NATURAL HISTORY. 
627 
Fam. Raioe Raid nasuta, (whai,) the rays attain a very large 
size, being often several feet in diameter ; the stingy ray, 
so called from its having a barbed spear beneath the tail, 
with which it inflicts very severe wounds, often proving fatal ; 
it abounds in all the shallow bays. 
Fam. Myliob abides has the Myliobatatis, Nieu hofii , (Raia 
macro cephala , Ranks,) which is a variety of the same order 
belonging to the New Zealand seas. 
Fam. Cyclostomi has the Tuere , ( Heptatrema domberyii,) 
found in Dusky Bay, and also in Cook's Straits, it is about 
two feet long, has several small feelers attached to the head, 
and a broad flat tail, the color is dark brown, and the body 
of uniform thickness ; it is known as the mud eel, and is 
remarkable for its power of emitting slime to such an extent 
as completely to envelop it. 
Fam. Gyclopeterus is a small fish which has two rows of 
suckers along the* entire length of the belly, by which it can 
attach itself to rocks, and avoid being carried away by the 
force of the waves ; it is two inches long, of a beautiful 
silvery color, and is often thrown up on the shores in im- 
mense numbers. 
Fam. Petromyzidce, (. Pihapiharau ,) the Lamprey, which is 
found in most of the rivers to the south. 
Such is a brief list of the fish of the New Zealand seas which 
have been classed; there are, however, many others remaining 
to be so, at present only known from native account; of such 
is the Tarau, a ganoid fish, two-and-a-half feet long, found 
among the rocks at Taranaki, where it lays concealed ; the 
natives speak of it as a very rich oily fish, to obtain it they 
go into the water breast deep, and place a basket at one end 
of the hole between two rocks, where it is known to resort, 
whilst another drives it in by poking it out of its lair ; it will 
not take the hook, nor can it be caught by the net ; this fish 
has only pectoral fins, and a very small caudal one, the scales 
are large and thick, they are disposed in plates, those on the 
head radiating from a centre one, the natives describe the 
scales as being placed like those of the lizard, the eyes are 
small ; this description is corroborated by a gentleman who 
s s 2 
