3GG CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 
cnlargeil at the occipital region. Xo scales. Lateral line obsolete. 
Head resembling that of Belonc, the head i>roper small, short, and rather 
broad, with flat top and vertical sides. Xostrils large close together in 
front of the eye, without tube or fla.p. Jaws excessively prolonged, 
almost needle-like, the upper the longer and somewhat recurved. Teeth 
in both Jaws small, very numerous, close-set, retrprse. Gill-openings 
rather large, running downward and forward, separated by a narrow 
isthmus. Pectorals well developed. Vent close behind pectorals, the 
abdominal cavity extending far behind it. Anal fin beginning near the 
vent, higher than the dorsal, becoming obsolete on the caudal filament. 
Dorsal beginning close behind occiput, its anterior rays soft, succeeded 
by a long series of very low spines, hich are slightly connected by 
membrane, their height rather less than the length of the interspaces ; 
on the tail, the spines again give place to soft rays. The soft rays of 
the fins are connected by thin membrane instead of being imbedded in 
thick skin, as in eels generally. Color translucent, the lower parts 
dark, the back pale. Stomach not distensible. Muscular and osseous 
systems well developed. Abdominal cavity extending far behind the 
vent. One genus known, with three species ; singular inhabitants of 
the deep seas. The x)osition of this family among the Apodes is perhai)s 
open to question. A second genus, Cyema Gthr., with shorter, soft body, 
posterior vent, and shorter vertical fins surrounding the tail, perhai^s 
belongs to this familj'. 
{Alurccnidce, group Xemichtliyina Giiuther, viii, 21.) 
17S.— IVEMICIITEIVS Richardson . 
(Lepiorlnjncltus Lowe: Belonopsis Brandt.) 
(Richardson, Voyage Samarang, 1848, 10: type Xeniichilnjs scoJopaceus Rich.) 
Characters of the genus included above, thread; fish.) 
502. N. sc«10|>;iceiis Rich. 
ITead comi)aratively stout, its depth one-seventh its greatest length. 
Eye moderate, less than one-third the length of the head without snout. 
Length of iiectoral fins slightly less than height of the anal, which is 
less than the height of the body and rather more than the greatest depth 
of the head. Pale above; belly and anal fin blackish, the color not 
abruptly changing, the back somewhat speckled. L. 3G inches. At- 
lantic Ocean, in deep water; many specimens lately taken with the 
beam-trawl off the Xew England coast. 
(Richardson, Voyage Samarang, 10; Giinther, viii, 21: Lepforlujnchus Jenclitenbergi 
"Lovre = Belonojysis leuchtenhergi Brandt, M^m. Ac. St. Petersb. Sav. Strang. 1854, 
171-174.) 
