194 DEEP SEA FISHES. 



The variations among the numerous species are so gradual from one 

 to another that genera are only to be separated with difficulty. While 

 the authors of the Oceanic Ichthyology recognize seventeen genera, it 

 appears from recent additions and the present material that it would be 

 better to reduce the number to three, Bathygadus, Coryphaenoides, and 

 Trachyrhynchus, placing the balance of the genera so called as subgenera 

 (Macruronus a possible exception) under Coryphaenoides, which last dating 

 from 1765 takes precedence over Macrurus of 17S7. This is an approxi- 

 mation to the arrangement of Gunther, 1887. Only a dozen species in all 

 were recognized by Gunther in 1862 ; in 1887 his list of the deep sea 

 species amounted to forty-six. Goode and Bean, 1896, Oc. Ich., xxv., 

 give a list of eighty-five species (three of the species and three of the 

 genera being new). In the list herewith there are a hundred and twenty- 

 five species, a score of which are new. 



MACRURIDyE. 

 Macrurus bulbiceps sp. n. 



Plate XLIV. figs. 1-1 b. 



Br. r. 6 ; D. 11 + 107 ; A. 99 ; V. 8 ; P. 22-23. 



In form this species resembles M. biicephalus to some extent ; it is read- 

 ily distinguished, however, by the shorter head, a blunter snout, the scales, 

 and the dentition, and by the shapes on the top of the snout, and on the 

 preopercle. Body much, and head but little compressed, depth one sixth of 

 the total length ; caudal region tapering regularly to tile slender extremity. 

 Head nearly one fifth of the total length, hardly as wide as deep, massive, 

 rounded, blunt anteriorly, convex on the crown and the snout. Snout 

 broad, blunt, convex and descending from the interorbital space, shorter 

 than the eye, without prominent tips on either lateral or median angles, 

 length from the maxillaries one half of that of the eye. Cheeks convex ; 

 suborbital ridges very low. Eye large, orbit longer than the snout, equal 

 to the width of the forward part of the interorbital space or to one fourth 

 of the length of the head. Mouth large ; maxillary reaching backward 

 of the middle of the eye. Teeth conical, separated, in a single rather 

 irregular series. Preopercle with hinder angle less jsrominent and lobular, 

 and hinder outline less concave than on M. huceplialns. Barbel slender, 

 three fifllis as long as tlie e\'e. Interorbital space convex, widening 



