406 Survey of Fishing- Grounds, West Coast of Ireland, 1890—1891. 



thin, ctenoid, deciduous. Small scales present on the head and fins (except 

 first dorsal). Colouratian variable, prevailing tone pale slate-grey; somewhat 

 darker on fins, and on gill cover, which exhibit a purplish sheen. Darker 

 examples become brown or moroon grey. Branchiostegal, and mouth membranes 

 deep black. Eye green. In alcohol, pale specimens assume a purplish hue. 



Distribution. — Risso, in his original description does not state the depths 

 from which lie obtained his specimens, merely remarking that it inhabits 

 " les grande profundeurs." Max Webber and Berthelot obtained the specimens 

 studied by Valencinnes from depths of 250 fathoms. The examples procured 

 during the cruises of the " Travailleur," and the "Talisman," described by 

 Vaillant, came from depths varying from 222 to 527 fathoms. 



As the species seems never to have been recorded from less depths, we ma) 

 conclude that it is confined exclusively to deep water. 



Two specimens, measuring respectively 20-3 cm. (8 inches), and 12-7 cm. 

 (5 inches), were taken by trawl net, on the 4th July, 1890, in 144 fathoms, 

 20 miles off Achill Head, county Mayo. 



This is the first appearance of the species in British waters, and since it has 

 never been taken by any dredging expedition in higher latitudes, this record of 

 its capture may probably mark the northern limit of its range. 



The researches of Risso, Valenciennes, Lowe, and Vaillant show that the 

 species has its habitat along the Atlantic slope of the old Hemisphere from the 

 Bay of Biscay to the Island of St. Helena, and occurs also in the Mediterranean, 

 off Nice, and in the Straits of Messina. It is known to attain to a length of 

 2 feet, and is said to spawn off St. Helena in November. (Valenciennes.) 



Anatomy. — A careful description of the visceral anatomy is given by Cuvier 

 and Valenciennes, and agrees for the most part with the condition exhibited by 

 our specimens. These authors, however, remark that the gall-bladder is large 

 and hidden by the right lobe of the liver. In the specimens before us the gall- 

 bladder, so far from being hidden by either lobe of the liver, extends well beyond 

 the posterior extremity of the stomach, and in fact as far back as the commence- 

 ment of the rectum. It is roughly tetragonal in section in the region of its greatest 

 expansion, but nowhere attains any great width. Giinther (" Challenger," vol. xxii. 

 p. 14, fig. 1), has noted an even greater development of the gall-bladder in another 

 deep-sea perch, Scombrops chUodopteroides, Blkr., in which that organ actually 

 reaches the posterior extremity of the visceral cavity. He also notes, as a feature 

 of interest, that the intestine only makes one complete convolution. This is also 

 true of Pomatomus, but the intestine is somewhat longer than in Scombrops, a 

 result chiefly attained by a short secondary infolding of the curved region of the 

 duodenum. The stomach is large and simple, the pyloric coeca, twenty-two in 

 number, of moderate length ; the rectum inflated ; the anal papilla protruberant, 



