DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 223 



LAMPRIS, Retzius. 



Lamj'ris, Retzius, Nya Handlung, III, 1799, 91.— Cuvier, Rfegne Animal, 1st ed., 1817, 325.— GCnthek, 



Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., ii, p. 415. — Jordan and Gilbert, Bull, xvi, U. S. Nat. Mus., 453. 

 Chrysotosus, hACiiPkun, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 586. 



Body compressed and elevated, covered with very small deciduous, cycloid scales. 

 Mouth narrow, terminal, with jio teeth. Dorsal single, very long, elevated, falcate, without 

 distinct spines; anal long, low, not falcate, both fins depressed in a groove. Ventrals 

 behintl pectorals (14 to 17 rays), pectorals large, falcate; caudal fin moderately forked. 

 Lateral line in-esent, much arched in front. Branchiostcgals, 0. Gill membranes free from 

 the isthmus. CEsopliagus not armed with spinous teeth. Air bladder large, bifurcate 

 behind. Pyloric appendages very numerous. Vertebrse 4.5. 



LAMPRIS REGIUS, (Bonnatekue), Retz. 



Zeus reyiits, Bonnaterre, Ichtbyologie, 1788, p. 72, pi. xxxix, fig. 155. 



Zeus gultatus, Brunnicii, Dansk. Selsk. Skr., in, 1788, 398. 



Zena Uma, Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1788, 1225. 



Lampris luna, Gunther, op. cit., ii, 416.— Cirv'. and Vax., ojt. eit., x, 39. 



Lampris lauta, LowE, Fish. Madeira, 27. 



LAMPKIS REGIUS. 



Longest dorsal ray shorter than pectorals, which are nearly as long as the head. Anal 

 very low in front, a little higher behind. Head, 3J; depth, If. 



Eadial formula: D. 54; A. 40; V. 14-17; Vert. 23+22; L. 3-4 feet. 



Color, a rich brocade of silver and lilac, rosy on the belly; everywhere with round 

 silvery spots; head, opercles, and back with ultramarine tints, jaws and fins vermillion ; 

 flesh red. 



This form, exceedingly rare in the Mediterranean, has occasionally during the last century 

 been found along the coasts of Europe as far north as Norway, also about Madeira and 

 Iceland; it had been reported from off Newfoundland, Nova Scotia (''.), and Maine; no 

 specimen from the Atlantic had been in the possession of any American museum, when a 

 specimen Mas taken by schooner Mildred V. Lee, Capt. William T. Lee, off Le Have ridges, 

 between 62° and 63° Ion. W., 42° and 49° lat. N. 



A specimen from Japan in the U. S. National Museum is apparently of the same 

 species. We are not aware that this has hitherto been recorded from the Pacific. There 

 is every reason to believe that the fish is at times an inhabitant of considerable depths. 



