92 



(4) the pyloric caeca are somewliat less rudimentary. 

 An adult female is nearly 8 inches long. 

 Bay of Bengal, 1644 and 1748 fathoms. 

 Regd. No. 13073. 



This species may very probably prove identical with Porogadus subarmatus 

 Vaillant (op. cit. p. 265, pi. xxiv. fig. 3). 



71. Dermatorfis nielampepUis, Alcock. 



Dermatorus melampeplus, Alcook, Jonrn. Ae. Soc. Bengal, Vol. LXV. pt. 2, 1896, p. 305 : Illustrations op 

 THE Zoology of the Investigator, Fishes, pl. XVII. fig. 3. 



Differs from D. trichiurus in the following particulars : — 



(1) As in D. melanocephalus the spines of the head are weak and flexible ; 

 but there are some on the edge of the preoperculum : 



(2) the eye is half the length of the snout and less than a sixth the length 

 of the head : 



(3 1 there are no teeth on the vomer. 



Colour uniform black. 



Length a little over 9 inches. 



One specimen from off the Malabar coast, 931 fathoms. 



Eegd. No. y- * 



Gltptophidium, Alcock. 



Olyptophidium, Alcock, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Nov. 18S9, p. 390, and Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, Vol. LXV. pt. 2, 

 1896, p. 309. 



Body elongate, compressed, of good height ; tail long, tapering to a lash-like 

 filament : head compressed, with soft, almost membranaceous, frilled and crested 

 bones. Both head and body covered with thin caducous scales. 



Lateral line absent. 



Snout not overhanging the lower jaw, without barbels. Mouth wide : 

 villiform teeth in bands on the jaws and palatines and in a A-shaped band on 

 the vomer. 



Eye of good size. 



Gill-openings wide: operculum with a feeble flat spine. Eight branchiosteg- 

 als. Each pseudobranch consists of from 6 to 12 rather long lax filaments. 



Dorsal and anal fins confluent with the caudal. 



The ventral fins arise close together just behind the clavicular symphysis : 

 each consists of either 1 or 2 filamentous rays. 



