Holt and Caldeeavood — Report on the Rarer Fishes. 419 



hardly any interspace left. The throat, scaleless in the smaller examples, is 

 clothed with minute imbricating scales in the larger ones. The height of the 

 second dorsal and anal undergoes a relative increase, so that, whereas in young 

 examples the extremities of the posterior rays of even the dorsal scarcely reach the 

 origin of the caudal, in full-grown examples the posterior rays of both second 

 dorsal and anal extend considerably beyond that point, even when erected to what 

 appears to be the most vertical position attainable (c/. fig. 3). The elongation of 

 the anterior ray of the first dorsal is a character which seems to have escaped the 

 notice of Scandinavian writers, which is the less remarkable in that there is no 

 constancy in its occurrence. It may, in fact, be indifferently present or absent 

 in examples of any size with which we are acquainted. In tlie specimen figui-ed 

 the extreme point of the ray is wanting, but it does not appear jDrobable that its 

 original length was ever greatly in excess of that shown in the drawing. On the 

 other hand several of our larger specimens show the ray prolonged in exactly the 

 same way as in Scharff's figure of G. macrolepis. The character may be sexual, 

 but this we are unable to affirm. It may be noted that Scharff's specimen was a 

 mature male. 



1l\\q variation in the fin-ray formula of the species does not appear to be 

 extensive. The information at our disposal is as follows : — 



Di. 6 Dii. 14 A. 14 Type specimen (Fries). 



Specimen of 5*9 cm, (CoUett). 

 Type of G. macrolepis (Scharff). 



Four examples from the Survey 

 Collection. 



We are not disposed to regard the large number of anal rays in G. macrolepis 

 as of sufficient importance to interfere with the association of the two species. 



Locality and Distribution. — Previous to its discovery in Ireland, G. Friesii was 

 only known from three specimens, from the Strbmstad and Grullmar Fjords in 

 Sweden, and Christiania Fjord in Norway. Scharff's specimen was taken at 

 6 fathoms on the S.W. coast of Ireland,* while those collected during the Survey 

 occurred in the outer harbour, Killybegs, and in Inver and Cleggan Bays, the 

 depths ranging from 1 to 10 fathoms. In the first two of these localities the fish 

 is probably far from rare, as several were obtained in a single haul. Smitt, who 

 has overlooked the Irish records, considers that it is a deep-sea species, but we 

 know of no reason for this opinion. 



* Mr. A. E. C. Newburgli informs us that he has also taken the species on the S. W. coast since the 

 Survey was completed. 



302 



