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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 Scomber was obtained, of which we have no drawing
or description. Here tbe Echeneis Nencrates, 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 whicli is a narrow brownisli streak.
A t Tahiti the Holacantlius Imperator, Lac6p., is noticed as having occurred; and a
specimen of the Aulostoma Chinensis, Lacep., from the same locality, was preserved by
Lieut. Belcher. A t Oahu, however, many species weie observed. Mr. Collie here
continued his experiments on the Exocaii, and extended his anatomical observations to
a fish which “ is kept and reared in tbe 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, aud it seems to be nearly allied to, if not identical with, the Bufirinus glosso-
donta, 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, AVickea, and Tumu: the
former is evidently the Upeneus tri-fasciatus, Cuv. and Val., 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 Z7pe«e«s, 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 tbe 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, a t Tahiti. A Gasterosteus, designated as Urua, is almost unquestionably
new to science: “ in front of its dorsal fin are four separate spines, tbe anterior of
which is the largest, and placed at a greater distance than tbe others from the succeeding
one; tbe 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 three times the height of tbe 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 Chaiodon, perhaps the Chat. Meyeri, BL, is
described under the native name of T ita ta p u ; and two fishes are doubtingly referred, by
the names of Araihi and Uii, to the genus Pomacanthus, Lacep.; while an allied (?) species
is spokenof astheAroiroi. Tbe Ahorehola is probably a species of Pimelepterus,hachp.
There are no less than five species of Acanthurus, BL, mentioned. Of these tbe
Torekorea and tbe Pirani resemble by their colours tbe 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
hew species, is “ black, with a red and blue line at the base of the dorsal and anal fins ;
, , . • I tl.p soine red, and the candal fin crossed by bars of red,
the cauda ,.'“ 1 fifth is Evidently the Ac. triostegus. Scbn.; it is d e s c rib ^
" ! a'vi"” “ the'head of an ash-brow„ colour, the sides ash, the back light-green, the
as havnig the neau transverse curved bands
belly white, as are “ ^ ‘ „ /e a c h side of the head.”- L .
of brown, an as a Labrus whicli are mentioned, we find several
A m o n g th e s p e c .e s o f “ fo a r e p ro b a b ly r e f e r a b l e to th e g e n u s L a b r u s ..
‘“ I M C L T h e s e a i L i p o a , '■ r e d L o w n , w ith c u r v e d lin e s o f c lo u d e d
w r/sp o t l ^ l h ^ h e a / n t a r k e d with ma'rbled lines of blue ; tail forkcT’- L . ; and the
Upureraori “ with the head between the eyes green, its sides with undu ating lines of
b l L ■ tiie b o d y b row n ish r e d , w ith w a v y t r a n s v e r s e lin e s o f b lu e ; th e c a u d a l fin y e llow ish
“ ra rd s the end.”- L . To J.dis, Cuv., the following may be referred w. h some degree
o f c e r t a i n l v H in a le luw a liin e , o f a “ d ilu te b lu e , w ith wa v y tr a n s v e r s e lin e s o f r e d (a
wave in eadi scale); head dilute red”- ! . . ; Akidolo,“ purple, witl, margined long.tad.nal
l i n e s o f m a rb le d r e d " - L . ; a n u n n am e d s p e c ie s a llie d \o J u lts G u r n a r d , Q u o y a n d G a im .,
bv the “ lenoth of the first ray of its dorsal fin, which is twice as great as that of the
sncceedino- rays ■” but dilfcring remarkably in its colours, “ the body being olive-gieen,
chenuered°with red-brown lines, and dabbed with spots ol’greenish white; the c u n is
marked with large white sp o ts; and its head is elevated m the same manner as that of
the Coris Aygula, laacep.”- L . ; Cluimaoli, which appears to be the J n h s ^M a r i s , Q.
and G., described as Laving “ the head depressed between the eyes; the belly
the back of a darker colonr; a bright yellow spot above each
ocelli near tho tail”- L . ; and thePalemo, apparently allied tothe ja lis hallcalm, Q. and
G in which “ the head is green, with marbled lines of bine, depressed between the
eyes; back dark purple, belly lighter; a broad orange vitta margined with blue on
each side of the body, commencing a t the pectoral fin; a bridle of purp e under he
chin; caudal fin, orange; a sharp tooth ot each corner of the mouth. L Ut
the Lanihi, Ju lh bifer, n„ a specimen was preserved, which is described and figured
in a succeeding part of the volume. There was also observed a Gonip/iosus apparently
the Gomph. caruleus, Lacfip. Of two species of Scarus, L ., one, known
to the natives by the name of Oaaa, has “ tbe back and upper parts purple, and
the under parts red” - L . ; the second. Aoawela. has “ the crown ol the head blue, imd
its sides and under part marked witli undulating lines of the same colour; the opercpum
is red ; and the bodv and fins are blue, each scale having a lunate .spot of brown; the
connate teeth, or te¡sellated bony jaws, are said to have “ two projecting teeth on the
upper, and one on the lower”—L .; thus offering apparently an approach to the still
more decomposed form in which these singular teeth occur in the genus Calliodon, Cuv.
The onlyother Acaiithopterygian fish mentioned in Mr. Lay’s notes is the N nnu, a species
of Fistularia. L., about two feet in length. Tbe Malaoopterygian fishes are much
inferior in number. They include only five species. One of these is a Hemirhamphus,
Cuv. from a portion of which, preserved by Mr. Lay. sufficient characters have been
obtained to indicate it as a distinct race. The others are all referable to the .family
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