PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 209 



" The swiin-bladder is similar to that of a cod. 

 "Some of the fish 'blister' like cusk when taken on deck." 

 " They were very abundant and bit freely." 



The largest of the individuals brought in by Captain Dempsey has a 

 bifid nuchal crest. 

 Smithsoniax Institutiox, July 30, 1879. 



ON THE 0€CUBRK1VCE OF liYCOOES VAHIill, KEIJVHABDT, ON I.A 

 HAVE AND ORAND OANK!^. 



By O. BROWIV <j;OOI>i: and TAKL.ETON H. BEA]\. 



The United States Fish Commission has received from Captain Z. Haw- 

 kins and the crew of the schooner " Gwendolen," of Gloucester, Mass., 

 a fine specimen of a species of Lycodes, obtained on La Have Bank in 

 latitude 42° 43' north and between the meridians of 02° 20' and ()o° 30' 

 west, at the depth of 300 to 400 fathoms, the schooner having changed 

 position while fishing. A second specimen, 632 millimetres in length, 

 was presented by Captain Wm. H. Greenleaf and the crew of the 

 schooner " Chester R. Lawrence," who secured it on the Grand Banks. 

 After a careful comparison of this species with that described by Rein- 

 hardt under the name Lycodes Vahlii* and previously recorded only 

 from Greenland, we are &iclined to believe the two identical. 



Reinhardt's description of Lycodes Valilii is very full, and is supple- 

 mented by a long table of measurements, which has been very service- 

 able in the study of the specimens before us. 



The dentition of the La Have specimen agrees exactly with that of 

 L. Verrillii. The lower jaw has the teeth in two series, with an imper- 

 fect series of smaller ones between. The upper jaw has a single series 

 of teeth, with a few smaller ones behind the symphysis. There are 

 about seven teeth on tlie vomer and a single row of about seven on each 

 palatine. The teeth are obtuse-conic, not curved as m. L^ YerriUiL 

 In the specimen of L. Valilii from La Have, the colors are somewhat 

 less regular in distribution than those described and figured !by Rein- 

 liardt ; instead of showing six light bands, the arrangement, of light 

 color upon the dark ground of the body is as follows : one white spot 

 on each side, above the posterior end of the opercular flap, the spots 

 not meeting on the dorsal line. The first saddle-shaped marldng begins 

 on the back, under the 8th ray of the dorsal fin, and extends on either 

 side nearly to the middle of the body. The second isaddle-shaped mark- 

 ing begins under the 27th dorsal ray and extends nearly to the; margin 

 of the fin, involving the width of about two rays and 4:he connecting 

 membrane, and extends also downward nearly to the middle line of tlie 

 1 >ody , increasing in width as it descends. The next begins under the 

 .■)4th ray, and resembles the last in form and extent. The next begins 

 under the 79th, and, though smaller, resembles the others. The individ- 



* Iclitliyologiske Bidrag til (leu Groenlandske Faiuia af Joliaunes Rtnuliardt, Professor. 

 Vid. Selsk. Natiirvidensk. og Mathem. Alh. vii, pp. 86-228. Eight plates (p. 153, pi. v>. 



Proc. Nat. Mus. 79 14 Jl>ec. 6, 1^79. 



