76 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 



I , >i:o , ni.iD. ! E. 



Brotula maculata. Madras. Scales about V% nun. long and 2 broad, 

 thus greatly elongated, with broadly rounded ends, approaching some- 

 what in shape the scales of the eels. The sides are subparallel, and the 

 nucleus is far (a variable distance) toward the base. The extremely 

 numerous radii extend in all directions from the nucleus, and the whole 

 scale is divided into small transverse blocks or plates, exactly as in 

 Gadus. The sculpture is very regular, fine and beautiful. Some of the 

 plates, especially the outer lateral ones, have the outer margin very 

 minutely granular or microscopically erenulate, an approach to the con- 

 dition found in tieuypterus. The scales can not lie said to differ in any 

 important character from those of the Gadidse, or from those of Genypterus. 

 Brosrne in the Gadidse lias long and narrow scales. 



Neobythites steaticvs. Persian Gulf. Scales oblong with rounded ends, 

 about 3J^ mm. long and 2 wide, the nucleus near the base; the radii 

 extending in every direction, lint not nearly so close as in Brotula 

 ■maculata. The general form and structure of the scale is as in Gadus 

 callarias or Brotula, but there is an important difference in the plates of 

 the central part of the scale apicad of the nucleus, which are squarish, 

 and in the middle line hecome much longer than broad, while their 

 sin-face is ornamented with irregular and minute but very strong and 

 distinct reticulations. The elongated basal and lateral plates are without 

 this reticulation. One scale has the nuclear area broadly ornamented 

 with line stria? in irregular bundle-like groups, gradually passing apicad 

 into the reticulation already mentioned. Dr. Max Ellis calls my atten- 

 tion to the extraordinary resemblance between these structures and those 

 of certain Gymnotidae. Thus a scale of Sternarchus brasiliemis shows 

 the reticulation of the plates; while Gymnotus carapo and Adontoster- 

 narchus sachsi show the bundle-like striae to perfection. The whole 

 structure of the Gymnotid scale is also extremely suggestive of the 

 Brotulid-< iadid type. 



Regan (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Sept., 1912, pp. l'77-27!)) places the 

 Brotulidse, Ophidiidse and Fierasferidae together in a division Ophidii- 

 formes. The Fierasferidse are without scales. 



BitEGMACEROTID^E. 



Bregmaceros atripinnis. Bombay. This genus is placed by Boulenger 

 and Goodrich in the Gadidse, hut the scales are very peculiar. They are 

 about \}/ 2 mm. long, 1 mm. or a little more in width, very broadly 

 rounded apically, parallel-sided, and with the very broad base truncate, 

 the truncation usually with a distinct but low median angular projection. 

 The nucleus is a little basad of the middle, varying to practically central. 

 The coarse circuit of the basal field are wholly longitudinal, curving over 

 to meet above the nucleus, so that all the circuli of the region apical of 

 the nucleus are concentric as usual. Just above the nucleus the meeting 

 circuli form a regular broad arch, but beyond this most of them, in the 

 majority of scales, form a conspicuous angle at the point of junction. 



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