3r)8 DKEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC I5ASIN. 



The distribution of tliis species is very puzzling. It has been found at Haliftix, Nova 

 Scotia, and south as far the Cape Fear River, where specimens were taken in shallow water 

 in March, ISSO, by Col. Marshall McDonald. It has been found also in the York River, 

 Virginia, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, but is nowhere abundant except about Long Isl- 

 and. It has also been found at considerable depths, as is shown in the following list: By 

 the BlaJce at station cccxxxiii, in 35° 45' 25" N. lat, 74° 50' 30" W, Ion., at depth of 05 

 fothoms; at station cccxiv, in 32° 24' N. lat., 78° 44' W. Ion., at a depth of 142 fathoms; 

 and at station cccxsi, in 32° 43' 25" N. lat., 77° 20' 30" W. Ion., at a depth of 233 fathoms; 

 by the Albatross at station 2418, in 33° 20' K lat., 77° 5' W. Ion., at a dejjth of 90 fathoms; 

 at station 2417, in 33° 18' 30" N. lat., 77° 7' W. Ion., at a depth of 05 lathonis; at station 

 2309, in 35° 43' 30" N. lat., 74° 52' W. Ion., at a depth of 56 fathoms; at station 2312, in 

 320 54' K lat., 77° 53' 30" W. Ion., at a depth of 88 fiithoms; at station 2204, in 37° 7' 50" 

 N. lat., 740 34' 20" W.lon., at a depth of 1G7 fathoms; at station 2421, in 37° 7' N. lat., 

 74034' 30" W. Ion., at a depth of 04 fathoms; at station 2205, in 37° 7' 40" N. lat., 74° 

 35' 40" W.lon., at a depth of 70 fathoms; at station 2311, in 32° 55' N. lat., 77° 54' W. 

 Ion., at a depth of 79 fathoms; and at station 2307, in 35° 42' N. lat., 74° 34' 30" W. Ion., at 

 a depth of 43 fathoms. 



Mr. A. Agassiz and the oflicers of the Blake had their attention forcibly attracted to a 

 singular power possessed by this fish of emitting electric shocks. This peculiarity has 

 never been noticed in this species save in deep water. The attention of observers is called 

 to this interesting point. 



PHYCIS CIRRATUS, Goode aud Bean, n. s. (Figure 310.) 



The body is moderately stout; its gi'eatest height equals the length of the head without 

 the snout and is contained 5 times in the length to base of caudal. The lengtli of the head 

 is one-fourth of the standard length. The eye is large, its length in the largest specimen 

 examined slightly more, and in the smallest individual slightly less, than one-fourth that of 

 the head. The width of the interorbital space is about one-half the length of the eye in large 

 examjdes. The maxilla does not reacb to the iiosterior margin of the orbit in large speci- 

 mens, but ill the smallest one it extends fully to that vertical. The mandible extends far 

 beyond the posterior margin of the eye, and its length is aboutequal to the postorbital ]t;irt 

 of the head. The barbel is minute in all the examples examined; its length usually about 

 one-fifth that of the eye. Teeth in villiform bands in both jaws, the intermaxillary bands 

 being wider than those on the mandible. Vomerines in a narrow, villiform band, fi ill- 

 rakers 2-^-12. The largest ones club-shaped at the end; the longest one-fourth as long as 

 the eye. Gill membranes attached to the isthmus, but with a narrow, free posterior border. 



The length of the pectoral equals about one-half the distance from the ventral to the 

 anal origin. It reaches to about the twenty-sixth row of scales. The ventral reaches in 

 some specimens slightly beyond the origin of the anal. In one individual it reaches almost 

 to the middle of the anal fin. None of the dorsal rays are filamentous, the longest rays being 

 contained from 2^ to 3 times in the length of the head. The length of the base of the first 

 dorsal is about equal to the length of the eye in most specimens; in smaller examples it is 

 somewhat greater, about one-third the length of the head. The vent is under the sixteenth 

 ray of the second dorsal. 



Radial formula: D. 10-f 66; A. 57; Scales 6-93-20. 



Color liglit brown; lower i)arts minutely dotted. Dorsals with narrow dark margins; 

 caudal with a broad dark margin; anal with a narrow dark margin in its i)()sterior tliird. 

 Roof of mouth and interior of gill-cavity dark-brown. 



Tlietype of the present description is Cat. No. 39059oftheD". S. National Museum. Itwas 

 taken by the t^tenuwi AlbaU-oss from station 2370, in 2',P 03' 1.5" N. lat., 88° 10' W. Ion., at a 

 depth of 324 fathoms. The additional specimens employed in the description are Cat. No. 

 39294, U. S. N. M., from station 2377, in 29^ 7' 30" N. lat., 8S0 8' VV. Ion., at a depth of 21(1 

 fathoms; and Cat. No. ;;9295, U. S. N. M., from station 2397, in 28^ 42' N. lat., 86^ 30' \V. Ion., 

 at a deptli of 280 fathoms. All the known examples are from the Gulf of Mexico. 



