24 Messrs. J. Wood-Mason and A. Alcock on 



Family Pediculati. 



Halieutj^a, C. & V. 



S. Halieutcea nigra, sp. n. 



D. 5. A. 4. C. 9. P. 13. V. 1/5. 



Cephalic disk circulai-, convex anteriorly. Kostral tentacle 

 trilobed. Interorbital space concave j supraorbital margin 

 vtitli long- aculeate spines. 



Cleft of mouth horizontal, its width being considerably less 

 than half tlie diameter of the disk ; jaws with villiform teeth. 

 Gills 2^. The dorsal surface of the disk and tail bears scat- 

 tered spines with stellate bases, bifid, trifid, or multitid along 

 the edge of the disk and side of the tail, but elsewhere aci- 

 calar ; the abdominal surface is covered with minute granules 

 only. A few small papilla? along the under surface of the 

 lower jaw ; but no other cutaneous appendages. Fins, in 

 form and disposition as in H. stelluta ; the length of the pec- 

 torals is nearly twice that of the ventrals and about equal to 

 that of the caudal, which is one fourth of the total. 



Intestine wide ; no pyloric cseca ; no air-bladder. 



Colour in life : — Uniform blue-black, with jet-black ver- 

 micular lines. 



One specimen 2" 7 inches long, from Station 115, 188 to 

 220 fathoms. 



It is possible, though hardly probable, that this may be an 

 immature form of Halieuiwa coccinea, mihi. The differ- 

 ence in colour appears not to be an objection, because in 

 a species of Peristethus to be described the young are dusky 

 violet in colour, while a large specimen is bright red. 



DiBRANCHUS, Peters. 



9. Dihranchus nasutus, sp. n. (PI. VII. %. 1.) 



B. 5? D. 6. A. 4. C. 9. P. 12-L3. V. 1/5. 



Head and anterior part of body forming a large fiat semi- 

 circular disk as broad as long ; tail cylindrical. The broadly 

 expanded snout-bones project far beyond the deep semicircular 

 cavity which lies beneath them, and this lodges a Heshy 

 tentacle, which ends in a pair of spherical lobes surmounted 

 by a median bifid filament. A pair of almost confluent nos- 

 trils on each side of the subrostral cavity. Eyes small. 

 Mouth-cleft horizontal, its width is about one third the 

 greatest breadth of the cephalic disk ; tongue large, blotched 



