REPORT ON THE PELAGIC FISHES. 11 



Lirus porosus, Richartls (PI. II. tig. F). 



Diagramma porosa, Richards, Ereb. and Turr. Fish., p. 26, figs, b, 6. 

 Hijperoghjphe porosa, Giintli., lor. cit. 



Since the first discovery of this species during tlie voj^age of the " Erebus" and 

 "Terror," no other .specimen seems to have fallen into the hands of a naturalist. 

 During the present voyage sev'en young examples, 25 to 30 mm. long, were obtained from 

 a patch of floating .sea-weed near the Kermadec Islands, Station 170. The hind margin 

 of the praioperculum is finely and evenly serrated, the angle and lower mai'giu of the 

 bone being armed with coarser and longer teeth. Pale olive ; fins blackish, with the 

 exception of the caudal fin which is whitish. 



Linis paucidena, n. sp. (PL II. fig. E). 



T) "! A -3_ 



This species, of which I have only three very young specimens, is closely allied to Lirus 

 2wrosus, but the armature of the prseoperculum is very different ; some of the characters 

 here mentioned may apply to the young stage only. 



The height of the body is contained 2A times in the total length (without caudal), 

 the length of the head 2i times. Eye about one-third of the length of the head, 

 the maxillary not extending to below the middle of the eye. The entire margin of 

 the prEeoperculum armed with distant and comparatively strong dentations. The soft 

 dorsal and anal fins rather high, higher than the spinous dorsal, which is continuous 

 with the soft ; pectoral fins extending beyond, ventrals to, the anal. Dark-brown, 

 pectoral and caudal fins white. 



Three .specimens, the largest of which is 35 mm. long, were obtained in the surfixce- 

 net on the passage from New Guinea to Japan. 



Cuhiceps gracilis, Lowe (PL II. figs. A, B, V). 



A single specimen, 3 inches long, was obtained in the surfjice-net on the pas.sage 

 between Tenerife and St. Thomas, West Indies. It proves that this species docs not 

 undero-o great changes during growth, and that the fish described and figured l)y 

 Liitken (op. cit.) under the name of Psenes maculalus is not the young of the present 

 species. 



Adult Cuhiceps must be extremely rare; no other specimen has occurred, beside 

 the one obtained liy Sir A. Smith, so that the question of the specific distinctness of 

 Cuhiceps capensis and Cuhiceps gracilis is still a matter of uncertainty. 



