246 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



the species of Ayres and his own were at least " very closely allied," and evi- 

 dently belonged " to the same genus, whether Merlangus, Merlucius, or Homa- 

 lopomus: ,, he stated that "the natural affinities of the genus Homalopomus 

 are intermediate between Merlangus and Merlucius, the dorsal and anal fins 

 being constructed upon the pattern observed in Merlangus, whilst the ventral 

 fins are identical in structure with those of Merlucius.'''' Had he " not framed 

 the genus under misapprehended affinities" he " would have placed the spe- 

 cies in the genus Merlangus or Merlucius, it was immaterial where, and await 

 further examination upon the Fishes of the North Pacific Ocean." 



The reviewer* has referred the type of Girard positively to the genus Mer- 

 lucius, believing that it was not "immaterial" in what one it should be 

 placed, and, after the requisite comparisons, thinking that a great difference 

 existed, in the " pattern of the dorsal and anal fins" between the Homalo- 

 pomus and Merlangus, while there was none between the former and Mer- 

 lucius. 



In the second volume of the "Catalogue of the Acanthopterygian Fishes 

 in the Collection of the British Museum." Dr. Giinther has proposed a 

 genus of the group Trachinina of the family Trachinidae, for a fish in " bad 

 state," identified by him with the Merlus Gayi of Gruichenot. The new genus 

 was designated Epicopus, and to it were attributed ' ' two dorsals, the first 

 with nine or eleven feeble spines ; ventrals jugular, with one spine and six 

 soft rays ;" "jaws, vomer and palatine bones with strong cardiform teeth ;" 

 " branchiostegal rays six." Dr. Giinther does not at all object to the figure 

 of "Merlus Gayi,'" as he generally does, in referring to a poor figure; and, as 

 that figure represents a fish with an undivided second dorsal and anal fins 

 scarcely decreasing backwards, almost produced behind, with well-branched 

 rays, three slender anal spines, and the caudal peduncle little produced into 

 the fin, it would have been naturally supposed that those characters existed 

 in the specimen examined by Giinther ; that gentleman does not allude to any 

 peculiarity of the upper surface of the head. He, finally, referring to Guiche- 

 not's reference of this species to Merlucius, remarked that he had, " however, 

 convinced (himself) that the first dorsal is composed of rays which are 

 neither articulated nor branched." At the same time, Giinther, in a note to 

 the Trachinina, indicated his belief in the pertinence of Homalopomus to the 

 Trachinina. Influenced by the positive statements of Giinther, the reviewer, 

 in a " Synopsis of the Notothenioids, " and an analysis of Giinther 's family 

 of Trachinidse, referred Epicopus to the family of Latiloidse, a detachment 

 from the Trachinidse. \ 



But, in the fourth volume of the Catalogue of the Fishes in the British Mu- 

 seum, Dr. Giinther announced that his Epicopus Gayi proved to be the "young" 

 of Merluccius vulgaris in "a very bad state of preservation, and without any 

 indication of the locality in which it has been procured. The simple struc- 

 ture of the rays of the first dorsal appears to be peculiar to the young state. J 

 The roughness on the palatine bones were caused by calcareous deposits (the 

 specimen was preserved in chloride of zinc), but there are no true teeth. " 

 The Merlus Gayi is then admitted as a species of Merluccius. To the same 

 genus is also referred in a foot-note, as a doubtful species, Gadus fimbria of 



* Gill, in " American Journal of Science and Arts," ser. 2, vol. xxx. p. 279, 1860 ; and in " Proc. 

 Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila., 1861, p. 614. 



f In the paper cited, there is the reference (*) to a foot-note after Latiloidae, hut the note itself 

 was accidentally omitted. In this note, it was remarked that there were provisionally referred 

 to the Latiloidas the genera Latilus, finguipes, (Latilinas,) Malacanthus, (Malacanthini,) Perco- 

 phis, Aphritis, (Aphritinae ) and Epicopus, hut that each group probably represented a distinct 

 family; and reference was made to the equivocal character of the ventral fins of Epicopus, and 

 the very doubtful relations of the genus. 



| In the smallest specimen of Merlucius bilinearis examined, (about six inches long,) the rays 

 of the first dorsal and the first ventral ray were found to be at least as much bifurcated and at? 

 decidedly articulated as in the adult. 



Giinther, op. cit., iv. p. 346. 



[Sept. 



