Holt and Caxderwood — Report on the Rarer Fishes. 



475 



II. — Table of measurements, given in centimetres, showing the variation between four 

 specimens approximately the same sise, named E, E^, E^, and E^. 



E\ 



E^. 



E^. 



Total length, 



Length of head, . . . . 



Length of snout, . . . . 



Width of interorbital space, 



"Width of head, . . . . 



Greatest height of body, . 



Tip of snout to mouth, 



,, to 1 st dorsal fin -ray, 



,, to 1st ray of 2nd dorsal, 



,, to base of pelvic, . 



Greatest diameter of eye, . 



Vent to isthmus, 



Isthmus to snout, ... 



Vent to tip of lower jaw, . 



30-4 

 4-9 

 1-3 

 1-5 

 2-9 

 4-2 

 1-1 

 5-2 

 8-8 

 5-9 

 1-8 

 2-9 

 4'3 

 5-8 



30-0 

 4-6 

 1-3 

 1-5 

 2-6 

 4-2 

 1-1 

 5-2 

 8-5 

 4-9 

 1-6 

 2-4 

 3-5 

 4-7 



29-0 

 4-8 

 1'2 

 1-5 

 2-6 

 4-2 

 1-1 

 5-4 

 8'9 

 4-9 

 1-7 

 2-2 

 33 

 4-7 



30-0 

 4-6 

 1-3 

 1-6 

 2-6 

 4-2 

 M 

 5-4 

 8-4 

 4-7 

 1-7 

 2'6 

 3-6 

 4-8 



The tail in each specimen seemed to be complete, so that we believe the 

 measurements of total length to be accurate. It will be observed that specimen E 

 is longer, by 4 mm., than E^ and E"^, and by 5 mm. than E^. This may account 

 for a proportion of the greater measurements found in the first column, but not 

 for the great increase which is found in the measurements of " Tip of snout to 

 base of pelvic fin," "Isthmus to snout," or "Vent to tip of lower jaw." These 

 three measurements show that specimen E has a much greater distance between 

 the various points on the ventral surface of the body ; whereas the measurements 

 on the dorsum, such, for instance, as " Tip of snout to 1st dorsal fin-ray," show 

 that a proportionate elongation does not take place, and that the distance may 

 even be shorter. 



The width of the interorbital space remains constant, as does the distance 

 from tip of snout to the toothless space in the upper jaw, and the measurement of 

 the greatest height of the body. 



A variation in the general outline of the body and head exists amongst the 

 Macruri as amongst other groups of fishes. The profile may be more boldly 

 convex in the frontal and prefrontal regions. 



3X2 



