Prof. Kaup on new Genera and Species of Fishes. 271 



hind the middle of the body. The margin of the indistinct anal 

 fin shows rows of points. The lower parts of many of the 

 chevrons blackish in the furrows ; punctured with black towards 

 the caudal extremity. Both the dorsal and ventral margins are 

 notched in an undulating manner ; the latter is of an orange- 

 colour. 



Leptocephalus Morrisi, Penn. 



Following YarrelPs example, I unite L. Spallanzani, Risso, 

 with L. Morrisi. In the ' Ichthyologie de Nice/ Risso described 

 a fish under the latter name, which, as C. Bonaparte remarks, 

 does not belong to it • but where it is to be placed, Bonaparte 

 could not determine any more than myself. The Lepidopus 

 pellucidus, Risso, from the description of which the name Kama- 

 rina and whole passages of the text have been transferred into 

 the description of Leptocephalus Spallanzani, likewise remains a 

 doubtful species, although Risso cites it under his L. Spallanzani. 

 Bad as is the figure of L. pellucidus in the ' Ichthyologie de Nice/ 

 it cannot be believed that it was drawn from a true Spallanzani 

 or Morrisi. It is also very probable that Rafinesque has de- 

 scribed this fish, which is common at Messina, in his ' Caratteri / 

 but there is no loss to science in leaving his very bad descriptions 

 undisturbed in this genus. According to the reports of Hseckel 

 and Keferstein, this species, like all the rest, lives in the open 

 sea, and not in the sea- weed. They are caught in bottles by 

 boys whilst bathing. 



The diagnosis of this species, which is difficult to characterize, 

 might be as follows : — Head large, with an obtuse, projecting 

 snout ; black points at the apices of the muscular chevrons, and 

 along the intestine ; fine points at the root of the anal and the 

 end of the dorsal fins ; caudal fin pointed. 



It is impossible to say more than this, for there are no other 

 characters on which we can rely. There are individuals with 

 teeth, with traces of teeth, and without teeth ; others in which 

 the body, and others, again, in which the tail is longest. In 

 confirmation of this, I give the measurements of twelve indi- 

 viduals : — 



Even the series of points along the vertebral column is not 

 reliable ; it very often disappears . beyond the anus, but is still 

 always distinctly visible towards the end of the tail. 



