3. KKGALKCrs. 307 



out caudal appendage), the length of the head one-sixth. The snout 

 is produced, subcylindrical ; the mouth small and toothless. The 

 maxillary bones are small, short, and hidden behind the intermaxil- 

 laries ; the mandibles are long, extending far behind the eye. Eyes 

 large, close together, directed forwards towards the snout. The sub- 

 orbital is very large, covering nearly the whole of the check, and 

 extending backwards behind the eye. Opercles small. Gill-openings 

 veiy wide ; gills four. The vent is situated before the middle of the 

 total length. The pectorals are pointed, directed upwards, about half 

 as long as the head ; the doi-sal extends from the head nearly to the 

 end of the tail. The caudal is directed upwards, and has its rajs 

 connected by a rather firm membrane : the tail tei-minates 13 a 

 narrow band-like appendage about twice as long as the body. The 

 colour is uniform silvery. 



The single specimen known is in the collection of the College of 

 Surgeons ; it is eleven inches long, the appendage being twenty-two 

 inches. It was taken in the sea between Cuba and Martinique. 



3. REGALECUS. 



Regalecu.i, linhin. Ni't Oaml. iii. p. 414. 

 Gymnetrus. Bl. Schn. p. 481 ; Cuv. Sf Val. x. p. 352. 



Each ventral fin reduced to a long filament, dilated at the ex- 

 tremitj' ; caudal fin rudimentary or absent. 



Seas of Europe ; Atlantic ; Vizagapatam ; New Zealand*. 



* Our knowledge of the occurrence of tliis genus in the seas of 'New Zealand 

 rests on the following notice, which appeared in a New Zealand newspaper. The 

 parts of the specimen captured, which were presen'ed, have been transmitted to 

 the British Museum, but have not yet arrived : 



" Nelson. October 2G, 1800. 



" The following few notes relative to the singular fish which on Wednesday 

 last ran ashore near the entrance of the hai'bour may not be uninteresting; 

 they are compiled partly from informal ion given to me by persons who saw the 

 fish, and partly from my own observation of such of the remains as I was able to 

 see. The head was very small, not more than ten inches in length, resembling 

 in shape that of the Mohild. From the lower lip depended a large number of 

 rigid slender barbules, about sixteen inclics long and of a brilliant red colour. The 

 eye was as large as that of a bullock, protruding considerably, and very bright. The 

 jaws apjiearcd to be entire'y destitute of teeth. Unfortunately the head had been 

 so much damaged (by being beaten with stones) before I saw any part of it, that 

 I am unable to give any more detailed description of it. TiK> body, from the 

 head tu the extremity of the tail, measured fifteen feet ten inches ; at the back of 

 the head it was about ten inches deep, which gradually increased to fourteen 

 inches three feet further on. It retained the same depth for about ten feet, and 

 then tajicred gradually to the extremity of the tail, which was pointed, and, as 

 my inl'ormant stated, destitute of fin. The whole body of tlie fish was extremely 

 flat, varying from two to four inches in its whole length, attaining its greatest 

 thickness, (four inches') about the middle of its length, along the course of the 

 spi)ie. 



'■ From behind the head ran along unbroken dorsal fin, two inches wide there, 

 gradually increasing in width to four inches in the middle of the fish, and then 

 tapering to one incli near the extremity of the tail, where it terminated. This fin 

 was supported, at intervals of about three-quarters of an inch, hv slender spinou's 



* X 2 



