Fishes taken at Madeira. 



169 



A. 



Interval between the two dorsals 4 



2nd dorsal fin, length of base 1 Sf 



„ height in front 1| 



Pectorals, distance from snout 6 



„ length 3i 



„ width of base ^ 



Ventrals, length of 1st ray 4^ 



„ length of 2nd (longest) ray b^ 



„ distance apart 1|^ 



„ width of base ^ 



Vent, distance from snout 11 



Anal, distance from snout 1 1^ 



„ length of base 9 



„ height 1 1 



Caudal, length at middle 



Tail, height behind 2ad dorsal -^ 



Fam. Macrouridae. 



Macros Rus, Bloch. 



Of this curious genus Mr. Lowe has given short diagnoses of 

 three species taken at Madeira, viz. M. atlanticus, M. Icevis, and 

 M. serratus. Specimens of only the first two have fallen in my 

 way ; and I will now describe them from my notes. Both are of 

 rare occurrence, but the first is taken more frequently than the 

 second. It appears to be the fish which is figured in the ' Fauna 

 Italica ' under the name of M. Mysticetus, and described in the 

 text under the name of M, ccelorynchus, although there are con- 

 siderable diflferences between the numbers of the rays in the 

 dorsal and anal fins as stated by Bonaparte (1st D. 9; 2nd D. 

 68 ; A. 83) and those given below. 



Macrourus coelorynchus, Risso, Ichth. Nice, p. 200; 

 Hist. Nat. iii. 244. 



M. atlanticus, Lowe, Trans. Zool. Soc. iii. p. 15. 

 1st D. 10. 2nd D. 98. A. 110. P. 15-20. V. 7. M.B. 6*. 



The head is thick and subcubical, the body compressed and 

 much attenuated behind, so that the tail with its fin terminates 

 in a point. The body is dark grey above, the belly paler grey ; 

 the anal, pectoral, and ventral fins black. It is clothed with 

 small scales that have a tessellated arrangement, and are rough 

 with numerous minute spines, but are without a keel. The head 

 compared with the total length is as 1 to 4; the height of the 



* Risso assigns seven, Bonaparte five branchiostegal rays to M. ccs- 

 lorynchus. 



