CHAP. 11.] MADEIRA TO THE COAST OF BRAZIL. 67 



joints of the arms are very long — so long that those of one arm 

 nearly meet those of the two adjacent arms, one or two small 

 irregular plates only interv^ening ; and the lower surface of the 

 disk is thus made up to a great extent of the expanded bases 

 of the arms. The side -plates on the distal arm -joints retain 

 their unusual length, but they are directed outward toward the 

 end of the arm, and the inner edges of the plates of each pair 

 are apposed throughout nearly their whole length both above 

 and below. The upper arm -plates are small, and diamond- 

 shaped ; the arm-spines are of moderate size — usually three on 

 each side arm-plate. I relegate this pretty little thing provis- 

 ionally to the genus Ophioinimum, subject to reconsideration. 



We sounded again and took temperatures on the 22d, and on 

 the 23d we sent down the trawl to a depth of 2400 fathoms, 

 with a bottom of globigerina ooze. Along with a number of 

 invertebrates, this haul yielded a very singular little fish of the 

 Lophioid family, which Mr. Murray has named Ceratlas urano- 

 scopus (Fig. 20). The specimen is 90 mm. in length from the 

 snout to the end of the tail ; compressed laterally and of a uni- 

 form black color. The anterior spine of the first dorsal fin is 

 produced into a long filament, ending in a pear-shaped bulb, 

 terminating in a very distinct semi-transparent whitish spot. 



Fig. 20. — Ceratias uranvscopus, Murray. Natural size. (No. 89.) 



This spine has its origin on the posterior portion of the head, 

 and when laid back it reaches nearly to the tip of the tail. The 

 second part of the first dorsal is placed far back on the body, 



