THE DISCOBOLI. 83 



length, without caudal. Stout convex, protruding. Mouth under the snout 

 and far back from its tip. Eyes lateral, half as wide as the interorbital 

 area. Nostril in front of the eye. Operculum very small, strap-shaped. 

 Gills three and one half. Pseudobranchise present. Teeth weak, paved. 

 The dorsal begins over the end of the pectoral, and the rays and outline, 

 as of the anal, are hardly visible through the skin. The anal begins below 

 the eighth to the tenth dorsal rays. The dorsal and anal rays lie closely 

 connected with those of the caudal, which are larger and extend in a pei^cil- 

 like point. Ventrals absent. Pectoral broad, lower base almost below pos- 

 terior margin of orbit, lowest six rays prolonged. The jugular disk cannot 

 be found. 



Color yellowish white, dusky toward the tail and blackish upon the ante- 

 rior part of the head. Abdominal cavity showing black through the skin. 



The above is from Goode's description. 



Hab. — Atlantic, off Rhode Island, in 487 fathoms. 



Attention has been directed by Dr. Giinther to the fact that in the 

 species of this genus described by himself and Professor Collett there are 

 no pseudobranchife, while in the species characterized above they are said 

 to be present, but that, on account of the close agreement in the majority 

 of essentials, this difference and minor ones cannot be considered sufficient 

 for generic separation. 



Paraliparis membranaceus. 



Paraliparis membranaceus Gunther, 1887, Challenger Reports, XXII., Deep-Sea Fishes, p. 69, pi. 

 xxii. fig. D. 



D. ca. 70 ; A. ca. 70. 



This species is known from Dr. Giinther's description of a specimen, 

 only 60 mm. in length, of which he says he could not be certain whether 

 it represented a species in which embryonic characters are persistent, or 

 merely an early stage of development. 



Head large, compressed, about as high as long. Abdominal cavity very 

 short, black, visible through the integuments. Tail compressed and gradu- 

 ally tapering to a fine point. Integuments colorless, with minute scattered 

 points of pigment. A broad median dorsal fold rises from the top of the 

 snout, and is continued to the extremity of the tail, gradually disappearing 

 as it approaches the caudal fin, which is represented by two or three 



