Holt and Caldeewood — Report on the Rarer Fishes. 473 



with vertical sides ; snout obtusely conical, slightly projecting beyond mouth, the 

 cleft of which is oblique, extending to the level of middle of eye. The distance 

 from tip of snout to anterior margin of orbit equal to distance between the two 

 anterior neres. In specimens of all sizes the greatest diameter of eye is equal 

 to the breadth of the interorbital space. Distance from snout to base of first 

 dorsal fin-ray equal to twice the extreme breadth of head. Teeth of upper jaw 

 bi-serial, a toothless space occurring in the centre of the jaw ; the inner series 

 has the appearance of a villiform band. Teeth of the lower jaw uni-serial, 

 separate. Barbel shorter than eye. Distance from tip of snout to median 

 toothless space of upper jaw equal to distance from snout to posterior neres. 

 From toothless space to isthmus equal to distance from isthmus to vent in 

 specimens of thirteen or fourteen inches in length. 



Scales (fig. Za) very small, much deeper than long, covered with short, minute 

 spinelets. In small specimens, the spinelets are few in number and large in 

 proportion to the size of the scale. 



Lower margin of preoperculum not serrated ; anterior dorsal spine smooth. 



A triangular, scaleless, and black-coloured depression is situated between the 

 bases of the ventral fins. Immediately behind this, a similar depression of an 

 oval shape occurs, and behind this oval depression lies the vent. 



Locality and Distribution. — Twenty-five examples of this species, ranging in 

 size from 25-5 to 54*5 cm. (10 to 21-^- inches), were trawled during the Survey. 

 One was taken in 200 fathoms, 50 miles off Bolus Head, Co. Kerry, and the 

 remainder in water ranging from 144 to 220 fathoms, 26 to 40 miles off Achill 

 Head, Co. Mayo. 



The species appears to be more widely distributed than any of its congeners, 

 since it occurs both in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. 



The Atlantic specimens have been procured from the coasts of Norway 

 (Malm)*, Denmark (Liitken), Madeira (Lowe), Pernambuco (Giinther), and the 

 west coast of Ireland ; while Pacific specimens were obtained from the Andaman 

 Sea (Alcock). 



Although the species is not mentioned amongst the results of the " Travailleur " 

 and "Talisman" expeditions, nor from high latitudes in the records of the 

 Norwegian North Atlantic expedition, it appears to be abundant on the slopes of 

 the continental plateau to the west of Ireland, where, before the specimens now 

 described were procured, it had been obtained by the " Flying Fox " (Giinther) 

 and " Research " (Bourne). 



So far as the records of capture show us, the vertical range of this species is 



* "Goteb. 0. Bohiisl. Faun.," p. 503. A single specimen cast up on tie shore. Liitken {pp. cit.) 

 records that the single Danish specimen was also cast up on the Northern coast of Jutland. 



IBANS. EOy. DTJB. SOC, N.S. VOL. T. , PAET. IX. 3X 



