306 Capt. R. E. Lloyd on the 



This Loi>huromys would seem to be a paler form of the 

 strong-coloured East-African L. aquilus. Possibly it may in 

 turn prove to grade northwards into L. jlavopunclatus, but all 

 the specimens as yet available have longer tails than that 

 animal. 



XLII. — JSatural History JSotes from the R.I. M.S. Ship 

 'Investigator,^ Capt. T. 11, Ileminfj, R.N. [retired), com- 

 manding. — Series III., No. 14. Notes on the Skull of the 

 Genus Aulastomatomor])lia, with Descriptions of some new 

 Deep-sea Fish. By 11. E. Lloyd, M.B., 13. Sc, Capt. 

 I. M.S., Surgeon- Naturalist, Marine Survey of India. 



The genus Aulastomatomorpha, first described by Alcock 

 from a single specimen (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., Oct. 1890), 

 is unique among the Alepocephalidte in possessing a tubular 

 snout with a small terminal mouth. 



A second sj)ecimen of the same species was obtained by the 

 'Investigator' in 11)04 from 1100 fathoms off the Arakaii 

 coast, and in the following year a new species of this genua 

 was obtained from 1005 fathoms in the Gulf of Oman. 



Material has been thus obtained for a partial description of 

 the skull of this genus and for a more particular description 

 of the jaw suspensory apparatus, which can be fully elucidated 

 without complete disarticulation and destruction of t!ie 

 specimen. 



A notable feature in the structure of this skull is the 

 forward position of the quadrate and the consequent prolon- 

 gation of the symplectic and prjBopercle which articulate 

 with it. 



The quadrate is a thin fan-shaped bone situated almost 

 entirely in front of the orbit, articulating with the pterygoid 

 and articular in front, and with the symplectic and the pra3- 

 opercle behind. The large pterygoid is partially overlapped 

 in front by the small tootliless palatine. 



The mesopterygoid, also a large bone, forms most of the 

 lower floor of the orbit ; in front it lies to the inner side of 

 and above the quadrate and pterygoid. 



The nietapterygoid, a small bone, lies on and partially 

 hides the symplectic. 



The symplectic is of unusual length. 



The maxilla, which is very loosely connected with the 

 snout, consists of two separate crescentic particles, movable 

 on one another. 



