of the Bay of Bengal cOc. 379 



It would be premature to indulge in any speculations con- 

 cerning the bathybial fishes of the I3ay of Bengal region ; but 

 the occurrence in this region of forms so long considered 

 characteristic of the deeper waters of Madeira and the Medi- 

 terranean, many of which have also been found more lately to 

 exist in Japanese waters and in the Pacific, must be con- 

 sidered highly interesting. It is interesting also, from 

 another point of view, to find species common to this region 

 and to the American side of the South Atlantic. 



§2. List of the Fishes ^ with Descrijytions of the neiv Species. 

 PLAGIOSTOMATA. 



S E L A C II I D E I. 



Family Spinacidae. 

 Paracentkoscyllium, gen. nov. 



Allied to Centroscyllium. 



Two dorsal fins, each with a strong spine. No anal fin. 

 Mouth crescentic, with a direct oblique groove at each angle. 

 Teeth equal in both jaws, minute, simple, monocuspid, straight. 

 No membrana nictitans. Gill-openings rather wide. Integu- 

 ment smooth. 



Paraceyitroscyllium ornatum^ sp. u. 



All the tissues fragile. Head broad and depressed, the 

 branchial region conspicuously prominent. Body subcylin- 

 drical. Tail long. Snout short, broad, depressed. Eyes 

 large, their major diameter being one third of the head-length 

 (branchial region included). Nostrils a little wider than the 

 spiracles, borne at and on the under surface of the edge of 

 the snout. Mouth crescentic and rather wide. Minute, 

 simple, straiglit, monocuspid teeth in both jaws. Integument 

 absolutely smooth. Dorsal spines very strong, the second 

 much the larger. The first dorsal fin begins an interval 

 behind the pectorals equal to the interval of the second behind 

 the ventrals. Pectorals, ventrals, and caudal all large. 



Colours ''deep violet black, lighter between the eyes; 

 head with minute white spots arranged in the shape of a lute; 

 ventrals with pale tips " {Dr. G. M. Giles). 



Length 5g: inches. 



Two males and one female, in bad preservation. 



Hah. Bay of Bengal, Swatch of No-ground, 405 to 285 

 fathoms ; bottom Pteropod-ooze and green mud. 



