220 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



the spiuous dorsal represented by a tentacle in a cavity overhung by the 

 forehead, and the soft small and far behind; the pectoral members 

 strongly geniculate, and with long pseudobrachia and three actinosts; 

 and the ventrals well developed. 

 Inhabitants of temperate and tropical seas at moderate or great depths. 



MALTHEIN^. 



Maltheids with a cordiform cephalic disk and a stout caudal portion, 

 and with the frontal region elevated. 



MALTHE.* 

 Maltheines of unique genus. 



Malthe vespertilio.t 



1758— Lophius vespertilio, Linne, Syst. Nat., 10 eel., 1. 1, p. 236 (12 ed., t. l,p. 402 ; Gniel. 



ed., t. 1, p. 1480). 

 1837 — Malthea vespertilio, Cur. tf- Vah, Hist. Nat. des Poissons, t. 12, p. 440. 

 1837— Malthaea nasuta, Cuv tj- Val, Hist. Nat. des Poissons, t. 12, p. 4.52. (In part.) 

 1837— Maltbsea notata, Cuv. ^- Val, Hist. Nat. des Poissons, t. 12, p. 453. (In part.) 

 1842— Malthea nasuta, DeKaij, Zoology of New York, Fishes, p. 107. (In part; not 



figure.) 

 1842 — Malthea notata, DeEay, Zoology of New York, Fishes, p, 167. 

 1842— Malthea vespertilio, DeKay, Zoology of New York, Fishes, p. 167. 

 1861 — Malthe vespertilio, GUntlier, Cat. Fishes in Brit. Mus., v. 3, p. 200. 



Malthe with the forehead produced into a more or less elongated sub- 

 conical process, its width greater between the anterior angles of the 

 orbit than between the posterior ones, and the frontal cavity higher 

 than wide. 



Xewfoundlaud to West Indies. 



Malthe cubifrons. 



1836 — Lophfus (Malthe) cubifrons, liichardson ,Fanna Bor.-Am., Fishes, p. 103, pi. 96. 

 1837 — Malthiea nasuta, Cuv. ^- Val., Hist. Nat. des Poissons, t. 12, p. 452. (In part.) 

 1842— Malthea nasnta, DeKaij, Zoology of New York, Fishes, p. 1L6, pi. 28, f. 89. (In 



part, i. e. fig., copied from Richardson.) 

 1861 — Malthe cubifrons, Giiniher, Cat. Fishes in Brit. Mus., v. 3, p. 203. 



Malthe with the forehead decurved and in front with a button-like 

 tubercle, the width between the anterior angle of the orbit nearly equal 



■*Malthe, fiuldrj, the Greek name of a loose-bodied fish. — "Md^i?^signifiede lacirera- 

 moUie. Oa trouve ce nom dans Oppien j)armi ceux de plusieurs grands poissons cartila- 

 gineux, et I'esp^ce qui le iiorte y est d6sigu4e comme remarquable par sa mollesse. 

 Suidas, qui la place dans une 6uum6ration du meme genre, dit qu'elle est difficile a 

 vaincre. Sur ces deux traits B^lou a peusd que la malthee 6ta\t la baudroie, et, bien 

 que son opinion n'ait pas 6i6 adoptde, et n'ait pent-etrepas dil I'etre, M. Cuvier a cru 

 pouvoir s'en pr6vaIoir pour d<5river de /zu?.t9?? le nom de maltha'a, qu'il adonud a uu petit 

 genre ddmembre de celui des baudroits." — Cuv. et. Val.. Hist. Nat. des Poissons, t. 12, 

 p. 438. 



t Whatever may be the value of the nominal species introduced by Cuvier and Va- 

 lenciennes, all those found along the United States coast, recently examined by myself, 

 belong to one species. I think, however, that formerly I saw a second species of the 

 M. respcriilio type. 



