128 Part III. — Twenty-sixth Annual Report 



cular cleft, it passes backwards in a gentle curve to cross the lateral axis 

 about the beginning of the second dorsal fin. It continues its course 

 below the lateral axis either in a single curve or in several smaller curves, 

 to rise again to the axis near the beginning of the third dorsal fin, and to 

 run straight backwards to the tail. The part below the lateral axis some- 

 times varies on the two sides of the fish. 



The skin of the preserved fish had a golden sheen. 



The ureter left the kidney at the first haemal arch. It was in the 

 mesentery between the two hind lobes of the testis. 



The ovary was yellow in colour. 



The testes in one specimen measuring 168 cm. were very large; they 

 filled up practically the whole of the abdominal cavity (fig. 88 T). 



Jensen obtained small specimens of this species in Greenland. Two 

 post-larval fishes measured 13*5 and 16 mm. in length. They were 

 captured in August. A quantity of fry measuring 45-74 mm. was 

 obtained in the same mouth. One, 45 mm. long, "is pigmented on back 

 and flanks with dark cross-formed or stellate chromatophores. In the 

 larger young ones the dark chromatophores are sometimes massed in 

 some places towards the back, and produce an intimation of transverse 

 bands ; the distal margins of the dorsal fins, and partly also of the anal 

 fins, are frequently strongly pigmented." 



Gadus ogac, Richardson. Fig. 1. Plate I. Fig. 13a. — Vanhoffen had 

 the opportunity of examining this species in the fresh condition in 

 Greenland. He discusses it as foliows : — 



" Gadus ovac, Reinhardt, is only a dark-coloured variety of Gadus 

 morrhua, occurring on the coasts of Greenland. Both of these species are 

 got there. The near relationship of ovac and morrhua is seen in the 

 number of the fin-rays and in the structure of the otoliths (fig. 23), as 

 well as in the body measurements, which in some respects approach 

 seglefinus. According to Dresel, ovac and morrhua from the Greenland 

 and American coasts differ, in addition to colour, in the following 

 respects: — In ovac the tail is narrower, the eye is larger, the inter- 

 orbital space more prominent, the barbel longer, the ventral fin is placed 

 further forward, and the pectoral fin is longer than in morrhua. Liitken 

 distinguished them by the following characters : — Ovac has a plumper 

 form, thicker head, and broader forehead. The upper jaw does not extend 

 so far forward, and it reaches further back than in morrhua. The un- 

 paired fins are higher and more rounded in ovac. The lateral line is 

 not distinct, and the body is of a dark colour without clear Bpots." 

 Vanhoffen maintained that of these characters only the following 

 remained of moment, viz., the greater breadth of the forehead, the 

 length of the barbel, and the different colour of the body. He dismissed 

 the character founded on the length of the barbel, and pointed out that 

 the form of the head changes in fishes with age, or season, or habits, 

 while colour was generally recognised as one of the most uncertain 

 characters. Summing up, he could not agree with Liitken, who insists on 

 ovac as a separate species ; but from the present state of knowledge, must 

 agree with Gunther in regarding it as a variety of G. morrhua. Ovac 

 has been recorded from the West Coast of Greenland, from Iceland, and 

 Scotland (Gunther). 



I have had the privilege of examining one of Vanhoffen's specimens, 

 and also one from the Copenhagen Museum. I am of the opinion that 

 ogac is a good species. It is not possible to get a satisfactory specific 

 description from two specimens, and I am not, therefore, inclined to put 

 too much emphasis op the body characters which have been already 

 selected, although I am disposed to regard them as valid. 



