THE FISHES. 197 



whose iiliylogeny is at best imperfectly known may not in their ontogeny pass through 

 phases considerably different from the adult condition. It may be remarked that (to 

 judge from figures) ThoiioUhys (including Goode and Bean's Yarrella) has a great look 

 of the "Prsescope" larva, which may be referable to some undiscovered member of that 

 genus. So far as Gonostoma is concerned, two species, G. microdon and G. bathypMlum, 

 occur in the areas worked by the ' Research ' and the ' Helga,' the first being exceedingly 

 common, the second apparently scarce : G. microdon seems an almost impossible parent 

 for this larva from considerations of size, quite apart from anything else ; G. bathypMlum 

 may be responsible, but if so the absence of this larva from the Irish collections is 

 somewhat remarkable. 



ANGUILLIDiE. 



Conger vulgaris, Cuvier. 



A leptocephalus larva of this species, 132 mm. long, was taken at Station 30 m between 

 25 fathoms and the surface at about 11 p.m. This capture over soundings of more 

 than 2000 fathoms seems to indicate a considerable horizontal wandering from the 

 normal haunts of the adult (which is not known, we believe, to descend to much 

 beyond 400 fathoms), but is in consonance with other records of its leptocephalus stage 

 {cf. Schmidt, Cons. Intern. Exp. Mer, Eapp. et Proc. Verb. v. p. 137 [1906]). 



SCOPELID^. 

 SCOPELUS RAFINESQUI, CoCCO. 



A single specimen, about 40 mm. long, was taken at Station 36 d between 50 fathoms 

 and the surface at about 1 a.m. 



This capture is in consonance with what we already know of the vertical and horizontal 

 distribution of the species. 



34 a. One, about 20 mm. 



34 c. One, about 21 mm. 

 34</. One, about 20 mm. 



35 c. One, about 16 mm. 



ScoPELUS GLACiALis, Rcinhardt. 



29 a. One, about 19 mm. 



31 b. Three, 46 mm., 29 mm., and 21 mm. 



2)2p. One, about 13 mm. 



ZZd. One, about 18 mm. 



33/. One, about 15 mm. i 



These records help to extend the known horizontal range of this species in a south- 

 ward direction, and we can now trace a continuous distribution on the eastern side of 

 the Atlantic from Greenland via the coast of Norway, the Faroe Channel, and the west 

 coast of Ireland to the North Biscayan region, while Dr. Wolfenden in the ' Silver Belle ' 

 took it in Feb. 1906 in the Mediterranean off Marbella, about 20 miles N.E. of Gibraltar. 

 Eowler's conclusions (P. Z. S. 1898, pp. 559-560), based on a summary of the then 

 existing records, as to the thermal limitations of its range, would ajipear to require 

 some modification, since the largest ' Research ' specimen was taken at not more than 

 51) fathoms from the surface, and wc understand that the net used in haul 29 « 

 ("mesoplankton trawl") might have admitted a small fish during its ascent to the 



SECOND SERIES. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. X. 34 



