of the Arabian Sea. 301 



6. Macrurus Wood-Masom, sp. n. 

 B. 6. D. f/100 circ. A. circ. 105. P. 21, V. 8. 

 L. lat. circ. 130. L. tr. i 



22 circ. 



The length of the head is nearly f that of the entire trunk, 

 or between 4^ and 4| in the total. The greatest height of 

 the body is not quite f the length of the head. The tail is 

 long and tapering. 



Snout trihedral, with strong median and lateral tubercles ; 

 its length slightly exceeds the major diameter of the orbit, 

 which is almost ^ the head-length. 



Tlie width of the interorbital space in the middle is equal 

 to the vertical diameter of the orbit. 



Mouth completely inferior ; the maxilla reaches a short 

 distance behind the vertical from the anterior border of the 

 orbit. Small conical acute teeth in broad bands in both 

 jaws. 



Barbel a small papilla, not equal in length to the vertical 

 diameter of the posterior nostril. 



Gill-membranes broadly united. 



Body and head, except the glosso-hyal region, covered with 

 rather deciduous spinigerous scales ; those on the body of a 

 uniform size and deeply imbricate. There are four and a 

 half rows between the first dorsal lin and the lateral line. A 

 scale from the dorsal half of the trunk is 5 of an inch high by 

 ^ of an inch broad, and bears about twenty short, longitu- 

 dinal, parallel series of small, equal, semierect spinelets. 



First dorsal spine rudimentary ; the second with numerous 

 close-set recumbent barbs along its front edge. The interval 

 between the first and second dorsal fins is double the length 

 of the base of the first, or equal to the length of the post- 

 orbital portion of the head. Ventrals with the outer ray 

 slightly prolonged, reaching to the origin of the anal. 



Stomach siphonal ; the much-coiled intestine measures 

 considerably more than the entire fish in length 5 eleven or 

 twelve long large pyloric cteca. A large spongy air-bladder. 



Colours in the fresh state : — Chocolate, with blackish fins ; 

 oro-pharyngo-branchial membrane and parietal peritoneum 

 black. 



One specimen — a female with gravid ovaries — measuring 

 19 J inches in length. 



Station 104, 1000 fathoms. 



