ZooL— Vol. III.] GILBERT— PACIFIC COAST FISHES. 257 



specimen from Madeira was brought in by fishermen, and 

 was probably taken at or near the surface. This seems 

 also probable for the specimen noted by Goode and Bean, 

 which was brought into Gloucester, Massachusetts, by a 

 George's Bank fisherman. 



The specimen of Pacific Snipe-eel here recorded is in 

 perfect condition, with fins and jaws uninjured and the fila- 

 mentous tail intact. The fin membranes are flexible, and 

 permit thus a more detailed examination of the structure 

 of the dorsal and anal fins than is usually possible. From 

 this it becomes apparent that the structure of the dorsal fin 

 . has been frequently misunderstood. In his original descrip- 

 tion of the species Richardson states: "The back is fur- 

 nished with a numerous series of short subulate acute rays, 

 each having a short membrane in its axilla, and being desti- 

 tute of joints, but shrivelling as they dry, and without pun- 

 gency." He presents also an enlarged detailed drawing, 

 showing the dorsal fin to consist of short strong discon- 

 nected spines, much as in Notacanthus, but more closely 

 s'paced. A similar structure is indicated by Jordan and 

 Gilbert in their account of the Nemichthyidse (Fishes of 

 North America, p. 366), " Dorsal beginning close behind 

 occiput, its anterior rays soft, succeeded by a long series of 

 very low spines, which are slightly connected by membrane 

 . , . on the tail the spines again give place to soft rays." 

 Again, in a note on a specimen of N. avocetta, Dr. Jordan 

 observes, " A generic character of Nemichthys not hereto- 

 fore noticed is the division of the dorsal rays into two sorts, 

 near the middle of the body, the anterior series being much 

 longer than the others, and all being undivided or spine- 

 like " (Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 2d ser. v. 6, p. 206). The 

 figure which accompanies this statement shows an abrupt 

 transition from one kind of ray to the other, the anterior 

 rays being long and slender, similar to the anal rays, while 

 those on the posterior half of the body are short discon- 

 nected spines. Lowe figures a somewhat similar condition 

 in his Madeira specimen, where the middle third of the fin 

 consists of short spinous rays, which increase abruptly 

 toward the head and the tail. On the other hand Goode 



