542 MR. J. T. CUNNINGHAM ON THE [JuiielZ, 



4th, and 5tli rays arc longer than the 6th, the third being the longest. 

 In a female specimen 20 cm. long the 3rd ray was 14-5 mm. long or 

 two fifths the length of the head. At the same time the 3rd ray in 

 the adult female is not so long as the longest rays of the fin, which 

 are behind the middle of the body and are half the length of the 

 head as in A. latenut, according to Dr. Giinther's description. The 

 longest ray in the left pelvic fin in the female specimen just men- 

 tioned was about the same length as the 3rd dorsal, namely 15 mm. 



In young specimens of either sex less than 13*2 cm. in length, no 

 elongation of the anterior dorsal fin-rays exists, but the rays 

 increase gradually in length from the 2nd backwards. 



I have now to guard against the possible objection that the large 

 adult specimens I have described are males and females of a distinct 

 species A. Jopliotes, and the small specimens are A. laterna. The 

 truth of my conclusion is almost sufficiently established by these 

 facts, that I have examined a large number of specimens taken in- 

 discriminately by the trawl in various localities and at all depths, that 

 among these specimens all those in which the anterior dorsal rays 

 are elongated and thickened are males, all those in which the 

 anterior dorsal rays are very slightly elongated are females more 

 than 13 cm. long, and aU specimens less than 13 cm. in length are 

 of either sex and show no elongation of the rays. But aU possible 

 doubt is overcome by the fact that with the exception of the three 

 characters already discussed, namely, the length of the anterior 

 dorsal fin-rays, the length of the upper jaw, and the size of the eyes, 

 all my specimens essentially agree with descriptions given by previous 

 ■writers of the species A. laterna. To show this I will describe some 

 of the characters in my specimens. 



The following are the numbers of fin-rays found in three speci- 

 mens : — 



Male 19-3 cm. long . . . .D. 101. A. 78. P. 10. V. 6. C. 17. 



Female 20 cm. long D. 96. A. 75. P. 10. V. 6. C. 17. 



Female 10-2 cm. long . D. 92. A. 69. P. 10. Y. 6. C. 17. 



The extreme tenderness of the skin and slight attachment of the 

 scales are equally exhibited by all the specimens ; in fact all those 

 brought to me from the deep-sea trawlers have lost the whole of the 

 scales and skin from both sides, except the scales of the lateral line 

 on the upper side. The membrane of the longitudinal fins also 

 possesses this tenderness, so that the rays are usually much separated 

 in captured specimens. The elongated rays in the male are free for 

 the greater part of their length, and not fringed or bordered with 

 membrane. The shape of the body and of the lateral line are the 

 same in all the specimens. The bight of the lateral line above the 

 pectoral is almost rectangular. The broadest part of the body is 

 across the end of the pectoral fin, whence the edges curve gradually 

 backwards, more steeply forwards. The anterior extremity of the 

 body is pointed, the mouth-cleft opening at tbe apex, and the apex 

 being nearer the ventral than the dorsal edge. 



