PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 535 



the estimate of Captain Riggs, that there are a thousand barrels in one 

 of the schools, shows how exceedingly abundant they must be. The 

 name "frigate mackerel", used in Bermuda, would seem to be the best 

 name for use in this country, since the fish resemble the mackerel more 

 than they do the bonito or tunny. 



Capt. ^. E. Atwood, of Proviucetown, Mass., the veteran tisherman- 

 ichtbyoh)gist, has examined the specimens, and is satisfied that they 

 beloug to the same species with a fish which he found abundant in the 

 Azores in 1810, when, led by the reports of Cape Cod whalers, he went 

 to these islands in search of mackerel, the mackerel-fishing being poor 

 at home. ]^o mackerel were found except the frigate mackerel referred 

 to in this note. 



NOTACA^fTIIUS PEffASCJATVOKttJS, A ISEW 8E»ECaES OF IVOTTACAN- 

 TJIiaD^E FKOM TItiE GKAIVD BANSiS OS-" IVElVFOiJiVOa^AIVEJ. 



By G. ISKO^YN G®01&E. 



The United States Fish Commission has received from the schooner 

 "Gatherer," of Gloucester, Captain Briggs Gilpatrick, a remarkable fish 

 taken from the stomach of a ground-shark, Somniosiis' hrevipinnis, on 

 the Grand Bank of Newfoundland. 



Notacanthus, Blocli. 



Notacanthus, Bloch. 



Acantkonotus, Block, Icbtliyologia, xii, 1797, p. 113, pi. ccccxxxi. (Xo tle- 



scriptiou separate from that of species A. nasus.) — Schneider, Bloch, 



Syst. lehth. 1801, p. 390, pi. xlvii. 

 Notacanthus, Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss. 1H04. 



Head and body much compressed, the body elongate, produced in a 

 long pointed tail, shaped like that of Macrurus or Flenisfer. Snout pro- 

 duced, obtuse, rounded at its tip. The cleft of the mouth inferior. (The 

 specimen is mutilated, but tlie maxillaries do not appear to be protrac- 

 tile. Dorsal fin almost rudimentary, consisting of very short, flexible 

 spines, remote from each other and not connected by a membrane. Anal 

 fin very long; its origin close behind the vent, which is situated nearly 

 mill way of the length of the body; its anterior portion is composed of 

 separate flexible spines, without membrane, resembling those of the 

 dorsal ; these gradually lengthen, grading into the articulated branched 

 rays. No caudal. Ventrals broad, with broad, ijeduncle-like bases, 

 closely contiguous, separated only by a slight groove at the base, situ- 

 ated near the vent. Teeth acicular, in single rows upon maxillaries, in 

 a double row upon mandibulars, villiform and in a double row upon the 

 palatines. Vomerine teeth not apparent (?)• Scales very numerous, of 

 moderate size, round, thin, flexible. Branchiostegals about 8 ; gills 4. 



Notacanthus phasganorus, new species. 



Tlie body is much compressed, its greatest width slightly more than 

 one-third the height of the body at the vent, its width at the tail from 



