drawing 
or description. Here the Echeneis Neucrates, L., was figured by Mr. Smyth, who gives 
to it a dusky blue colour above, dusky white beneath, the sides with a rather broad light 
blue streak, above and below which is a narrow brownish streak. 
At Tahiti the Holacantlius Imperator, Lacep., is noticed as having occurred ; and a 
specimen of the Aulostoma Chinensis, Lacep., from the same locality, was preserved by 
Lieut. Belcher. At Oahu, however, many species were observed. Mr. Collie here 
continued his experiments on the Exocoeti, and extended his anatomical observations to 
a fish which “is kept and reared in the Taro ponds, and esteemed very highly by the 
natives, especially the belly part, soaked in salt and water, and eaten raw.” Its native 
name is Ava, and it seems to be nearly allied to, if not identical with, the Butirinus glosso- 
clonta, Cuv. Mr. Lay’s list at this place is very extensive. Among the fishes included in it 
are three species of Mullet, named by the natives Moano, Wickea, and Tumu: the 
former is evidently the (Jpeneus tri-fasciatus, Cuv. and V al., of which the only particulars 
mentioned in addition to those previously known are, that “the pectoral fins are yellow, 
and the iris vermilion” — L. : the Wickea appears to differ from all those described by 
M. Cuvier, but the notes before us are not sufficiently detailed to enable us to do more 
than indicate it as a new species of Upeneus, with “the back reddish green, a yellow 
longitudinal stripe, and the belly reddish-white ; the iris is gilded, and the membrane 
red” — L.: the Tumu apparently resembles the last; “its colour is vermilion, lighter 
beneath, and its lateral line is flagelliform.” — L. A species of Pohjnemus, L., probably 
the Pol. plebeius, Brouss., is known to the natives by the name of Moi, a name singularly 
resembling that of Emoi, by which the species is distinguished, according to Sir 
Joseph Banks, at Tahiti. A Gasterosteus, designated as Urua, is almost unquestion- 
ably new to science: “in front of its dorsal fin are four separate spines, the anterior of 
which is the largest, and placed at a greater distance than the others from the succeeding 
one; the tail is carinated laterally; the caudal fin is large and forked; the pectoral fins 
are long ; there are two spines in front of the anal fin ; the anterior rays of the dorsal 
fin are more than tlmee times the height of the succeeding ones ; the back is ash-coloured, 
and the belly white.” — L. A Chrysophris?, Cuv., known to the natives by the name of 
Reni, is mentioned, A species of Chcetodon, perhaps the Chat. Meyeri, Bl., is 
described under the native name of Titatapu ; and two fishes are doubtingly referred, by 
the names of Araihi and Uii, to the genus Pomaccinthus, Lacfip.; while an allied (?) species 
is spoken of as the Aroiroi. The Ahorehola is probably a species of Pimelepterus, Lacep. 
There are no less than five species of Acanthurus, Bl., mentioned. Of these the 
Torekoreaaud the Pirani resemble by their colours the Ac. nigricans, Bl.; the Nainai, 
probably a new species, is described as “brownish black, with a margined oblong spot 
running parallel with the back from the eye.” — L. The Pakukui, also apparently a 
new species, is “black, with a red and blue line at the base of the dorsal and anal fins ; 
