REPORT ON THE DEEP-SEA FISHES. 189 



This fisli represents the youBg condition of Bathypterois ; possibly it may be merely 

 the young of Bathyiiterois lomjipes, but this, of course, is at present subject to doubt, as 

 that species has hitherto been found in the Atlantic only. The body of the only 

 specimen available is much twisted and would seem to be much narrower than the head, 

 but it is impossible to say how much of this is due to contraction caused by the 

 preserving fluid. The position of the fins is as in Bathypterois longipies, but all the 

 fin rays are much more elongate. The distance between the dorsal fin and the occiput 

 is scarcely equal to the length of the head. This fin as well as the anal are very high. 

 Adipose fin present. Caudal broad and deeply cleft. The long upper pectoral ray is 

 cleft, less than one-half of its length being simple, and one branch being much shorter 

 than the other. The longest of the lower pectoral rays reaches nearly to the caudal fin, 

 and the two outer ventral rays extend still further back, being more than twice as long 

 as the longest l^ranched ray. 



Sides of the head and the lower part of the abdomen black ; tail and fins transparent. 



Bathypterois quadrifilis (PL XXXIII. fig. B). 



Bathypterois quadrifilis, Giinth., Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1878, vol. ii. p. 184. 

 B. 12. D. 14. A. 9. P. 2 I 9. V. 9. L. lat. 59. L. tiansv. 6 | 8. 



The uppermost and lowermost of the pectoral rays are filiform, the former bifid for 

 more than two-thirds of its length, the latter simple. Outer ventral rays much prolonged, 

 strong, not dilated at the extremity. Dorsal fin inserted close behind the root of the 

 ventrals. Adipose fin present. 



Habitat. — Ofi" the coast of Brazil, Station 126 ; depth, 770 fathoms. Two specimens, 

 8 1 inches long. 



Ofi" the coast of Brazil, Station 121 ; depth, 500 fathoms. One specimen, 5^ inches 

 long. 



This species difi'ers somewhat more from the preceding than these do among 

 themselves. The greatest depth of the body is one-seventh of the total length, without 

 caudal, the length of the head nearly one-fifth. The head is remarkably flat above, and 

 the mdth of the interorbital space exceeds the length of the snout. The eye is small, 

 l)ut larger than in the two preceding species, about one-third of the length of the snout, 

 and one-fifth or one- sixth of the length of the postorbital portion of the head. 



The dentition and branchial apparatus do not ofi'er any noteworthy peculiarity. 



The dorsal fin occupies the middle between the extremity of the upper jaw and the 

 root of the caudal fin. A narrow adipose fin is present and midway between the dorsal 

 and caudal. The anal fin commences immediately behind the dorsal, its origin being 

 equidistant from the roots of the pectoral and caudal. Caudal fin emarginate. 



