118 



vikling utvivlsomt niaa antages at være en af dé anguilli- 

 forme Arter. 



L. verrillii er opstillet efter 5 Individer, hvoraf det 

 beskrevne Typ-Exemplar kavde en Længde af 5 eng. Tommer 

 (omtrent 127"""). og som vare optagne i August 1877 fra 

 90 — 100 Favnes Dyb udenfor Rysterne af Nova Scotia, i 

 Nord-America. Fra L. muraena- afViger L. rerrillii. for- 



a young individual of a species as yet unknown in the 

 adult stage, which, judging from its advanced development, 

 must unquestionably belong to the anguilliform sjjeciés. 



L. verrillii is described from 5 individuals: the typ- 

 ical specime'n. with a total length of 5. inches (about 

 127"""). was taken in August. 1877, at a depth of from 

 90 to 100 fathoms, off the coast of Nova Scotia. North 

 America. L. rerrillii differs from L. mu/rcéna in having 6 



L: vi rrillii, Croode & Bean. Nova Scotia (A). 



uden ved sine 6 Gjællestraaler. tillige ved sit med mørke 

 Tverfelter forsynede Legeme, saavel som ved bestemte For- 

 skjelligheder i Legemsbygningen. saaledes et større Hoved. 

 sterkere Tænder, og større Legemshøjde ; med denne Art 

 kan L. muraena aldrig falde sammen. Da jeg ved Pro- 

 fessor Spencer Baird's Yelvillie har erholdt et authentisk 

 Exemplar af L. rerrillii. har jeg kunnet anstille en fuld- 

 kommen afgjørende Sammenligning mellem begge de om- 

 handlede Arter. 



Af L. paaÆus foreligger blot et enkelt Individ med 

 en Totallængde af 363 mm . optaget i mindre vel vedligeholdt 

 Stand (maaske fra en Fiskemave) udenfor Rysterne afNova 

 Scotia i 1879. Ifølge den af Forfatterne givne Beskrivelse 

 er Arten kj endelig ved de overordentlig sterkt udviklede 

 Rjævemuskler. der give det næsten Udseendet af en Gift- 

 slanges; Legemets største Højde indeholdes over 16 Gange 

 i Totallængden. Rjæverne ere ejendoninieligt krummede 

 mod hinanden; blandt de øvrige -Uoverensstemmelser mel-'' 

 lem begge Arter kunne nævnes de langt kortere Pectoraler 

 hos L. paxiUus. 



Da Legemsproportionerne hos L. rerrillii og L. sarsii 

 synes at være temmelig overensstemmende, kunde det ten- 

 kes, at disse Arter vare identiske. For Øjeblikket, saa- 

 længe som de mellemliggende Stadier mangle, lader den 

 sidstnævnte sig' med Lethed skille fra L.. sarsii bl. a. ved 

 sine mørke Tverfelter ud over Legemet, og ved de sterkere 

 Tænder. 



Det kan ligeledes nævnes. at Dr. Liitken i sin oven- 



branchiostegals. and the body flecked with dark transverse 

 patches ; also by reason of differences in its general 

 structure, viz. a "larger head, stronger teeth, and greater 

 depth of body: hence L. muraena cannot, possibly agree 

 with this species. Professor Spencer Baird having kindly 

 sent me an authentic example of L. rerrillii. I have had 

 the means of instituting a direct and conclusive comparison 

 between the two species. 



Of L. paxiUus, but one individual has as yet been ob- 

 tained, total length 363'"'"; it was met with, in rather a 

 mutilated condition (having possibly been taken from a 

 fish's stomach), off the coast of Nova Scotia, in 1879. ■Ac- 

 cording to the description given of the species, it may be 

 recognised by the remarkable development of the maxillary 

 muscles, giving them almost the appearance of a venomous 

 serpent's. Greatest height of the body slightly exceeding 

 one-sixteenth of the total length; the jaws incurvating 

 towards each other. Amongst other distinctive features in 

 L. paxiUus, may be mentioned the shortness of the pectorals. 



• The dimensions of the body in L. rerrillii and 

 L. sarsii agreeing, it appears, so closely, these two species 

 might by some be regarded as identical. But. till specimens 

 in the intermedial stages of development shall have been 

 discovered, the former may be readily distinguished frøm 

 L. sarsii by the dark transverse spots on the body, and by 

 the strong teeth. 



It may likewise be observed, that Dr. Littken. in the 



