A2 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



of the length of the body) in tlie posterioi- part of the 

 tin, and the margin is incised just behind the middle 

 of its length. All the rays — except the tirst, tlie tirst 

 two, or the first three — are branched in full-grown 

 specimens, though onl}' indistinctly in the anterior part 

 of the fin, and the ramification is scarcely' perceptible 

 in the thick, loose fin-membrane. The length of the 

 peduncle (finless part) of the tail is about equal to its 

 depth. The caudal fin is rather narrow, and sharply 

 rounded at the hind margin, its median length varying 

 between 13 and 10 % of that of the l)odv. The anal fin is 

 analogous to the second dorsal in form and structure, but 

 is not so distincth' liigher in the posterior part. It begins 

 just behind the vent, the distance between its beginning 

 and the tip of the snout being in young specimens about 

 43 %, in old as much as 50 %, of the length of the l)ody. 

 The length of the fin varies in different individuals be- 

 tween 43 and 40 % of that of the body, and its longest 

 ray measures about S^,- — G' o % of the latter length. 



The pectoral fins are obliquely pointed, and their 

 length measures about 15 Vs — 14?^ of that of the body. 

 The uppermost two or tlu-ee rays are simple and the 

 others branched. The fifth ray is the longest, l)ut only 

 slightl}' longer tiian the fourth, which in its turn is 

 slightly longer than the third. The first ray is about 

 half as long as the second, and the latter measures 

 about ^3 of the third ray. 



In the ventral fins, which until Malm's time (1851) 

 were universally believed to consist of only one ray, 

 the second ray is the longest, measuring in specimens 

 of different ag-es from about 43 to 31 % of the length 

 of tile l)ody, but varying in length to such an extent 

 that it sometimes extends behind the beginning of the 

 anal fin, and sometimes falls short of this point". The 

 length of the first raj' is about '^'j of that of the second, 

 and its tip — for almost half the length of the ray — 

 is free from the latter. The third ray is united through- 

 out its length to the second, the tip alone forming a 

 small, indistinct break on the inner side of the fin, at a 

 distance from the liase of tlie fin ecpial to about Vj — *^ 

 of the length of the second ray. The position of the 

 \entral fins is remarkably jugular, the fins being inserted 

 almost in a line with the hind margin of the preoper- 

 culum and far apart from each other, on either side 

 of the abdomen, ^vhich is rather fiat at this point. The 

 distance between the insertion of the ventral fins and 



the beginning of the anal fin increases with age from 

 25 to 32 % of the length of the body. 



The covering of scales is dense, and clothes the 

 whole body and the head to the snout, extending also 

 over the vertical fins and the outside of the base of the 

 pectoral fins. The scales are large, but imbricated to 

 such an extent that onlj' a. narrow strip of the surface 

 of each scale is externally visible behind the scale in front 

 of it. In form they are rectangular, more or less oblong, 

 and behind and in front more or less convex. In a spe- 

 cimen 57 em. long the largest scales at the middle of 

 the body and half-way up the sides are about 14 mm. 

 long and 10' ^, mm. deep, while the free part of each 

 scale measures al)out 2 mm. Nearer the dorsal fin each 

 scale is about 12 mm. long and 7 nun. deep, and pro- 

 jects about 3 mm. behind the scale in front of it. 



The upper part of the bodj' is light chocolate- 

 coloured or reddish brown with a dash of gray, the lower 

 part paler and shading into whitish. The cheeks and 

 lower jaw are coated with a silvery colour, and the hind 

 part of the body is tinged Avith violet, whicli becomes 

 deeper back toAvards tlie base of the caudal fin and down 

 over the greater part of the anal fin. The l^elly grows 

 whiter and whitei', and is finely punctated with dark- 

 brown, which colour also extends over the margins and 

 outer parts of the vertical and pectoral fins, though the 

 latter, like the first dorsal fin, are violet at the base. 

 In young specimens a large, round spot of dark brown 

 appears at about the middle of the second dorsal fin. 

 The ventral fins are red Avith a dash of yelloAv and with 

 the free tips of the rays Avhite. The iris is pale yellow. 



The internal organs are like those of the other Cod- 

 fishes. The abdominal cavity is black, and extends to 

 a line with the fourth or fifth rav of the anal fin. The 

 pylorus originates near the hind extremity of the sto- 

 mach. The pyloric appendages are numerous and long. 

 The liver is large, and tlie two principal lobes are irre- 

 gularly subdivided. The intestine first runs forward to 

 a line with the insertion of the pectoral fins, then back 

 to the anal region, again forward for the same distance as 

 before, and finally back to the vent. In a female caught 

 at the beginning of March, eacli of the ovaries is of about 

 file same thickness as the stomach, and extends forward 

 for about ^/^ of the length of the abdominal cavity. 



On the coast of SAveden the Great Forked Beard is 

 extremely rare. Only three or four specimens are known 



" In the original of our figure tlie second ray of the risjht ventral fin measures 180 mm., of the left 152 mui 



