330 PROF. H. H. GIGLIOLI ON A NE'W GADOID [JunC 18, 



fish ; they are inserted helow and in front of the pectorals, at the base 

 and on each side of the great abdominal cone. They are of great size, 

 and the very robust rays, five in number, are all elongated and 

 considerably exceed the intervening membrane, which only unites 

 their basal portions ; tlie internal and external rays are considerably 

 less developed than the three median ones, the internal one is the 

 shortest ; both are simple and without any trace of terminal dilata- 

 tions. The three median rays all terminate in a large beautiful 

 lanceolate leaf-like blade, through which, however, the ray continues 

 to the pointed extremity ; they are all prolonged far beyond the two 

 first mentioned rays, but the outer one is considerably shorter than 

 the other two, it is smooth and its terminal blade is smaller The 

 third and fourth rays, counting from the outer one, are subequal, and 

 bent backwards extend very nearly to the root of the tail ; at about 

 the basal third of their length they both present a singular angular 

 dilatation, which looks like a thickened articulation, but which is 

 merely, so far as I can make out, a membranous dilatation. The 

 great lanceolate terminal blades are very large, being little less than 

 one fourth of the total length of the ray which supports them ; their 

 edges are sinuous and they terminate in a fine point. Judging from 

 their length, strength, and development, these ventral paddles must be 

 most efficient for swimming ; I know of no other fish possessing any- 

 thing like them, and have therefore thought proper to derive from 

 so peculiar a character the generic name which I have proposed for 

 this singular fish. 



The next remarkable feature of my Eretmophorus is the huge 

 abdominal cone, the base of which occupies the entire space between 

 the insertions of the ventrals and that of the anal fin. This cone 

 appears to develop with age, and it is certainly larger and more 

 prominent in my oldest and biggest specimen, equalling in height 

 that of the body just behind the pectorals, where it is greatest. 

 This abdominal cone is quite smooth ; its skin, devoid of scales, is 

 silvery. I have not ventured to open it in any of the three 

 specimens yet discovered, for fear of damaging to a certainty these 

 rare and very delicate creatures ; but the supposition that it contains 

 most of the alimentary canal cannot be far from the truth ; at its 

 apex, which becomes cylindrical, is an aperture, evidently the vent, 

 and behind this a slender conical papilla on which I could not 

 distinguish anything like an opening. 



The scales cover the whole body except the head and abdominal 

 cone, which are, as T have said before, naked. They are small, very 

 adherent, cycloid, and marked with concentric lines. I have figured 

 a few magnified (Plate XXXIV. fig. 1), to give an exact idea of their 

 characters ; they are very similar to those of Hypsirhynclius hepaticus, 

 Facciola. A tliin pellucid epidermal layer covers them. 



Only three specimens of Eretmophorus kleinenbergi have, so far 

 as I know, yet been captured and preseived ; they were caught alive 

 with a hand-net along with other pelagic animals ou the surface at the 

 mouth of the harbour of Messina, as the current was flowing in. I 

 owe them to the kindness of my friend Professor Nicolaus Kleinen- 



