392 Mr. A. Alcock on the Bathybial Fishes 
Snout not quite so long as the eye, with a median and two 
lateral, rough, marginal knobs; overhanging the mouth. 
Diameter of the eye 3? in the head-length, and exceeding 
the width of the flat interorbital space. Nostrils, especially 
the posterior, very large, joed by a broad loop of skin which 
gives the anterior a subtubular appearance. Mouth inferior, 
small, its cleft hardly passing behind the level of the anterior 
border of the orbit. Barbel barely half as long as the eye. 
Teeth in villiform bands in the jaws, only the outer row in 
the premaxille enlarged. Gull-membranes rather broadly 
united. Scales uniform, moderate-sized on the body, smaller 
on the head, very small on the snout. A scale from the abdo- 
men has nine parallel longitudinal rows of long accumbent 
spinelets, the last in each row projecting beyond the edge of 
the scale; there are about eight spinelets in the middle row, 
and two in the outermost. ‘To the naked eye, and even with 
the hand-lens, these rows of spinelets appear like unbroken 
keels. ‘The scales along the edge of the snout and the supra- 
orbital ridge are thorny. The lateral line runs six rows of 
scales distant from the base ot the first dorsal fin. Second 
dorsal spine somewhat prolonged, its front edge with about 
eighteen equal semirecumbent barbs. ‘The second dorsal fin 
arises less than a head-length behind the first; its anterior 
rays inconspicuous. Pectoral pointed, as long as the head 
behind the middle of the eye. Ventrals with the outer ray 
produced into a filament longer than the fin itself. 
Colours in life:— Body dull grey; abdomen slate- 
coloured ; sides of head and lower jaw silvery ; operculum 
violet-black ; first dorsal black, with white root and tip” 
(Dr. G. M. Giles). : 
A cluster of about twelve long filiform appendages round 
the pylorus. <A large thin-walled air-bladder. 
Several specimens with gravid ovaries. 
Greatest length 8 inches. 
Hab. Andaman Sea, all along the Andaman chain, in 265 
to 490 fathoms; Bay of Bengal, from 193 to 405 fathoms. 
The commonest apparently ot the Indian Macrurids, 
Many specimens carry parasitic Copepods. 
Macrurus semiquincunciatus, sp. nov. 
Dita, cl) geese VoL 1 aC Ase) 
Head squarish. Snout barely longer than the eye and not 
greatly overhanging the mouth; a single median marginal 
tubercle. Diameter of the eye rather over one fourth the 
