130 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 



dorsal spine smooth. Outer ventral ray produced into a filament. Distance between 

 vent and isthmus shorter than the head, without snout. Barbel small. Whitish, with 

 broad, irrejrular, blackish bands across the back. 



Habitat. — Ea.st coast of the southern extremity of South America, Station 311 ; 

 depth, 245 fathoms. Five specimens, 7 to 10 inches long (in bad condition). 



East coast of the southern extremity of South America, Stations 309, 309a ; depth, 

 40 to 140 fathoms Two specimens, 6| and 10 inches long. 



East coast of the southern extremity of South America, Station 305a; depth, 125 

 fathoms. One specimen, 7^ inches long. 



This species is closely allied to Macrurus australis, but differs in having a narrower 

 forehead, larger eye, and fewer keels on the scales. In the smaller and younger specimens 

 the keels are fewer in number (five to six), and have a more divergent direction than in 

 the largest example. 



Subgenus Macrurxis. 

 Macrurus, proposed by Bloch for Maci-urus fabricii. 



Maci'unis fabricii (SundevaU). 



Macrurus fahricii, Collett, Norges Fisk., p. 128. 



„ ,, Lilljeb., Sverig. och Norg. Fisk., p. 242. 



D. 12 I 124.' A. 148.' P. 18-19. V. 8. 



Snout short, subtrihedral, pointed in front, much shorter than the large eye, which is 

 one-third or two-fifths of the length of the head in adult specimens. Scales with a 

 prominent serrated ridge and more or less distinct lateral keels; there are six longi- 

 tudinal series of scales between the first dorsal fin and the lateral line. The first dorsal 

 spine indistinctly denticulated towards the point. Vent situated behind the origin of the 

 second dor.sal fin. 



This species is not uncommon on the northern coasts of Scandina^^a, and on the 

 coasts of Greenland and North America southward to Massachusetts. 



Of four specimens which I have before me, no two agree in certain not unimportant 

 points, and it is possible that more than one species may be distinguished by other 

 observers. They are aU nearly of the same size, viz., about 24 inches long, one being 

 from Finmarken, two from the coasts of Greenland, and the fourth from the New 

 England coasts. One of the Greenland specimens has a conspicuously smaller eye, 

 which is not quite one-third of the length of the head, or less than the distance between 

 the orbit and the angle of the prseoperculuni. This specimen has also the iutcrorbital 



> These numbers are subject to great yariation. 



