collected during the Voyage of the ^Challenger.'' 21 



between the first and second fourth of the length of the head. 

 Nostrils open, openings oval. Mouth very wide, extending 

 far behind the eye, with the bands of teeth externally visible. 

 Vomerine band V-shaped, with the two arms of the figure 

 curved j palatine bands long, nearly as wide as those of the 

 intermaxillary. The distance of the vent from the root of the 

 ventrals is about equal to the length of tlie head. 



South-east of New Guinea; Mid- Atlantic, 1075-2500 

 fathoms. 



Bathynectes gracilis. 



Head and the entire body and tail compressed and low; 

 the latter produced into a long filament. Eye of moderate 

 size, its diameter being contained five and a half times in 

 the length of the head, and once and a half in that of the 

 snout and in the width of the interorbital space, which is 

 somewhat convex. The posterior nostrils especially are wide ; 

 and the muciferous channel of the infraorbital ring shows in 

 its course five or six wide sinuses. Mouth very wide, extending 

 far behind the eye, with the extremity of the maxillary much 

 dilated. Vomerine band of teeth V-shaped, with the two 

 arms of the figure straight ; palatine band narrow. The dis- 

 tance of the vent from the root of the ventrals is more than 

 the length of tlie head. 



South of New Guinea (Station 184), 1400 fathoms. 



Typhlonus, g. n. Ophidiid. 



Head large, compressed, with most of the bones in a carti- 

 laginous condition ; the superficial bones with large muci- 

 ferous cavities not armed. Snout a thick protuberance, pro- 

 jecting beyond the mouth, which is rather small, inferior. 

 Trunk very short, the vent being below the pectoral ; tail 

 thin, strongly compressed, tapering, without separate caudal. 

 Eye externally not visible, reduced to a minute rudiment 

 hidden below the skin. Bands of villiform teeth in the jaws, 

 on the vomer and palatine bones. Barbel none. Ventrals 

 reduced to simple filaments, placed close together on the 

 humeral symphysis. Gill-openings very wide, the gill-mem- 

 branes being but slightly united in front. Gills four ; gill- 

 laminee rather short, gill-rakers of moderate length. Scales 

 thin, deciduous, small. 



Typhlonus nasus. 



The head of this most remarkable form is somewhat com- 

 pressed, deep, as thick in the rostral as in the opercular 



