RECORDS OF tV.A. MUSEUM. 
[237 
third, obtained at Shark Beach in Port Jackson, N.S.W., in 1899, 
was described under the name oi R. glesne by E. R. Waite (Rec. 
Austr. Mus., Ill, p. 163), whilst it appears that a fourth was 
stranded below the lighthouse at Cape Everard, in Victoria, in 
1896 (Melbourne Leader, Aug. i, 1896, p. 7). The present is there- 
fore the fifth Australian specimen to be recorded in print, but from 
information obtained by Mr. O. Lipfert it would appear that a 
specimen was washed up on the beach at Bunbury, W.A., some 
ten or twelve years ago. Mr. Lipfert’s informant states that he 
was on the beach with one or two other men when they observed 
the fish swimming on the surface, that as it neared the shore a 
shark bit the middle pottion of the body right through, that the 
two halves were soon afterwards washed upon the beach and that 
he had the long oar-bones in his possession for many year.s after- 
wards. 
The only specimen of Regalecns which has previously been 
recorded from the Indian Ocean was obtained at Vizagapatnam, in 
March, 1788. It. remains the unique specimen of Regalecus nissellit, 
Shaw, characterised especially by the presence of a distinct caudal 
fin. As it was only 2 feet 8 inches long it is possible that R. 
nisselln was founded on a very young example and that the caudal 
fin is lost in later life. The tail is, however, so fragile that very 
few, if any, other examples have been obtained in which it is 
perfect. 
Most recent authorities who have dealt with the genus have 
agreed that it is better to regard all the examples known, with the 
possible exception of if. russellii, as forms of one variable species, 
if. glesne, Ascan. 
The present example falls within the limits of v^ariability 
assigned to this species by Goode and Bean in their “Oceanic 
Ichthyology ” in all respects, except the smaller number of dorsal 
rays, but it would not agree with any one of the other species 
described from Australasia. 
As in most other examples our specimen was not perfect, as 
the fragile crest, the long ventral fins and the tip of the tail were all 
broken. The two former breakages had evidently occurred when 
the fish was washed ashore, and portions of the crest and oars were 
obtained with the fish. The tail, however had been broken at some 
former period, within a few inches of the tip and had subsequently 
healed. 
