Parker.- — On a Sj>ecimen of the Great Ribbon Fish. 287 



15/190; that is, there are 205 rays in all, the first 15 being lengthened to 

 form a crest, and, in accordance ■with the usual method of counting, being 

 considered as the first dorsal, the remaining 190 forming the second. 



In the various descriptions and figures to which reference has been 

 made there is great discrepancy with regard to the number and character 

 of the rays forming this crest or anterior dorsal fin. 



Hancock andEmbleton say of R. banksii (seepl.xxiv.,fig. 3) : — "The ante- 

 rior part of the fin, more prominent than the rest, is composed of twelve 

 rays, which were stated by the captors to have been 12 or 14 inches in 

 length when the fish was taken, and to be each furnished with a mem- 

 branous expansion on its posterior edge, increasing in width upwards some- 

 thing like a peacock's feather. 



" The first ray is a pretty strong spine arising just within the frontal 

 curve, the three next are very slender, and much closer together than the 

 rest, and when we first saw the fish, united for 4 or 5 inches (their length 

 at that time) by a membrane ; the next is equally slender with the pre- 

 ceding, but rather farther apart ; the three or four after this are nearly as 

 strong as the first, the rest diminish in strength and length, and become 

 uniform with the rays of the dorsal fin. 



" It is difficult for us to say whether the twelve front rays constituted a 

 detached crest or formed merely the anterior continuation of the dorsal fin, 

 though after careful and repeated examinations we found shreds of mem- 

 brane in each interval between them, and their bases also were connected 

 with a continuous membrane. In the interval between the twelfth and 

 thirteenth rays the remains of a membrane were found connecting the 

 bases of these rays, and their shafts were ragged and woolly-looking, as if 

 a membrane had been torn off from them. We are, therefore, inclined to 

 conclude that the crest was really a continuation of the dorsal fin and not a 

 separate structure, though it is probable enough that the ends of its rays 

 may have been for some distance free and even furnished with a membrane 

 on their posterior margin widening at the top, giving them the appearance 

 of peacock's feathers, as asserted by the fishermen. This probability is 

 heightened by the fact of the head of the Gymnetrus [Regalecus] from the 

 Cornish coast being provided with two long rays having broad membranous 

 expansions at their ends, which would justify a casual observer in com- 

 paring them in form to the above feathers. It is not unlikely besides that 

 the second, third, fourth, and fifth rays, on account of their resemblance in 

 delicacy to the ordinary fin rays, may have terminated differently to the 

 rest. The rays having been broken we cannot say of ourselves whether 

 they are uniform in size [i.e. length] or not ; but by what we have learnt 

 by questioning those who saw the fish, we conclude that the middle rays 



