DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 37& 



I owe tlieiii to the kindness of my friend, Prof. Nicolaus Kleinenherg. diiector of the 

 Zoological Institute, of the Messina University, to whom I owe many other iclitliyologic'al 

 rarities; and ns a mark of my gratitude and esteem I havethouglit proper to give his name 

 to so singular a species, which is evidently as yet uudescribed. These specimens are now 

 in the central collection of Italian vertebrata in the L'oyal Zoological Museum at Florence, 

 As they present differences in size and in other respects, I shall lu-oceed to describe tlieni 

 briefly. 



My smallest specimen (pi. xxxiv, fig. 2) measures 28i millimeters in total length; it 

 was caught on the 10th of May, 1887. It is evidently much younger than the other two; 

 the two dorsals are yet united and the larval median lin extends as a crest to the head. 

 The caudal is, however, quite distinct and remarkable for its lanceolate form. The abdom- 

 inal cone is comparatively smaller than in the two older specimens, and a mend)rane unites 

 its hinder portion to the anal lin. The lobe of the pectorals is very distinct, and the rays 

 look thickened at their distal ends. The ventrals have the characteristic form and develop- 

 ment. The color of the body is yellowish white (in alcohol); 8 very distinct broad black 

 bands cross the body transversely, being slightly obliipie: the tirst occnpies the base of the 

 abdominal cone, the last the root of the tail; the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh are con- 

 tinued as a black blotch on the base of the anal lin; the ventral paddles are tipped and 

 edged with black ; the ray is, however, white; otherwise the lins are coh)rless. Looking 

 with a lens, these black bands and blotches result in an accumulation of dark points or 

 chromatophores ; this is the case also in the other specimens. 



The second speciineu, according to size and age, measures OS millimeters in total 

 length ; it is tignred slightly enlarged (pi. xxxiy, fig. 3). It was capf ured alive near the sur- 

 face in the harbor of Messina on the 2d of June, 1888. It bears considerable resemblance 

 to the first specimeu described, but has lost some of the larval characters above noted ; all 

 the median fins are well distinct; the caudal has an oval contour, but tlie abdominal cone, 

 covered with a slightly silvery skin, shows still a posterior membranous fiinge which par- 

 tially unites it with the anal fin. The pores on the head and nape are very distinct. In 

 color this specimen is also very similar to the first one; the Idack transverse bands are 

 very well marked, but they are slightly fainter and the first one does not extend to the 

 abdominal cone, which is well developed. Ten \ ery distinct black blotches extend along 

 the base of the anal tin and three along the caudal end of the second dorsal : three addi- 

 tional blotches are on the back between the third and fourth, fifth and sixth, and sixth and 

 seventh transverse bands. 



The third S])ecimen has the aspect of an adult. It was caught also near the surfoce 

 at the entrance to the harbor of Messina at tlie end of April, 1881. It measures 78 milli- 

 meters in total length; head, IG millimeters; from nape to apex of abdoniinni cone, 27 milli- 

 meters; height of body immediately behind the abdominal c(me, 12 millinu'ters. I have 

 figured it once and a half the natural size (PL xxxiv. Fig. 4). It ditters especially in color 

 from the two younger and smaller specimens; tlie transverse dark bands on the body and 

 blotches along the median fins are faintly marked. The paddles of the ventral fins are 

 tipped with blackish brown, and were edged with violet in the fresh specimen, the general 

 color of which was a faint pink, with yellowish tinge along the basal half of the dorsal and 

 anal fins. The abdominal cone is bright silvery; it has no trace of a hind marginal mem- 

 brane. The caudal is subtruncate ; and, lastly, the cylindrical hyaline warts on the nape 

 are very iiromiuent and distinct. {Gu/lioli.) 



HYPSIRHYNCHUS. Facciola. 

 HypsirhyucTius, Facciola, Naturalist:! Sieiliano, iii, pi. ir. 



A genus of (liidoidea related to Eirtmojihonis, but liaving seven ventral rays, slightly 

 prolonged, and with rounded, rather than lanceolate, tips. >;o abdominal cone. 



