TRACHYPTERID^E. 221 



the fish this part was entire, and that there "was no tail fin whatever. The edges 

 could be pressed together, and seemed to fit " (Hancock). Teeth absent. Fins 

 the dorsal commences on the forehead above the middle of the eyes : its first ten 

 or twelve rays are produced even in females, exceeding the greatest height of the 

 fish in length, the anterior ones being higher than the posterior ones ; they are 

 connected by a membrane which is continued along the entire extent of their 

 posterior surface, and end superiorly in a cutaneous lobe. The remainder of the 

 rays of the dorsal fin are of an almost uniform height at first, but decrease 

 considerably in the last portion of the fin. Pectoral situated rather nearer the 

 ventral surface of the body than to the lateral-line, its rays simple and short. 

 Ventral consists of one long spine, equalling about one-third of the entire length 

 of the fish, along the inner margin of which the membrane is continued, 

 and ends posteriorly in a cutaneous lobe.* Caudal absent. ' Skin covered with 

 a silvery deciduous pigment, which under the microscope appears like the scales 

 on the wing of a moth. The skin is studded with numerous bony tubercles, 

 irregularly arranged, replaced near the head by depressed indurations. Four 

 indurated ridges pass along the body above the lateral-line. Along the lower 

 edge of the body are numerous rough tubercles. Lateral-line descends gradually 

 from above the eye to the middle of the body, and is continued to its caudal 

 extremity. Stomach elongated and dividing posteriorly is continued back- 

 wards between the muscles to within a short distance of the caudal end of 

 the fish. Colours "uniform silver-gray all over, resembling bright tin-foil or 

 white Dutch metal, except a few irregular dark spots and streaks towards the 

 anterior part of the body. On closer inspection the remains of a bright iridescence 

 were seen about the pectoral fins and head, the blue tint predominating" (Han. &c). 

 Round the posterior margin of the preopercle a broadish dusky mark on the skin, 

 and near the top of the head above the eye a crescentic mark of a dark iridescent 

 blue colour; besides those on the side of the body there were several narrow, 

 Vdusky black, slightly waved lines considerably apart from each other, and obliquely 

 inclined from before backward, eight being above the lateral- line, but more 

 numerous below it, also some spots. 



The Amble specimen, according to Mr. Wright, was 13 feet 4f inches long. Its 

 height at the gills was about 10 , and in its deepest part near the middle of the 

 fish 11 in the total length. Its greatest thickness one-third of its height. 

 Dorsal rays 236, connected by a thin and delicate membrane. The first ten rays 

 were much longer than the rest, and formed quite a crest : the first was 24 inches 

 long, the others were broken. Pectoral 11 rays, and each ventral a very long and 

 spine-like ray 4 feet long, with a small oval, leaf-like expansion at its end. Vent 

 nearly 6 feet from the end of the snout. Eye \\ inches in diameter. Mouth 

 very protrusible. No teeth observed in the jaws. 



November 12th, 1812, a fish was found on the beach on the shores of the 

 Moray Firth, which Hoy considered, to be Trichiurus lepturus, and described as 

 follows. Its head had been broken off and was quite gone : a small bit of the 

 gills only remained about the upper part of the throat, from whence to the 

 extremity of the tail its length was 12 feet 9 inches : its breadth (height), 

 \\\ inches, was nearly equal for the first 6 feet in length from the gills, 

 diminishing gradually from thence to the tail, which ended in a blunt point, 

 without any of those bristles which projected from the tail of the one found 

 formerly : its greatest thickness was 2 inches : the distance from the gills to the 

 anus 46 inches. The dorsal fin extended from the head to the tail, but was 

 much torn and broken : the bones and muscles to which the pectoral fins had 

 been attached were perceivable very near the gills. There were no ventral nor 

 anal fins, but the thin edge of the belly was closely muricated with small hard 

 points, which, though scarcely visible through the skin, were very plainly felt all 

 along it. Both sides of the fish were white, with four longitudinal bars of a 

 darker colour : the one immediately below the dorsal fin was about 2 inches 



* Professor Collett observes (MSS.) that his impression is that in the example be examined, 

 a cutaneous membrane extended along the entire inner side of the ventral spine, ending in three 

 lobes, tach distinct and pointed. 



