516 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



Gen. Trachinus Art., Aphritis Cut., Percis Klein. Pingdipes 

 Cuv., Malacanthus Cuv., Heterostichus Gir. 



Familia 123, (3.) Blennoidei. 

 Subfamilia 4. Comephariformes. 



Gen. Comephorus Lac, Pagetodes Richds., an huj loc. 



There certainly is scarcely room for greater differences of opinion than those 

 apparent in the respective arrangements by Gunther and Bleeker of the above 

 enumerated genera. The classification of the latter is so fundamentally different 

 from any other, that it is impossible to equalize or parallel his groups above 

 families with those of other ichthyologists. It can be only remarked that, 

 among the Teleostean fishes of Muller, the orders are of lesa value than those 

 generally accepted by ichthyologists, but, at the same time, all the osseous 

 Ganoids are interposed between the genus Amphisile and the Pectorales pedi- 

 cules of Cuvier, and the other Teleosteans. On further study, it is probable 

 that Dr. Bleeker, with his usual candor, will be himself the first to modify 

 some portions of his classification. Dr. Gunther appears to be correct in ap- 

 proximating to each other many of the above mentioned forms and in separat- 

 ing them from others into which they had been referred, but wrong in collecting 

 them in one family. Some of the allocations which Dr. Bleeker has made in 

 this, as in many other instances, has doubtless resulted from confidence in the 

 correctness of others. One such case is the retention of Heterostichus in the 

 family of Trachinoidei, to which it had been referred by Dr. Girard. That 

 genus is, however, very nearly related to Myxodes of Curier, and is conse- 

 quently a Blennoid. In the monographic synopses of the various groups which 

 it is proposed to publish, the relations of the families here noticed will be more 

 fully discussed. 



Dr. Gunther himself, shortly after the publication of the second volume of 

 " The Catalogue of the Acanthopterygian Fishes," modified his classification 

 of the Trachinidae by introducing an additional subfamily li Nototheniina" 

 in which he included Notothenia and Harpagifer, previously placed in the group 

 of Pseudochromides, and Chcenichthys of the former one of Trachinina. The 

 group so constituted was distinguished by its distinct dorsal fins and inter- 

 rupted lateral line. The modification appears to be an improvement on the 

 former arrangement, but the remarks previously made on the value of the 

 characters of the several types, are equally applicable to the revised classifi- 

 cation. 



We now offer a synopsis of the respective groups which appear to us to be 

 nearly related, and together to constitute a homogeneous and distinct family: 



Lateral line interrupted. Body regularly tapering .Nototheniin^e. 



Abdominal region shorter than head. Dorsal spines slender. .Notothenia. 

 Abdominal region longer than head. Dorsal spine short 



and stout Macronotothen: 



Lateral line continuous. Body subfusiform ElegininjE. 



Abdominal region shorter than head. First dorsal triangu- 

 lar Eleginus. 



The family thus formed appears to be a perfectly natural one, notwithstand- 

 ing the difference of the lateral line. The lateral line of the genus Eleginus 

 may be said to represent the anterior or superior one of Notothenia, con- 

 tinued in an uninterrupted course to the caudal fin. An inferior line runs 

 along the middle of the side of the caudal peduncle in Notothenia, and is often 

 visible a short distance in front of the termination of the higher one. The 

 lateral line may be therefore said to be partly double. But as the presence of 

 two parallel lateral lines is exceedingly uncommon in fishes, and the line of 

 Eleginus is homologous to the upper one of Notothenia if projected backwards, 

 the lower one consequently disappears in the former. 



[Dec. 



