I 111 



Desuden falde ikke sjelden de individuelle Variationer 

 hos Individerne fra de nordligste og de sydligste Localiteter 

 sammen, eller de kunne endog krydse hinanden. Saaledes 

 udviste et .-il' Individerne fra Eavét mellem Beeren Eiland 

 og Spitsbergen i Dorsalen 84, i Analen 68 Straaler, nu- 

 llens KrSyér hos et af sine Individer fra Danmark talte i 

 Dorsalen 88. i Analen i!7 Straaler. 



Nogen Artsdistinction mellem de nordlige og sydlige 

 Former, der kunde begrundes ved Straaleantallet i Fin- 

 nerne, vil derfor neppe kunne forsvares. 



I alle andre Forholde eve de arCtiske Individer af 

 Arten ikke til at adskille fra de sydligere. Det er dog 

 en Selvfølge, at i Sa/nmenhæhg med det forøgede Straale- 

 antal staar en tilsvarende Forøgelse i Antal af Skjælrækker, 

 Forer i Sidelinien, samt af Hvirvler. Men fuldkommen con- 

 stants Afvigelser lade sig ligesaalidt paavise i disse For- 

 holde, som i Antallet af Straalerne. 



Faa samme Maade altsaa, som Liparis lineatus (Le- 

 pech.) i de arctiske Landsdele optræder med et constant 

 større Antal Strajaler i de verticale Finner, end- ved Nor- 

 ges og Sveriges Sydkyst, samt i Østersøen, og uden at her- 

 paa kan begrundes en Adskillelse i Arter eller endog i 

 constante Varieteter, er saaledes det samme Tilfældet med 

 Hippoglossoides platessoides; og da Arten er beskreven under 

 dette Navn allerede 7 Aar tidligere, end den sydligere, af 

 • Bloch opstillede Pleuronedes limandoides, maa dette sidste 

 Navn" vige for det ældre. 



Som en Særegenhed ved en Del af de under Expe- 

 ditionen erholdte Individer kan anføres, at Pectoralens 

 Straaler paa Blindsiden havde en ret afskaaren Rand,, og 

 vare tillige kortere, end hos de øvrige Individer. 



Føde. Blandt de mellem Beeren Eiland og Spits- 

 bergen fra . en Dybde af 123 Favne ophentede Individer 



blev Ventrikelen og dens Indliold undersogt hos 1 1 af for- 

 skjellig Størrelse. Indholdet befandtes temmelig ensartet, 

 hvad der ogsaa var at vente, da alle vare erholdte i det 

 samme Kast med Trawlnettet. 



Foruden Themiste libéttida, Mandt, der neppe savne- 

 des hos noget af de undersøgte Individer (hos enkelte fand* 

 tes næsten udelukkende denne Art, og i stor Mængde), var 

 særdeles hyppig tilstede Peden groenlandicus, Sow., tildels 

 i talrige Exemplarer. og med fuldkommen hele Skaller. 

 Andre Crustaceer, end den ovennævnte Hyperide, fandtes 

 ikke i nogen Mængde: enkelte Exemplarer af en Anonyx 

 fandtes hos Mere af Individerne. fremdeles tiere Mimnopsis 

 typica, M. Sårs. samt enkeltvis Syrrhoe erenulata, Gfoés, en 

 ung Pasiphae tarda, Kv., en Ampdisca, samt en Protome- 

 deia faseidta, Kr. 



Endvidere fandtes af andre bestembare Dyr flere 

 hele Exemplarer af en Nephthys, samt Stykker af Horene 

 af andre Annelider, hvoriblaridt kunde kjendes (Moraema 

 pellucidmn, M. Sårs: fremdeles et Par Exemplarer af Ophi- 

 oden sericeum, Forb., en Yoldia frigida, Tor., en Pla- 



Moreover, such individua] differences in examples from 

 the most northerly and examples from the most southerly 

 Localities, are ooi infrequent!) found to meet, or congrue, 

 naj even to pass the different ial limit. Thus, for instance, 



one of the specimens taken between Beeren Eiland and 

 Spitsbergen has in the dorsal 84, in the anal 68 rays; and 

 K rover counted in one of his Danish specimens 88 rays 

 in the dorsal, and 67 in the anal. 



A specific distinction between the northern and south- 

 ern forms derived from the number of tin-rays, there is. ■ 

 accordingly, but little reason to assume. 



In all other respects, the Arctic individuals of 'the 

 species are not to be distinguished from individuals occur- 

 ring in southern localities. As a matter of course, how- 

 ever., the increased number of tin-rays involves a propor- 

 tionate augmentation in the number of scales, vertebrae, and 

 pores in the lateral line; but the variation observed in 

 these characters is not more constant than in the number 

 of tin-rays. 



As is the case with Liparis lineatus, which in the 

 Arctic regions has the vertical rins invariably furnished with 

 a greater number of rays than when occurring on the 

 coasts of ' Norway and Sweden and in the Baltic (this 

 feature, however, not sufficing to warrant division into 

 species or constant varieties even), so too with Hippoglos- 

 soides platessoides. And the species having been diagnosti- 

 cated under this name 7 years before the southern form 

 Pleuronedes limandoides, established by Bloch, the latter- 

 name must give way to the earlier designation. 



As a peculiar feature in some of the individuals taken 

 on the Expedition, may be noticed the straight margin of 

 the pectoral rays on the blind side; these rays wen- shorter, 

 too, than in the other individuals. 



Food. — Of the numerous individuals collected be- 

 tween Beeren Eiland and Spitsbergen, at a. depth of 123 

 fathoms, the stomach and its contents were examined in 

 11. of different dimensions. The contents exhibited very 

 little disparity, as was indeed to be expected, all of the 

 individuals having been brought up at one haul with the 

 trawl-net. 



Exclusive of Themisto libellula, Mandt, which can 

 hardly have been wanting in any one of the individuals 

 examined (in some the ventricle was distended almost wholly 

 with this species). Perten gr ænl audiens. Sow., frequently 

 occurred ; and with the scales entire. The only crustacean 

 observed in considerable numbers, was the above-mentioned 

 Hyperid. In some of the ventricles were found a few 

 specimens of an Anpnyx, also several examples of Munnop- 

 sis typiea, M. Sårs. and isolated examples of Syrrhoe ere- 

 nulata, Goes, a young Pasiphaie tarda. Kr., an Ampdisca, 

 and a Protomedeia fasciata, Kr. 



Of other animals, occurred in one specimen several 

 perfect examples of a Nephthys, also fragments of the 

 tubes of other Annelids, amongst which Chloræma peMuci- 

 dam. M. Sars, admitted of being determined: moreover, 

 one or two examples of Ophiodm sericeum, Forb.. a Yoldia 



