1866.] DR. A. CARTE ON THE GENUS CHIASMODON. 37 



its tip is free and of a greyish-yellow colour. There appear to he 

 no vomerine teeth, no barbel, nor pseudobrauchiae. 



The pectoral fins, which contain twelve (?) very slender rays, are 

 inserted immediately below the excavation in the posterior inferior 

 margin of the operculum, its pointed extremity extending backwards 

 for about l-£ inch. 



The ventrals are so misplaced, in consequence of the great disten- 

 sion of the abdominal parietes of the fish, that it is impossible to give 

 an accurate description of their normal position. In length they 

 measure about nine-sixteenths of an inch, and contain about six de- 

 licate subequal rays. 



The anal fin, from the same cause, is greatly displaced : instead 

 of holding its normal position along the ventral surface of the fish, 

 it is completely separated from it and carried down on the dis- 

 tended and greatly thinned abdominal integument ; and the points 

 of its rays are so mutilated that they cannot be measured with 

 accuracy. The course of the intestine is distinctly visible through 

 the semitransparent integument, running downwards and backwards 

 to the anal orifice ; both it and the anal orifice, as may be seen 

 by reference to the accompanying figure (Plate II.), are also much 

 displaced. 



As, for obvious reasons, it was not considered advisable to dissect 

 this curious and interesting specimen, I cannot add any further par- 

 ticulars, in reference to the rest of the alimentary system, to those 

 which have already been recorded by Mr. Johnson. 



The caudal fin is furcate, and contains about eleven principal rays, 

 of which the longest measures about 1 inch. The lateral line runs 

 for the greater part of its course straight along the centre of the 

 body, but as it approaches the head it curves upwards behind the 

 posterior superior margin of the operculum. 



inches. 

 Total length of specimen from snout to extremity of tail . . 6f 



Total length of head from snout to point of operculum 1-| 



Height of head f 



Eye, diameter of its major axis -j% 



Length of longest tooth (fourth) in lower jaw \ 



Distance of first dorsal fin from muzzle, about If 



Length of pectorals 1-g- 



Width of the base of pectorals 



Distance of pectorals from muzzle 1^ 



Length of ventrals, about ^ 



of caudal fin 1 



The length of the enclosed fish (Scopelus macrolepidotusl) . 10| 

 Depth at pectorals If 



In a subsequent letter received from Sir Leopold M c Clintock, 

 dated from Port Royal, Jamaica, the 6th of November, 1865, he 

 says, "They are not deep-water fish; both are well known at Do- 

 minica, more particularly the larger one (S. macrolepidotusl), which 

 is common. The smaller one (C. niyerl) is not common; but the 



