Prut. [•'. A. Sinitt vn the Uenus Lycoilcs. f>7 



liy the acfcssiole aiitliors, for tlic greater iiiimbiT of local 

 varieties an<l tortus alrcaily described as distinct species, I 

 was unable to recognize more tliun ft>iir true species, viz. 

 Lycodes reticuiatuSy L. Vahliiy L. Sarsii, and L. niarrena. 

 Now, in determining the very valuable collections brought 

 home from Greenland this year by the Nathorst expedition, I 

 find these views fidly contirme 1. Lf/coles perspicilhim 

 ( = //. luissi) is the young stage of L. reticulatu.t, Li/codes 

 (jracilis that same stage of L. Vahlii. Lycodes jiallidus was 

 identitied by Liinnberg with L. fru/klus'^ ( = Z/. reticukiius)^ 

 but by CoUett t with L. gracilis {= L. Vahlii); thus these 

 two authors, by their difference of opinion, strengthen the 

 doubts i:s to the validity of the distinction based upon the 

 characteristics used by themselves. 



As in the near future I shall return to a fuller treatment of 

 the collection of fishes from the last Nathorst expedition, I 

 will here give only a key to distinguish the species, in 

 accordance with the characteristics supplied by my new 

 materials : — 



A. Leugrth nf the head more than 29 (30) per cent, 

 ol the leiipth of the tail. — Subgenus Ljfcodes. 



a. Lenfrth of the head more than 42 per cent. 



of the length of the tail Lycodes reticulatus. 



b. Length of the head less than 40 per cent, of 



the length of the tail Lycodes Vahlii. 



act. Length of the head more than 22 per 

 cent, of the total length and usually more 

 than 36 per cent, of the length of the 

 tsiil. — Forma arctica ( J a/(/ii tvpica). 

 hb. Length of the head usually less than 22 

 per ceiit. uf the total length and less than 

 3G jier cent, (most usually less than 33 

 per cent.) of the length of the tail. — 

 rurma borealis {yiacilis, auctt.). 

 H. Length of the head le.'s than 29 (28) per cent, 

 of the k-ngth of the tail. — Subgenui Lycen- 

 chi-'y*. 

 a. Height of the body at the beginning of the 

 anal tin less than 5 per cent, of its total 



length Lycodes mttrcena. 



h. Height of the body at the beginninor of the 

 anal tin more than 5 per cent, of its total 

 length Lycodes Sarsii. 



* Under this name Lbnnberg ("Notes on the Fi.sbea collected during 

 the Swedish .\rctic E.\i;edilinn to Spitzbergeu and King Charles Laud, 

 IH9H," liih. Sv. Vet.-.Vkad. Handl. 1899, IJd. 24, Afd. iv. no. 9, p. 24) 

 described a sj)ecimpn with all the characteristics oi Lucodes reticulattis. 



+ "Contribution to the Knowledge of the (Jenus Lycoilrs, Heinh. — II. 

 Liicodei^ yracilix, M. Str.-,'' Vid. Sel.-k. Skriften, Chrislia'iia, I. Math.- 

 Nalurv. ivl. lf<99, no. f>, pp. Ty and 10. 



