Fishes, by Dr. A. Giinther. 415 



FISHES. Bj Dr. A. Gunther. 



The results of Mr. Green's sliort cruise in the present year 

 are fresli evidence of the incompleteness of our knowledge of 

 the British Fauna whilst the deep water is allowed to remain 

 unexplored. The importance of undertaking this investigation 

 consists not merely in the addition of a number of unknown 

 forms to our list, but equally and even more in the certainty 

 that many of the mysteries which observations limited to 

 the littoral fauna must for ever leave unexplained will be 

 cleared up by a study of the pelagic and bathybial conditions. 

 Thus the mode and season of propagation of many lishes, 

 their vertical and horizontal distribution, their periodical or 

 casual migrations and their causes, are at present bhmk 

 chapters in their history, solely because part of tlieir life is 

 spent at a distance from the shallow water of the shore. 



Of the eleven species of fishes collected during the present 

 cruise, one (a Sole) has proved to be new to science, and five are 

 new to the British Fauna; unknown facts with regard to the 

 propagation of Chimcera have been ascertained ; and of all 

 exact data as to their bathymetrical range have been obtained. 

 It is a singular fact that the five species new to the Fauna 

 are species well known from more southern latitudes, from 

 Madeira and the Mediterranean. Those who have perused 

 my report on the Fishes collected by Mr. John Murray in 

 deep water (50-100 fath.) on the west coast of Scotland, may 

 recollect that the more characteristic forms^ with few excep- 

 tions, were members of the northern or even arctic fauna. 

 Whether this faunistic difference is due to the slight difference 

 in latitude (six degrees), or to the circumstance that the 

 Scotch fishes were collected at a considerably lesser depth, I 

 am unable to decide at present. 



The fishes collected are the following : — 



Pristiurus melanostomuSy Raf. 



A young specimen from 150 fath. Collett had obtained 

 the same species at Tromso from a depth of 250 fath. 



Cliimcera monstrosa, L. 



The egg-capsule of Chimcera was previously unknown ; 

 that figured by J oh. MiiUer (Abhandl. Berl. Ak. 1840, 

 taf. 6. fig. 3) and by Dum^ril (Hist. Nat. Poiss. i. pi. 8. 

 fig. 8) is that of Callorhynchus, and not of Chimcera. 

 Mr. Green obtained one at 315 fath. 



The whole capsule is 6^ inches long, and consists of a 



