102 CLASS XIV. 



almost the appearance of a Belone. The genus seems scarcely to differ 

 from XiphorJiynchus^. 



Xiphostoma SPIX. Teeth in intermaxillary bone, in supramax- 

 illary and in lower jaw thin, minute, numerous, in a single row. 

 Bones of palate rough, with minute teeth. Head conical, acumi- 

 nate. Branchiostegous membrane with five rays. Dorsal fin re- 

 mote, placed behind ventral fins. 



Sp. Xiphostoma lucius SPIX, Hydrocyon lucius Cuv., Mem. du Mus. v. PI. 

 26, fig. 2, and some other species from S. America. 



Family XVI. Scopelini MUELL. Body in some scaly, in others 

 naked. Teeth acute, conical in jaws, mostly also in palate and 

 tongue. Branchiostegous membrane mostly with numerous rays. 

 Pseudobranchise. Dorsal fins two, the posterior adipose, sometimes 

 with obsolete rays. Ovaries furnished with oviduct. Swimming- 

 bladder mostly none. 



If this small family be still to be separated from the following, 

 the presence of oviducts remains as the most important character, 

 whilst it is distinguished from the preceding by false gills. The 

 character that the upper margin of the oral aperture is formed by 

 the intermaxillary bones prevails indeed in many, ex. gr. Scopelus 

 and Saurus, but is by 110 means general. In Paralepis a swim- 

 ming-bladder is found, which is wanting in the rest. 



a) Intermaxillary bones forming with supramaxillary the upper- 

 margin of mouth. 



Sternoptyx HERMANN. Body compressed, high, scaleless. Max- 

 illary teeth small, short, in several rows, palatine teeth few. Bran- 

 chiostegous membrane with five rays. Ventral fins very small. A 

 long, low, membranous fold in the place of an adipose fin. 



Sp. Sternoptyx diaphana HERMANN, Naturforscker, xvi. Tab. i. figs, i, 2, 

 s. 836; CUVIEB R. Ani., eU 2, PL 13, fig. i ; in the Atlantic Ocean near 

 the tropics; a small fish about two inches long, which is found only 

 seldom. 



Argyropelecus COCCO. Body compressed, high, naked, with tail 

 attenuate. Maxillary teeth subulate, unequal, in a single row. 

 Branchiostegous membrane with nine rays. 



1 The tongue, according to VALENCIENNES, is armed with teeth. This causes us 

 in some degree to doubt whether the genus be rightly placed here. 



