DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 153 



of 1,047 fathoms; and station cccxxxviii, in 38° 18' 40" N. lat., 73° 18' 10" W. Ion., at a 

 depth of 922 fathoms. 



A closely allied species, N. aiwcetta, has recently been discovered oft" the Pacific Coast. 



LABICHTHYS, Gill and Ryder. 



Lahichthys, GiLL and Rydkr, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., v, 1883, 261.— Jordan, Cat. Fish. N. Amer., 56. — 



Jordan and Davis, Rep. U. S. F. C, 1888, 655. 

 Avocettinn, Jordan and Davis, Rep. U. S. F. C, 1888, 655. 



Nemichthyids with the head behind the eyes contracted and with very attenuated jaws. 

 Lateral line with a single row of pores. Branchiostegal membrane connected with the throat 

 and the branchial apertures limited to the .sides. Small conical teeth in a band along the 

 vomer and otherwise dentition of Nemichthys. A black epidermis. Tail probably filamen- 

 tous, but abruptly truncated in all known specimens. 



LABICHTHYS CARINATUS, Gill and Ryder. (Figure 171.) 



Labichthys caiinatiis, Gill and Ryder, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vi, 1883, 261.— Jordan, Cat. Fish. N. Amer., 

 57.— Jordan and Davis, Rep. U. S. F. C, 1888, 656. 



The ridges that bound the median rosti'al sulcus converge and form a carina along the 

 median line in vertical from the anterior border of the orbit. The greatest height of the 

 body (at posterior third) of the type specimens (0.447 meter long) is 0.013 meter, and the 

 height behind pectorals is 0.0055 meters. Color black. (Gill.) 



Radial formula: D. 268; A. 287; P. 13. 



The type of this species (No. 33369, U. S. N. M.) was obtained by the Albatross from 

 station 2076, in 41° 13' N. lat., 65° 33' 30" W. Ion., at a depth of 906 fathoms. 



A closely allied form, Lahichthijs Gillii, Bean, (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. xiii, 1890, 45) was 

 taken in 1888 by the Alhatrosn in 1,569 fixthoms off Alaska. It has the vent somewhat 

 remote from the pectorals, and the dorsal origin over their tips. 



LABICHTHYS ELONGATUS, Gill and Ryder. (Figure 172.) 



Lahichthys elongatiis, Gill and Ryder, Proc. U. S. Nat Mns., vi, 1883, 262. — Jordan and Davis, Rep. 



U. S. F. C, 1888, 656. 



The ridges that bound the I'ostral groove are not confluent backwards in a cariniform 

 extension, but end in a vertical from the orbit. The greatest height of the body (at poste- 

 rior third) in the type specimen (0.542 meter long) is 0.015 meter. Color black. 



Radial formula: D. 346; A. 309 + x. (The anal is destroyed towards its end); P. 19. 

 {Gill.) 



The type of the species (Cat. No. 33577, U. S. N. M.) was taken by the Albatross at 

 station 2100, in 39° 22' N. lat., 68° 34' 30" W. Ion., at a depth of 1,628 fathoms. 



LABICHTHYS INFANS, (Gunther), Goode and Bean. (Figure 173.) 



Nemichthyft tnfans, GOnther, Ann, and Mag. Nat. Hist., 24, 1878; Challenger Report, xxil, 1884, 264, pi. 



Ixiii, figs, B, b', b", b'". 

 AvocetUna infans, .Jordan and Davis, Rep. U. S. F. C, 1888, 655. 



Body much less elongate and eye much smaller than in Nemichthys scolopaceus. 

 Vent twice or thrice as distant from the root of the pectorals as is the latter from the eye. 



This species was taken by the Challenger in mid- Atlantic, station 101, depth, 2,.")00 

 fathoms; one specimen 11 inches long; and off Peruambuco, station 122, depth 500 fathoms, 

 one specimen 7J inches long. The specimen was mutilated. 



Besides these two specimens, the British Museum has received from the Mona Channel, 

 in the West Indies, a third which was found attached to an old telegraph cable that had 

 been laid at a depth of 114 fathoms; it is 14 inches long, but had a greater part of its body 

 mutilated during life. This specimen, which is fairly well preserved, has been fully de- 



