166 Mr. J. Y. Johnson on rare and little-known 



in the months of February and March. The smaller one was 

 7y inches in length, the larger 9 inches, and this had a height 

 at the first dorsal fin of 1| inch, its head measuring 2 inches 

 in length. The fishermen style the fish " Rato," i. e. Rat, from 

 its slender tail-like hinder part. 



It may be suspected that this fish is the Gadella gracilis of 

 Mr. Lowe (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 1. vol. xiii. p. 399), 

 although in his short description he speaks of a single dorsal fin 

 and subscobinate teeth. I am indebted to Dr. Giinther for 

 referring me to the descriptions of Gadus Maraldi in Risso's 

 ' Ichth. de Nice/ 125, and Merlucius Maraldi in his ' Hist.Nat.de 

 PEur. Mer.' iii. 220. The following figures represent in inches 

 the dimensions of the principal parts of the larger specimen : — 



Mouth, depth = width at angle of jaws y 9 ^ 



Eye, diameter 5 



First dorsal, distance from snout 3 



„ „ length of base y^ 



height | 



Second dorsal, height in front yg- 



Pectorals, length ly\ 



„ distance from snout 2y^ 



Ventrals, length 1^- 



Anal, distance behind vent £ 



height in front 



l o 



Caudal, length 1 



Vent, distance from tip of mandible 2^j 



Haloporphyrus, Giinther, MS. 



Body scaly ; two dorsal, one anal, and seven-rayed ventral 

 fins ; a barbel ; scobinate bands of teeth in the jaws and on the 

 pharyngeal bones; scobinate teeth on the vomer; no teeth on 

 the palatine bones or on the tongue. Branchiostegal membrane 

 with seven rays. 



The only species yet discovered of this genus was imperfectly 

 described and badly figured by Risso, in his c Hist. Nat. de 

 l'Eur. Mend.' (vol. iii. p. 218, pi. 11. fig. 40), under the name of 

 Lota lepidion. From the true Lota, however, it may be distin- 

 guished by the possession of ventral fins with seven rays, and 

 by the larger scales. Three specimens having been lately pro- 

 cured at Madeira, the following description of the species has 

 been drawn up from them. 



Haloporphyrus lepidion, Giinther. 

 The fin-rays of the three examples were as follows : — 

 IstD. 2ndD. P. V. A. C. 



A. 4 55 21 7 49 vn. or viu. + 16 + vii. or viii. 



B. 4 56 21 7 52 



C. 4 52 20 7 48 



