78 Major A. Alcock — Exhihited of a New Fish. [July 



the Museum and Zoological Gardens in particular, are so well known ; 

 and I characterize it as follows : — 



Ploceus rutledgii, sp. nov. 



Very similar to the male of Ploceus haya in breeding-plumage, but 

 easily distinguishable by its larger size, and entirely yellow under 

 surface. 



Both specimens have the same coloration and are of about the 

 same size, but as one has a stouter head and is brighter than the other, 

 and constantly sings, it is possible that they are male and female and 

 that the sexes will prove to be similar in this species. A full desci-ip- 

 tion, with a coloured plate, will hereafter appear in the Journal. 



Major A. Alcock, I. M.S., exhibited a new species of Fish from the 

 Deep Sea, and made the following remarks upon it: — 



The fish exhibited to-night belongs to the subfamily Triacanthinas 

 of the Plectognathous family Sclerodermi. 



It has a short, moderately elevated, compressed body, covered with 

 very small rough scales. The anterior bones of the head are produced 

 to form a long, rather slender, perfectly tubular snout, some little 

 distance from the end of which is the small transverse mouth-cleft. 

 In each jaw is a distant series of very small conical teeth. There are 

 two large spines in the fi^rst dorsal fin, and the ventral fins have the 

 form of two long sharp spines that can be abducted to a right angle 

 with the body and thei-e fixed like a bayonet. 



In form this fish has a considerable superficial resemblance to 

 Centriscus, but the snout is even longer and more perfectly tubular than 

 that of Centriscus. 



Though an undoubted Plectognath, it is quite unlike any other 

 member of that family, and therefore stands as the type of a new 

 genus, HalimocJdrurcjus. 



In allusion to its Gentriscus-V\]s.e shape, I have called it Halimo- 

 chirurgus centriscoides. 



Only this one specimen is known : it was lately dredged by the 

 "Investigator" in the Gulf of Manar, at a depth of 143 fathoms. 

 Its large eye and the delicacy of its tissues are almost sufficient evi- 

 dence that it lived at the depth at which it was dredged. 



The stomach is empty, and therefore gives us no clue to the habits 

 of the animal ; but the curious tubular snout with the little valve-like 

 mouth near the end of it look as if meant for suction ; and if I might 

 hazard a guess I should say that this fish probably lived by probing for 

 worms hidden in the mud at the bottom of the sea. 



