10. SAMARIS. 419 



which is one-fourth or one-fifth of the length of the head. Lower 

 jaw prominent; maxillary nearly half as long as the head. Teeth 

 conical, pointed, of unequal size. The upper eye is situated in advance 

 of the lower. The longest dorsal rays are in and behind the middle 

 of the fin, and only half as long as the pectoral ; the last dorsal and 

 anal rays extend to the base of the caudal, if laid backwards. Pec- 

 toral twice as long as ventral, its length being two -thirds of that of 

 the head. Transparent reddish-grey. 

 Mediterranean, 



9. BRACHYPLEURA. 



Mouth wide, the length of the maxillary being one-half of that of 

 the head. Teeth pointed, conical, curved : the anterior of the upper 

 jaw enlarged, and disposed in two series ; those of the lower jaw in 

 a single series ; vomerine teeth present. The dorsal fin commences 

 on the snout ; dorsal and anal rays simple. Scales of moderate size, 

 deciduous. Eyes on the right side. Gill-membranes scarcely united 

 at the throat ; gill-rakers lanceolate. 



New Zealand. 



1. Brachypleura novae zeelandiae. 

 B. 6. D. 72. A. 48. L. lat. 30. 



The height of the body is contained twice and a half in the total 

 length (without caudal), the length of the head thrice and a quarter. 

 Scales cycloid ; lateral line without curve. Head nearly as high as 

 long. Snout with the lower jaw very prominent, as long as the eye, 

 the diameter of which is two-ninths of the length of the head. Cleft 

 of the mouth curved, the convexity of the mandible fitting into the 

 concavity of the upper jaw; the maxillary extends to behind the middle 

 of the orbit. Tongue very slender, pointed ; vomer very prominent. 

 Eyes separated by a mere ridge, the upper in advance of the lower. 

 There are two crescentic notches in the margin of the sub- and inter- 

 operculum, GUl-rakers rather widely set, slender, more than half 

 as Icung as the eye. The third to eighth dorsal rays are very elongate, 

 fiUform in one (male ?) specimen ; in the other (female ?) specimen 

 those in the middle of the fin are the longest, two-fifths of the length 

 of the head. The dorsal fin terminates close by the caudal ; the anal 

 fin commences between the extremities of the ventrals. The caudal 

 fin is one-sixth of the total length ; the length of the pectoral is 

 three-quarters of that of the head. Coloration uniform, transparent. 



New Zealand. 



a. Forty- three lines long : male ? From the Haslar Collection. 

 h. Forty-five lines long : female. New Zealand. Presented by Sir 

 J. Richardson. 



10. SAMARIS. 



Samaris, Gray, Zool. Misc. p. 4. 



Mouth equally developed on both sides, narrow, the length of the 



2e 2 



