Fishes taken at Madeira, 281 



the longest in the fin, from which it falls rapidly backwards. 

 The caudal fin is forked. On the under edge of the tail there 

 are five short glassy spines, which curve backwards. 



The vent is placed at the middle of the total length. 



The single specimen obtained, though measuring 5 T ^y inches 

 in length, was extracted from the stomach of a malacopterygian 

 fish, having a length of only 3 t 7 q inches, whose black skin, 

 frightfully distended, entirely covered it ! It was doubled up, 

 and a good deal injured. So many of the scales had been re- 

 moved, that those of the lateral line could not be counted. 



It is to be observed, with reference to the description of Gono- 

 stoma denudata given in the ' Fauna Italica/ that ten rays are 

 assigned to the branchiostegal membrane, whereas I certainly 

 found thirteen; that the fifth, sixth, and seventh rays of the 

 first dorsal fin are said to be the longest, whereas in my fish the 

 longest rays were the third, fourth, and fifth ; and that, whilst 

 the two agree in the number of the rays of the first dorsal fin, 

 there were in my fish eleven in place of the ten rays in the pec- 

 toral fin, eight in place of six rays in the ventral fins, and 

 twenty-nine in place of thirty rays in the anal fin. 



The fish was taken in the month of March, and is now in 

 the British Museum. The following are the dimensions of the 

 principal parts : — 



inches. 



Total length 5^ 



Height at nape -A- 



Head, length 1^ 



Eye, diameter JL. 



Mouth, width at back ^ 



„ length of upper jaw 1 



Longest teeth J^. 



1 st dorsal, distance from snout 2^- 



„ length of base ^± 



„ length of third ray -X. 



2nd dorsal, distance from snout 4 



Pectorals, distance from snout 1-A 



length i 



Ventrals, distance from snout 2^ 



len g th T% 



Anal, length of base 1^. 



,, length of third ray 8 



Scopelus Bonapartii, Val. H.N. Poiss. xxii. 449. 



Lampanyctus Bonapartii, Fauna Ital. 



1st D. 14. 2nd D. rudimentary. P. 14. V. 7. A. 13. 



C. in. or iv. 10 + 9. in. or iv. M.B. 8. 



Black, the large scales reflecting purplish blue and silvery 



