EEGAN— MAEINE FISHES. 251 



Spheroides, not compressed nor constricted at the base and with the nostrils placed 

 anteriorly and posteriorly. No free opercular flap. No trace of the third (occipital) ray 

 of the anterior dorsal, which is so constantly present in other members of the family ; 

 last ray of second dorsal cleft to the base. Pectoral with very long pseudobrachium, 

 as in Chirolophius, E-gn. 



163. Sladenia gardineri, sp. n. (Plate 32.) 



Head ^ as long as the fish. Snout 3 times as long as the eye, the diameter of which 

 is 11 in the length of head. Spines on the head and humeral spines all short, simple, 

 obtuse ; supraorbital ridges not denticulated, each terminating in a spine posteriorly. 

 Anterior pair of enlarged teeth of inner praemaxillary series fixed ; largest of 2 or 3 on 

 each side of the vomer depressible. Dorsal II, II, 9 ; first two rays of spinous dorsal 

 slender, setiform, the second | as long as the first, which is ^ the length of head ; poste- 

 rior part of spinous dorsal represented by 2 nearly completely concealed rays. Anal 6. 

 Pectoral 18. Dark greyish, with pale vermiculations ; outer \ of joectoral pale. 



Chagos Ai'chipelago, Salomon, about 450 fathoms. 



A siugle specimen, 500 mm. in total length. 



MalthidaB. 



164. Halieutea hancocki, sp. n. (Plate 31. fig. 6.) 



Disc subcircular, its length a little less than its breadth and a little more than the 

 length of the tail, without the caudal fin. Disc edged with filaments; lower surface 

 finely granular; upper surface with spines, most of which are 3-rooted, the enlarged 

 spines not so strong as in JI. stellata. Diameter of eye \ the length of the disc and a 

 little more than the width of the concave interorbital region. Rostral tentacle 3-lobed, 

 the median lobe the smallest. Width of mouth (measured from the extremity of one 

 maxillary to that of the otlier) f the width of the disc. Dorsal with 5 rays, anal with 4, 

 pectoral with 13 or 14. Caudal \ the length of the fish (without the caudal), a little 

 longer than the pectoral, which is 1^ as long as the ventral. Greyish, with traces of 

 darker reticulations on the upper surface ; fins pale. 



Saya de Malha Bank, over 123 fathoms. 



A single specimen, 130 mm. in total length. 



This species is allied to S. stellata, Wahl., and to R. nigra, Ale. 



Named after Lieut. Hancock, Pt.N., First Lieutenant of H.AI.S. Sealark. 



Balistidae. 



165. Batistes niger, Mungo Park. 

 Maldives, Haddumati, 40 fathoms. 



166. Balistes aculea-tus, L. 



Maldives ; Chagos Archipelago, Peros and Salomon. 



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