File:Transactions and proceedings of the New Zealand Institute (1869) (14769746223).jpg

Identifier: transactionsproc21869newz (find matches)
Title: Transactions and proceedings of the New Zealand Institute
Year: 1868 (1860s)
Authors: New Zealand Institute (Wellington, N.Z
Subjects: Science Birds
Publisher: Wellington : J. Hughes, Printer
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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state thatthis skeleton always appeared to me to present rather an ideal, than a natural,form, as it seemed out of proportion, and deficient in framework. The fragments I have now presented to the Colonial Museum, are part,therefore, of the second specimen that has come under my personal notice. In Dr. Giinthers Catalogue, Vol. ii., 1860, the Xiphiidm form theeighteenth family of the A canthopterygian, or soft-finned fishes, divided intotwo genera, containing eight species. The British Museum appears to possessonly the following specimens :— I. Xiphias. (a.) Seven feet long. Stuffed. Margate.(6.) Half-grown. Stuffed,(c.) Upper jaw of a large specimen. (d.) Six inches long. Not a good specimen. Caught in Long.22° W., Lat. 2° K Presented by J. B. Jukes, Esq. II. Histiophorus.Herchellii— (a.) Eleven feet long. Stuffed. Table Bay. Purchased of Mr. Smuts. Type of the species.(6.) Head (thirty-seven inches long),(c.) Anterior portion of a skull of a specimen of the same size. Gladius-
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15 Gladius— (a.) Eight feet long. Stuffed. Indian Ocean. Type of species. (b.) Seven feet long. Stuffed. Cape of Good Hope. (c.) Dorsal fin. New South Wales (?). Presented by Dr. G. Bennett.(d.) Snout. Dried. In quoting the numerous authorities describing the species, Dr. Giinther,amongst others, includes:—Penn., British Zool., iii., p. 216, pi. 30 ; Knox,Edin. Journal; Nat. and Geo. Society, ii., p. 427. Thus the material for scientific observation in the British Museum isextremely limited, with regard to the XipJdidce. I may here remark, that inmy brothers (the late Professor Robert Knox) description, the comparativeanatomy would, to a certainty, be given ; and if so, I would have thought Dr.Giinther would have availed himself of it. INTEGUMENTARY COVERINGS AND DERMAL PRODUCTIONS. The portion of the integuments, placed in the Museum, occupied theanterior part of the dorsal line, corresponding to the neck, reaching from thehead, to and past the dorsal fin. I observed no appearanctransactionsproc21869newz

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