9 6 



IA'CODIN.i;. 



on the other hand, 6); and next, a peculiarity in the structure of the dorsal and anal fin: along the 

 bases of these fins there is a row of small bony shields, on which the fin-rays are superimposed, one 

 on each plate; these bony plates are especially apparent in L. mirabilis, in lesser degree in L. flagel- 

 licauda, because it is quite a small fish, but one can observe them easily under a lens, especially if 

 the skin is allowed to dry a little; Goode & Bean designate these plates as ectodermal scutes or 

 plates , but on dissection they prove to be lateral outgrowths of the outer ends of the interspinous 

 rays (or perhaps more correctly of the small bones fused with the outer part of the interspinous raysi. 



For the rest, the genera Lycerichelys and Lycodonus agree so far as I can see. Goode & 

 Bean certainly mentioned another peculiarity in the latter, namely: caudal distinct not fully connect 

 with dorsal and anal , but in the two specimens of L.mirabilis at my disposal the unpaired fins join 

 mt" one, just as in L. flagellicauda. 



Concerning Lycodonus mirabilis, Goode ec Bean remark: The first 10 or n scutes do not 

 support rays, but whether rays were originally present or not cannot be ascertained . In the two 

 specimens at my disposal fin-rays are wanting on the first 9 — n plates, and there is no sign that the 

 rays have been torn off, so that it must be a normal condition. In L. flagellicauda (and L.ophidiuiu) 

 on the other hand , all the plates bear fin-rays. This difference seems to me indeed of subordinate 

 importance, in anv case not so important, that it should prevent the three species being placed within 

 the same genus. 



For the sake of completeness, I add here the most important proportions of 14 Lycodonus 

 flagellicauda which I have investigated (those of 185, 197 and 203 mm. are from the 1902 cruise of the 

 Michael Sars , the others from the Ingolf Expedition of 1S96). 



Total length in mm. 



Length of tin 1 head — 



Distance from snout to anus — 



Height over the anus — 



Distance of dorsal fin from the snout . . — 



Distributi o n. 



The Norwegian North-Atlantic Expedition took 2 specimens YV. from Spitsbergen, where 

 the depth was 459 fathoms and bottom-temperature — i° C, and a small individual W. from Bear 

 Island, 'where the depth was 658 fathoms and bottom-temperature— i°2 C. The English Expeditious 

 of 1880 and 1882 with the 'Knight Errant and Triton obtained many specimens in the Fseroe 

 Channel, where the depths were 540 and 608 fathoms, bottom-temperature 2g c 2 — 30 F.; in the 

 same channel (at 6o u 19' NX. 5" 39'W.L.) the Michael Sars in the summer of 1902 took 3 specimens 

 where the depth was 620 fathoms and bottom-temp, under o° C. Further, the Ingolf Expedition took 

 it in 1896 at the following places: 



