27 



Family SACCOPHARYNGILX2E. 



155. Saccopharynx flagellum Mitchill. GULPER. Saccopha- 

 rynx flagellum Giinther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Museum, viii, 1870, p. 22. A 

 deep-sea fish. MitchilPs specimen was taken in latitude 52 degrees 

 N. ; long. 30 degrees W. 



Family SIMENCHELYID2E. 



156. Simenchelys parasiticus Gill. MS. PUG-NOSED EEL. 

 Several specimens of an undescribed eel-like fish were obtained on 

 the halibut trawls, on the off-shore banks. This strange form has 

 much of the physiognomy of a Carapus (Gymnotus'), and has a short, 

 blunt snout, but is a true Apodal and has an eel-like tail. The bran- 

 chial apertures are short longitudinal slits on each side of the throat 

 below the pectorals, which are well developed ; the dorsal commences 

 about a head's length behind the pectorals ; the anal considerably in 

 advance of the second half of the total length. The skin has scales 

 like those of Anguilla, linear, scattered, and disposed at right angles 

 to each other. The head is very short ; the premaxillaries and maxil- 

 laries of each side consolidated into a single piece and separated from 

 that of the opposite side by the ethmoid, and provided with lamelli- 

 form posterior margin and an expanded antero-terminal process; 

 mandible very deep; teeth blunt, uniserial; the operculum sabre- 

 shaped. The type appears to belong to the suborder of Enchely- 

 cephali. The single species (Simenchelys parasiticus) is dark brown 

 colored in life, and individuals have been found burrowing into the 

 flesh of the halibut. 



Sub-class 

 Super-order Cbondrostel. 



Order GL ANIOSTOMI . 



Family ACIPENSERID.E. 



157. Acipenser oxyrhynchus Mitchill. SHARP-NOSED STUR- 

 GEON. Acipenser oxyrhynchus Storer, Hist. Fish. Mass., 1867, p. 237, 

 pi. xxxv, fig. 4. Ascending rivers and not unusual along the shores. 

 The Essex Institute has a stuffed specimen from the Merrimac, at 

 Lawrence, collected by C. K. Stevens. 



158. Acipenser brevirostris Lesueur. BLUNT-NOSED STURGEON. 

 Acipenser brevirostrum DeKay, Zool. of N. Y., 1842, p. 345. This short- 

 nosed form of the coast sturgeon is represented in the museum of the 

 Essex Institute by a stuffed skin obtained at Kockport, by J. N. Martin. 



