Holt and Calderwood — Report on the Rarer Fishes. 459 



profile is less expanded, a strong sulcus existing in the middle line, somewhat 

 behind the level of the centre of the eye. The muciferous cavities of the head 

 are everywhere very strongly marked ; and it is possible that the difference in 

 profile which this (and also the smallest example of our series) presents to the 

 other specimens may be to some extent due to the collapse of these structures 

 from the effects of the preserving fluid, though it cannot be attributed to this 

 cause alone. The shape of the head is otherwise very similar in all three 

 examples, the distinct, but blunt, sub-orbital ridge being about equally well 

 marked in B. In B, however, the margin of the pre-operculum is rather more 

 angular than in the others. Day's figure, which represents a specimen only 6 

 inches long, shows the margin of this bone exposed, and strongly serrated. In 

 all our examples the whole of the structure is covered with scales, so that the 

 serrations, if they exist, are thereby masked, and, from an examination of Day's 

 specimen (in the British Musuem), we think it probable that the absence of scales 

 is due to injury in the net, and not a natural condition. 



In their remaining characters the two specimens, A and B, show so little 

 difference, that, except in a few trifling details, one description will serve 

 for both. 



Teeth and Jaws. — The teeth, arranged in bands in either jaw, are villiform ; 

 and in the upper jaw those of the outer series are a little larger than the rest, 

 especially near the centre of the gape, where two or three rather large teeth occur 

 on either side. There is a toothless interspace in the centre. The angle of the 

 jaw is behind the centre of the eye (and more noticeably so in the specimen 

 figured), and the scaleless oral groove extends beyond the hinder margin of 

 the orbit. 



Scales. — Relatively rather large, beset over the whole of the exposed surface 

 by rather long but not very stout spinelets ; the central spinelets noticeably 

 stronger than the rest. The scales on the sides of the body are rather broader 

 than long ; thus a scale from near the lateral line at the level of the commence- 

 ment of the second dorsal fin measures in A "8 cm. long by 1 cm. broad, and in 

 B "8 cm. by 1"1 cm. There are eight scales in a transverse row from the base of 

 the anterior dorsal ray to the lateral line in A and B, and either eight or nine in 

 the specimen figured. The presence of the spinelets gives a velvety, or almost 

 a furry, appearance to the skin of large examples such as A or B ; but small 

 specimens, such as those taken by the " Porcupine " and " Knight Errant," look 

 very much smoother, and in faCt have much the same appearance as specimens of 

 M. Icevis, so far as the skin is concerned. 



Fins. — There are eleven rays in the first dorsal of both specimens, in addition 

 to the very short anterior spine (not counted in the fin-ray formula), which in A 

 is completely buried under the skin. The anterior ray is imperfect in all our 



3 T 2 



