Shufeldt — Robert Collett on PterycombuH brama Fries. 45 



since 1880 but two specimens of this species have been found on the 

 coasts of Norway, both in 1895. 



One of these was found floating on the surface of the water about the 

 middle of April, 1895, at Alderen (coast of Helgeland, Nordland), and 

 was sent to the museum in Trondhjem. The other was found in Nord- 

 Reisen in October, 1895, and was sent to the Tromso Museum, which in 

 turn donated it to the Royal Natural History Collection in Stuttgart, 

 where it is now to be found. 



The first-named of these specimens I had an opportunity to examine in 

 the Trondhjem Museum in July of the same year, was in excellent condi- 

 tion, and so well preserved that the natural colors still persisted nearly 

 throughout. It was apparently adult, and of an average size. Its measure- 

 ments were as follows : Total length, 375 mm. Length to the tip of the mid- 

 dle caudal ray. 323 mm.; to the distal end of the spinal column, 290 mm. 

 Height of the body (to the terminal line of the scales), 158 mm. ; to the 

 base of the rays, 143 mm. Length of head, 83 mm. Diameter of an 

 orbit, 32 mm. Diameter of postorbital depth of head, 35 mm. Length 

 of premaxilla, 42 mm. ; mandible, 29 mm. Longest of the dorsal rays 

 ( the 21st), 135 mm. ; longest of the anal rays (the 6th), 130 mm. Length 

 <>f the pectoral fin, SO mm. ; the ventral, 24 mm. 



Color: Portion above the lateral line is a brilliant steel-blue, showing 

 in iridescence green and purple tints; below the lateral line the body is 

 of a silver color. The rays of the dorsal and anal fins are whitish until 

 they approach the apices; the entire membrane is black. 



The pectorals are uniformly yellowish white, semi-transparent, while 

 the superior margin of this fin is black (the 2d ray). At the base of the 

 (in next to the body the pectoral is of a blue-black. The ventral fins are 

 entirely black with the mesial apex whitish and transparent. Sclerotic 

 above, bluish black. Iris light (whitish yellow?). 



The number of the rays was as follows: Dorsal, 9 | 44; Anal, 3 | 39; 

 Ventral, 1 | 5 ; Pectoral, 2 \ 18. 



The lateral line possesses 48 scales (of these 21 to the apex of the pec- 

 toral ) ; of the spiny-pointed scales there were found on this specimen only 

 1 1 rows ; the 5-6 rows nearest the ventral line, and 3-4 nearest the dorsal 

 line being almost smooth. 



Of the second specimen (the one from Xord-Reisen above Tromso) 

 which was sent to the Stuttgart Museum, I have, through the courtesy of 

 Professor Lampert, obtained some measurements of, which are given in 

 the table above. 



As stated above, the Museum of the University of Christiania possesses 

 a skeleton prepared from a specimen received from Finmarken (in the 

 5l I's). The total length of this skeleton is 445 mm. (The specimen when 

 fresh measured 465 nun. ) 



In its skeletal characters Pterycombus comes nearest Brama, but it de- 

 parts from that species in a number of osteological details or characters, 

 especially in the morpholgy of the spinal column. The massive develop- 

 ment of the ribs is particularly striking, the neural spines and the dorsal 



