418 Deep-sea Trawling off the 8.W. Coast of Ireland: 



Macrurus Icevis, Lowe. 



Several specimens, from 250 fath. 



New to the British fauna. Not uncommon in the Medi- 

 terranean and at Madeira ; a single example is known to 

 have been obtained on the coast of Denmark {Liitken), one 

 at Bohusliin (Malm), and another off the coast of Pernam- 

 buco (' Challenger ). 



Bhomhus Boscii, E-isso. 



Several specimens, from 150 and 315 fath. 



Neio to the British fauna. This species, originally dis- 

 covered in the Mediterranean, was, probably owing to the 

 small size or condition of the specimens, inaccurately de- 

 scribed and figured by Risso, Bonaparte, and Canestrini. 

 The scales were represented much too large, and the notes on 

 the dentition were vague. Hence it was referred by myself to 

 the genus Arnoglossus at a time when no specimens were avail- 

 able for examination (Fish. iv. p. 416), but there was 

 sufficient evidence of its being a very distinct species from 

 any of the Flat-fishes known to inhabit the British Seas. 

 Nevertheless we find it in the ' Fishes of Great Britain ' by 

 F. Day (who seems to have followed Giglioli) relegated to 

 the synonymy of Rhombus megastoma^ an error which in 

 1883 was corrected by Vinciguerra*, and in 1887 by Kolam- 

 batovic't, both of whom clearly pointed out the distinctive cha- 

 racters of these two species. 



Rhombus Boscii may be recognized at the first glance by 

 its enormous eyes, which are much larger than in Rhombus 

 megastoma^ as may be seen from the following measurements: — 



R. megastoma. R. Boscii. 



Rhombus megastoma never has the large black spots on the 

 dorsal and anal fins which are so conspicuous a feature in 

 R. Bosciij although they may also disappear in specimens of 

 the latter species if they have been allowed to get stale before 

 they are placed in spirits. The vomerine teeth are present 



* Vinciguerra, Ann. Mus. Civ. xviii. 1883, p. 570. 



t G. Kolombatovic, Sui Pleurmiecies Boscii e megastoma. Spalato, 

 1887. 8vo. 



I am also indebted to the Marquis G. Doria for kindly communicating 

 to me specimens of both species from the Gulf of Genoa, and to Professors 

 Doderlein and Bellotti for specimens of R. Boscii from Palermo and Nice. 



