220 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



the spiuous dorsal represeuted by a tentncle in a cavity overhang by the 

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

 strongly geniculate, and with long pseudobrachia and throe actiuosts; 

 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, Liiine, Syst. Nat., 10 ed., t. 1, p. 2:3G (12 ed., t. l,p. 402 ; Gmel. 



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

 1837— Malthea vespertilio, Cuv. <^- Fal., Hist. Nat. des Poissons, t. 12, p. 440. 

 1837— Mai hsea uasnta, Cuv 4~ Val., Hist. Nat. des Poissons, t. 12, p. 4.52. (In part.) 

 1837— Maltbsea uotata, Cuv. cj- Fa/.,. Hist. Nat. des Poissons, t. 12, p. 453. (In part.) 

 1842— Malthea uasnta, DeEai;, Zoology of New York, Fishes, p. 167. (In part; not 



tignre.) 

 1842 — Malthea no^ata, DeEay, Zoology of New York, Fishes, p 167. 

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

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



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

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

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

 than wide. 



Newfoundland to West Indies. 



Malthe cubifrons. 



1836 — Lophius (Malthe) cub fions, Richardson, Fanua Bor.-Ani., Fishes, p. 103, pi. 96. 

 18.37 — Malthaea nasnta, Cuv. 4- Val., Hist. Nat. des Poissjns, t. 12, p. 452. (In part.) 

 1842— Malthea nasnta, DeKay, Zoology of New York, F.shes, p. 1C6, pi. 28, f. 8<>. (In 



part, i. €. fig., copied irom Richardson.} 

 1861 — Malthe cubilrous, Giinther, Cat. Fishes in Brit. Mus., v. 3, p. 203. 



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

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



"•Malthe, fiuMrj, the Greek name of a loose-bodied fish.— '• '^\uWti signifie de la cire ra- 

 mollie. ' trouvo ce noui dans Oppien parmi cenx de plusieurs grands poissons cartila- 

 gineux, et I'espece qui le porte y est d68ign6e comme remarqnable par sa mollesse. 

 Suidas, qui la place dans une 6uunj6ration dn uaeme genre, dit qn'elle est difiScile In 

 vaiucre. Sur ces deux traits B61ou a peus6 que la malthie 6tait la bandroie, et, bien 

 que son opinion n'air. pas 6t6 adoptee, et n'ait peut-etrepas dft I'etre, M. Cnvier a cru 

 pouvoir s'en prdvaloir pour ddriver de iiu'ldi] le nom de malthcea, qu'il a donnc a un petit 

 genre d6membr6 de celui des baudroies." — Cuv. et. Val.. Hist. Nat. des Poi.ssons, 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. vespertilio type. 



