153 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



(1) The fish described by Mitchill in 1824, which was taken in 52° N". lat., 30° W. Ion.; 

 it was discovered afloat iu a helpless condition, having swallowed a fish 10 inches long. The 

 body of this specimen was 14 and the tail 58 inches long. It does not seem to have been 

 preserved. 



(2) The fish described by Harwood in 1827, which was taken in 62° N. lat., 57° W. Ion. ; 

 it was discovered afloat in a helpless condition, "almost worn out by unavailing efi"orts to 

 gorge a fish of about 7 inches in circumference." This is the largest of the specimens known, 

 its body having been about 20 and the tail 34 inches long. It does not seem to have been 

 preserved. 



(3) The fish described by Johnson in 1862, which was taken off Madeira, under what 

 circumstances Johmson could not learn, but probably also floating on the surface; it had 

 swallowed another deep-sea fish about 9 inches long (ffalargi/reus Johnmnii), the stomach of 

 which was forced up into the mouth by the distended air bladder, showing how rapidly both 

 fishes must have ascended to the surface. The body of this specimen is 8 J and the tail 23 

 inches long. It is preserved in the British Museum. 



(4) A young specimen in the British Museum, the history of which is unknown; its 

 body is 3, its tail 8J inches long. It is much shriveled, having been i)reserved for a long 

 time, but supplies some valuable information on points in which the larger is imperfect. 



(5) A single badly mutilated specimen, secured by the Blale from station cccxxxi, in 

 350 44' 40" N. lat., 740 40' 20" W, Ion., at a depth of 898 fatlioms. 



Dr. Giinther's description applies, no doubt, to S. wmpullaceus. His figure is repro- 

 duced in our figure 178. 



Family EURYPHARYNGID^E. 



Nauvelle famille, Vaillant, Comptes Rendiis. Acad. Sc, Paris, Dec. 11, 1882, p. 1226 (not nauicil). 

 Eurypharyngidw, Gill, Science, i, 231, March 30, 1883. — Gill and Ryder, Proc. U. S. Nat. Miis. vi, 1883, 264. — 

 Valliant, Exp. Sci. Travailleur et Talisman, 1888, 193. 



Lyomeri with the branchio-anal portion much shorter than the rostro-branchial ; with 

 the tail very elongated and moderately attenuated backwards; the head flat above, and with 

 a transverse rostral margin, at the outer angles of which the eyes .are exposed; with the 

 palatine jaws excessively elongated backwards and the upper parallel, and closing against 

 each other as far as the articulation of the two suspensorial bones ; with minute teeth on 

 both jaws; the dorsal and anal fins well developed and continued nearly to the end of the 

 tail, and with minute, narrow pectoral fins. 



The mandibular rami are exceedingly narrow and slender, but the jaws are extremely 

 expansible and the skin is correspondingly dilatable; consequently an enormous pouch may 

 be developed. Inasmuch as the slenderness and fragility of the jaws and the absence of 

 raptorial teeth (at least in Gastrostomus) preclude the idea of the species being true fish of 

 prey, it is probable that they may derive their food from the water which is received into 

 the pouch, by a process of selection of the small or minute organisms therein contained. 



The xieculiar closure of the anterior half of the upper jaws upon each other, and the 

 coordinate joint between the hyomandibular and quadrate elements of the suspensorium 

 are doubtless correlated with the mode of ingestion or selection of food. The skin consti- 

 tuting the pouch, it may bo added, has a peculiar velvety appearance, and also reminds 

 one of the patagium or wing membrane of a bat. (Gill and Ryder.) 



EURYPHARYNX, Vaillant. 



Eurypharynx, Vaillant, Comptes Rendus Acad. >Sc., Paris, 12.32, Dec. 11, 1882, (tr. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 

 (5), V, 11, p. 67; Exp. Sci. Travailleur et Talisman, 197; Gill and Rydf.u, lor. cit., 274. 



Eurypharyngids with the cranium greatly abbreviated, the dentigerous bones very 

 elongate, nearly one-half the length of the body; feeble granulations upon the jaws, and a 

 pair of enlarged teeth on the lower jaw in front. Gill-opening remote from angle of mouth. 



