no PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OF [1884. 



Thanks to the kindness of my venerable friend, Prof. Poey, of 

 Havana, I obtained, many years ago, the cranium of the West 

 Indian Brotula (B. harhata) and briefly indicated the most salient 

 characteristics of the type in a foot-note to an article " Qn the 

 Affinities of several doubtful British Fishes " (Proc. Acad. Nat. 

 Sci. Phila., 1864, p. 200). The note, published in this rather 

 irregular manner, has doubtless escaped the attention of Messrs. 

 Cope, Jordan and Gilbert, for otherwise they would certainly have 

 recognized the validity of the family Brotuliidse. The type in 

 question, indeed, has but little affinity with the Gadidae, and it 

 gives me a pleasure, the greater because it is so rare, to find my- 

 self in accord with Dr. Giinther in combining it rather with the 

 Ophidiina, Fierasferina and Congrogadina, in contradistinction to 

 the Gadidae. I must, however, entirely dissent from that gentle- 

 man in considering the combination as of simply family value, in 

 associating with them the Ammodytina, and also as to the suf- 

 ficiency of the diagnosis. 



The several groups are distinguishable as follows : — 



SUPERFAMILY GADOIDEA. 



Synonymy. 



> Oadoidea, Gill, Cat. Fishes E. Coast N. Am., p. 7. 1873. (Named only.) 



> Macruroidea, Gill, Cat. Fishes E. CoastN. Am., p. 7, 1873. (Named only.) 



Jugulares with the orbito-rostral portion of the cranium longer 

 than the posterior portion, the cranial cavity widely open in front ; 

 the supraoccipital well developed, horizontal and cariniform 

 behind, with the exoccipitals contracted forwards and overhung 

 by the supraoccipital, the exoccipital condyles distant and feebly 

 developed, with the hypercoracoid entire, the hypocoracoid 

 with its inferior process convergent towards the proscapula, and 

 the fenestra between the hypercoracoid and hypocoracoid. 



GADIDJE. 



Family Synonyms. 



< Jugulaires on Auchenopteres, Dumeril, Zoologie Analytique, p. 118, 1806. 



< Qadinia, Rafinesque, Analyse de la Nature, p. — , 3e fam., 1815. 



< Metrotomes, De Blainville, Journal de Physique, t. 83, p. 255, 1816. 

 X Gadini, Rafinesque, Indice d'lttiolog. Siciliana, p. 11, 1810. 



< Gadoides, Risso, Hist. Nat. de I'Europe Merid., t. 3, pp. 104, 214, 1826. 



< Gadoides, Cuvier, Regne Animal, Ire ed,, 2, p. 211, 1817 ; 2e 6d., t. 2, p. 



330, 1829. 



