118 



vikliug utvivlsomt maa antages at være en af de aiiguilli- 

 forme Arter. 



L. verrillii-er opstillet efter 5 Individer, livoraf det 

 beskrevne Typ-Exemplar havde en Længde af 5 eng. Tommer 

 (omtrent 127"""). og som vare optagne i August 1877 fra 

 90 — lOU Favnes Dyb udenfor Kysterne af Nova Scotia i 

 Nord-America. Fra L. imiraena afviger L. verrilJII. for- 



a young individual of a species as yet unknown in the 

 adult stage, which, judging from its advanced development, 

 must unquestionably belong to the anguilliform species. 



L. verrilUi is described from 5 indinduals: the typ- 

 ical specimen, with a total length of 5 inches (about 

 127™'"), was taken in August, 1877, at a depth of from 

 90 to 100 fathoms, ofi' the coast of Nova Scotia, North 

 America. L. verrillii differs from L. mnræna in having 6 



uden ved sine 6 Gjællestraaler. tillige ved sit med mørke 

 . Tverfelter forsynede Legeme, saavel som ved bestemte For- 

 skjelligheder i Legemsbygningeu. saaledes et større Hoved, 

 stærkere Tænder, .og. større Legemshøjde; med denne Art 

 kan L. mnrama aldrig falde sammen. .Da jeg ved Pro- 

 fessor Spencer Baird's Velvillie har erholdt et authentisk 

 Exemplar af L. verrillii, har jeg kunnet anstille en fuld- 

 kommeu afgj ørende Sammenligning mellem begge de om- 

 handlede Arter. 



Af L. paxiUus foreligger blot et enkelt Individ med 

 en Totallængde af 363""". optaget i mindre vel vedligeholdt 

 Stand (maaske fra en Fiskema ve) udenfor Kysterne afNova 

 Scotia i 1879. Ifølge den af Forfatterne givne Beskrivelse 

 er Ai-ten kjendelig ved de overordentlig stærkt udviklede 

 Kjævemuskler. der give det na'sten Udseendet af en (gift- 

 slanges; Legemets største Hojde indeholdes over 16 Gange 

 i Totallæugden. Kjæverne ere ejeudommeligt krummede 

 mod hinauden; blandt de øvrige Uoverensstemmelser mel- 

 lem begge Arter kunne nævnes de langt kortere Pectoraler 

 hos L. pa.rillns. 



Da. Legemsproportionerne hos L. verrillii og L. sarsii 

 synes at være temmelig overensstemmende, kunde det tæn- 

 kes, at disse Arter vare identiske. For ØjebHkket. saa-' 

 længe som de meUemliggeiide Stadier mangle, lader den 

 sidstnævnte sig med Lethed skille fra L. sarsii bl. a. ved 

 sine mørke Tverfelter ud over Legemet, og ved de stærkere 

 Tænder. 



Det kan Hgeledes nævnes. at Dr. Liitken i sin oven- 



branchiostegals. and the body flecked with dark transverse 

 . patches ; also by reason of differences in its general 

 structure, viz. a larger head, stronger teeth, and greater 

 depth of body: hence L. mnræna cannot possibly agree 

 with this species. Professor Spencer Baird having kindly 

 sent me an authentic example ofL. verrillii, I have had 

 the means of instituting a direct and conclusive comparison 

 between the two species. 



Of L. paxillus, but one individual has as yet been ob- 

 tained, total length 363"""; it was met with, in rather a 

 mutilated condition (having possibly been taken from a 

 fish's stomach), ofi" the coast of Nova Scotia, in 1879. Ac- 

 cording to the description given of the species, it may be 

 recognised by tlu^ reiharkable development of the maxillary 

 muscles, giving them almost the appearance of a venomous 

 serpent's. Greatest height of the body slightly exceeding 

 one-sixteenth of. the total length; the jaws incurvating 

 towards each other. Amongst other distinctive features in 

 L. pdxilhis. may be mentioned the shortness of the pectorals. 



The dist.of the snout 

 from the vent . . . 



3.73 4.01 



3.07 3.09 



The dimensions of the body in L. verrillii and 

 L. sarsii agreeing, it appears, so closely, these two species 

 might by some be regarded as identical. But. till specimens 

 in the intermedial stages of development shall have been 

 discovered, the former may be readily distinguished from 

 L. sarsii by the dark transverse spots on the body, and by 

 th^ strong teeth. 



It may likewise be observed, that Dr. Lutken, in the 



