126 Part III — Twenty-sixth Annual Report 



prolonged to an acute point. The longest ray was in 19 cases the second 

 in one case it was the third ray. In one instance the second and third 

 rays were of equal length. The fins have in the fresh condition a narrow 

 white border. 



Very little diflference was noticed between the big Iceland haddocks 

 and the haddocks obtained near the Scottish coasts. The eye of the 

 large haddock is smaller in proportion than that of the small fish. Thus 

 ill the haddocks from 13-37 cm., the eye ranged from 6 to 8 per cent, 

 of the length, whereas in the Iceland specimens, 72-81 cm. long, the 

 eyes only reached 5 -5'4 per cent, of the length. The eyes of the large 

 Scottish haddocks, 56-61 cm. in length, occupied an intermediate posi- 

 tion, viz., 5"3-6"2 per cent, of the length. The ventral fin was shorter 

 in the large Scottish and Iceland specimens, viz., 9"8-10"8 and &-8-ll"6 

 per cent., than in the smaller Scottish fishes, where it measured ll-4-15'6 

 per cent, of the length. The Iceland fishes had a thicker root of tail 

 and a greater spread of tail than the Scottish fish, measuring up to 37 

 cm. in length. In the other characters the fishes from the two regions 

 were in agreement. The slight divergences noticed above may be 

 simply differences due to age. 



Merlangus. — Several writers have described nierlangus as a Gadid in 

 which there is no barbel. The barbel is, however, present. SteindaCher 

 found it in all the examples examined by him (Vinciguerra). I have 

 found it in each specimen in which it was looked for. In a merlangus 

 measuring 22 cm. in length the barbel measured 2 mm. Six large 

 merlangus measuring 43-49 cm. were examined, and a very small white 

 soft barbel was made out under the lens. It could just be detected in 

 some cases, since it is so soft that it clings to the adjacent skin. 



The ventral fin has a filamentous tip. 



The anal fins sometimes unite {vide fig. 83). The last ray of the first 

 anal fin is distinguished from the first ray of the second anal fin by the 

 fact that the tip of the former is free, whereas the tip of the latter is 

 buried in the tough skin which covers the front edge of the fin. 



The caudal fin has a black margin. In fishes about 18 cm. long it 

 is somewhat fanshaped. When the mouth is closed the upper jaw 

 projects in front of the mandible, but when the mouth is open the 

 mandible extends to the level of the premaxilla. 



The longest ray of the first dorsal fin was noted in 16 cases. The 

 third was the longest in 13 cases; in one fish it was the second. The 

 third and fourth were equal in one instance, and in another the third, fourth, 

 and fifth were equal. The unpaired fins have a narrow white margin. 



Virens. — The lower jaw projects very much in large fishes. In the 

 small fish of this species this ciiaracter is not so prominent, and inexact 

 examination may lead to the conclusion that the two jaws are of equal 

 length. A number of small virens were examined to test this relationship. 

 In 18 fishes measuring 20 to 30 cm. the lower jaw projected in front of 

 the upper, in some by a little, in others more distinctly. One measuring 

 26 cm. in length appeared at first sight to have the two jaws of equal 

 length, but examination showed that the lower just showed in front of 

 the upper when the fish, with the mouth closed, was viewed from the 

 dorsal side. 



The eye in some virens is oval, with the long diameter vertical. A 

 small angle in the anterior edge of the orbit is sometimes noticeable. 



The little barbel is black. 



Pollacliius. — The eye in large pollachius {e.g., 90 cm.) is distinctly oval 

 in shape, both as regards the orbit and the lens also. The long axis of 

 the oval was vertical 



