1899.] BLOOD-VESSELS OF TELEOSTEAN EISHES, 951 



common trunk formed bj the union of the third and fourth 

 branchial vessels is shorter. In Centronotus and Trachinus the 

 anterior prolongation of the circulus is wanting, but otherwise 

 the vessels of the pharyngeal roof are disposed as in Anar- 

 rhichas. The circulus of Sphyrcena is twice as long as broad, 

 and the posterior angle is very acute ; the subclavian arteries arise 

 farther forward than in AnarrJiiehas, and have more the relations 

 of those of Lahriis (fig. 24). 



Hemichromis differs from Lahrus in having a much broader 

 circulus cephaHcus, and in the more posterior origin of the sub- 

 clavian arteries. The circulus of Exoccetus (fig. 25) is oval and 

 longer than broad ; the coeliaco-mesenteric artery arises from the 

 circulus cephalicus immediately to the right of the aorta. 



Owing to the absence of the fourth gill and its efferent vessel 

 in Lophius (fig. 26), the right of this foi-m to rank under subgroup 

 Cc rather than Ca is somewhat conjectural. The matter is, 

 however, of no great importance. The circulus is very wide, and 

 the coeliaco-mesenteric artery, which is considerably thicker than 

 the aorta, branches soon after its origin. Concerning Lophius 

 Meckel has written (14. p. 192): '■'■ Lophius piscatorius hat, statt der 

 gewohnlichen drei bis vier, nur zwei sehr lange Kiemenblutadern. 

 Von der vordersten Kieme entsteht ein einfacher Stamm, der 

 zweite wird durch die Vereinigung der zweiteu und dritten Kie- 

 menblutader gebildet, die ungefahr eben so lang als der gemein- 

 schaftliche Stamm getrennt verlaufen." My own observations are 

 thus not in accord with those of Meckel. Most ichthyologists 

 admit, w^ifch Miiller (17. p. 47), that the three gills present in 

 Lophius are the anterior three of the four gills more normally 

 present ; and the coupling of the first and second efferent branchial 

 vessels, the third remaining solitary, is by analogy with allied 

 forms a far more intelligible arrangement than that described in 

 the above-quoted passage from Meckel's text-book. 



In Coitus (fig. 27), although the circulus is so wide in front, 

 the anterior carotids lie very close together, and the transverse 

 commissure, which takes a curious bend forward, is therefore short. 

 The coeliaco-mesenteric artery of I'ngla (fig. 28) is a double 

 vessel arising from the common trunk of the last two branchial 

 vessels of the right side. There are no differences between the 

 efferent branchial systems of Trigla cuculus and T. gumardus. 

 The anterior part of the circulus cephalicus of Cyclopterus (fig. 29) 

 is very curiously shaped, and the transverse vessel may pos- 

 sibly be wanting. I have been unable to find it in the three 

 specimens dissected. In the figure of Cyclopterus given by 

 Stannius (23. pi. v. fig. 1) the subclavian arteries are drawn too 

 wide ; and they are incorrectly described on page 156 as branchial 

 veins. Lepadogaster does not differ materially from Cyclopterus, 

 except that the anterior part of the circulus cephalicus conforms 

 more to the normal type. Gohius differs from Cottus (fig. 27) in 

 the wider separation of the anterior carotids, the greater breadth 

 of the circulus cephalicus, the more posterior entry of the second 



