738 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.xxih. 



In a footnote to page 375, he reprodiu-ed the foUowing remarks of 

 Sir P^verard Home: 



In an animal brought from the 8outli Seas by Sir Joseph Banks, intermediate 

 between the lam])rey and myxine, l)ut differing so much from l)oth as to form a 

 distinct genus, the respiratory organs resemble those of the lamprey in the number 

 of external openings, and the numl^er of bags; but these organs, and many otlier 

 parts, differ in the following particulars, in which they agree with those of the 

 myxine. There is no appearance, whatever, of thorax, nor is the jjcricardium car- 

 tilaginous; the bags are flattened spheres placed perpendicularly, their cavities are 

 small, their coats elastic, and the internal orifices communicate directly with the 

 oesophagus, which is small. The oesophagus does not terminate in a valvular slit, 

 but in a loose membranous fold; there are two rows of teeth on each side of the 

 tongue, bent downward, long, and p(nnted. There is a posterior nostril, and an 

 appearance resembling an uvula. There is a gall ])ladder, a row of large mucous 

 glands on each side of the lielly, and there is a mesentery to the intestine. Phil. 

 Trans. 1815, p. 258, pi. xii, fig. 1. 



The first subsequent reference to this name Ilomea was b}^ the pres- 

 ent writer in 1894.^ In connection with comments on Dr. Howard 

 Ayers's views respecting the Bdellostomids and liis preference for 

 Bdellostmna over Ilcptatrenia., because the species of that genus fre- 

 quently d(naate from seven in the number of pairs of gills, it was 

 suggested that the name Iloriiea was not open to that objection and, as 

 it was long prior to Bdellostoma^ might be used by Dr. Ayers antl 

 those who shared his views. Mr. Garman, however, has taken up 

 the name for another reason, as already indicated at length. 



The history of the genus may be briefed in the following synonymy: 



EPTATKETUS. 



Eptatrhne Dumeril fide Cloquet, Diet. Sc. Nat., XII, 1818, p. 'MU. 



Eptatreme or Eptatrete Dumeril fitie Cloquet, Diet. Sc. Nat., XV, 1819, p. l.">4. 



Eptatretus Dumeril fide Cloquet, Diet. Sc. Nat., XV, 1819, p. 135. 



EptacUrMe Dumeril fide Cloquet, Diet. Sc. Nat., XV, 1819, p. 1.S5. 



Homea Flemino;, Phil. Zool., II, 1822, p. 374. 



Le.f Heptatremes "Dumer." Cuvier, Regne An., n. ed., II, 1829, j). 405. 



Hejjtatremus "Dumer." M'Murtrie, Animal Kingdom, 11, 1831, p. 298. 



Heptatrema VoiciT, Thierreieh, II, 1832, p. 529. 



Heptatremes'^ Griffith, Animal Kingdom, X, 1834, p. 621. 



Bdellostoma MCller, Abhandl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1834. 



In accordance with a generally accepted rule, the family name must 

 be altered to accord with the facts. Eptatretiditi conse({uently will be 

 the name for the family typified by Eptratretus. 



1 American Naturalist, XXVIII, p. 584. 

 'Heptatremes is given as a regular Latin name. 



