318 Zoological Society : — 



ichthyological position of the genus, which has been placed in no 

 fewer than four families by different naturalists. Mr. Lowe, who 

 founded the genus on the present species, placed it in Cuvier's family 

 of Tcenio'ides. M. Valenciennes referred the genus to the Sahnonidce. 

 Sir John Richardson, in his article on Ichthyology in the ' Encyclo- 

 paedia Britannica,' assigned it, on page 213, to the Sphyrcenida?, 

 and on page 248 to the Scopelidce. Lastly, that able ichthyologist, 

 Dr. Giinther, asserts that its natural affinity is decidedly Siluroid 

 (Cat. Acanth. Fishes in Brit. Mus. ii. p. 353). A consideration of 

 Mr. Bennett's description and of the additional points about to be 

 mentioned, some of which appear to have been hitherto overlooked, 

 will lead, I think, to the conclusion that the position assigned to this 

 fish by Dr. Giinther is the true one. 



The specimen lately obtained is 53^ inches long, the head mea- 

 suring 7| inches. The height of the body in front of the pectoral 

 fin is 4\ inches. The branchiostegal membrane is supported by 

 seven rays, which number may probably be taken as the normal one, 

 as it agrees with one of Mr. Lowe's specimens, the other of which 

 had six rays in that membrane. The fish has no barbels, in which 

 negative character it resembles the genus Batrachocephalus, a mem- 

 ber of the Siluridce. The large eye (1^ inch in diameter) is sur- 

 rounded by an adipose skin, which, on tbe posterior side, intrudes as 

 a transparent veil upon the eye, covering it to the extent of one- 

 third. 



The subopercle of which Mr. Bennett spoke appears to be the 

 interopercle, which has been extraordinarily developed at the ex- 

 pense of the subopercle, the latter being wanting. Both this and 

 the opercle (which measures 2 inches across) are remarkable for their 

 paper-like tenuity and the high radiating striatures on their surfaces. 

 The hinder portion of the preopercle forms a strong bony ridge, also 

 striated. The coracoid is very broad at its middle, where it is sculp- 

 tured with radiating striae like the clavicle. The suprascapular and 

 the narrow scapular are longitudinally striated. The striae on all the 

 bones are strong. 



The remarkably high first dorsal fin has forty-one rays, and the 

 deeply-forked caudal fin nineteen rays, whilst the second dorsal is 

 adipose — in these respects agreeing with Mr. Bennett's description ; 

 but the pectoral fin has fourteen in place of fifteen rays, the ventral 

 fin ten in place of nine rays, and the anal fin sixteen in place of 

 seventeen rays. The first ray of the pectoral fin in the fish examined 

 by Mr. Bennett was the longest. In this specimen the fifth and 

 sixth rays are the longest (being /I inches long), and they are rather 

 more than twice the length of the strongly-serrated first ray, which 

 is superior in length only to the three last. The first dorsal fin 

 (the base of which is 32 inches long) arises out of a groove, each 

 margin of which consists of a loose fold of adipose skin. The first 

 ray is jointed above, and is strongly serrate along its free edge, like 

 the first rays of the pectorals and ventrals. The first fifteen or six- 

 teen rays appear to be simple, the others sparingly branched ; but 

 the only perfect ray in my specimen is the fourth, and that is 



