Haast. — Notes on Eegalecus pacificus. 249 



off one inch from its base, and there is only a fragment of tlie ninth, which 

 is not thicker than one of the rays of the dorsal fin proper. All of these 

 spines which have minute hooks directed upwards on their anterior and 

 ]posterior edges are united with each other by a small membrane about -45 

 inch high. They had, like the two ventral rays, a red colour, very bright 

 in their upper portion when the fish was first obtained, which, however, 

 gradually faded to a dull light pink. 



A quarter of an inch behind the last spine the dorsal fin proper begins, 

 consisting of a great number of slender rays, which do not project beyond 

 the marg^^" of the thin membrane by which they are united. These rays 

 stand ai co distance of three-quarters of an inch from each other. At the 

 beginning they are about one inch high, gradually increasing in length, till 

 about one foot from the beginning of this dorsal fin they stand 2*5 inches 

 high, continuing so to within 3 feet from the end of the tail ; they after this 

 gradually get smaller, till 5-5 inches from the end of the tail, they cease 

 altogether. Here at the termination the last four rays stand not only above 

 the membrane, but they are also thicker than all the preceding ones. The 

 pectoral fin is one inch broad at the base ; 2-5 inches high along the first 

 ray. It also had a reddish hue, but not so bright as the crest and the 

 ventral rays. 



In a straight line below the hind edge of the pectoral fin stands a single 

 strong ventral ray on both sides, of which, however, only 3 inches are 

 preserved, the rest being broken off. 



I was informed by the finder that it had been at least 15 inches long, 

 but he did not observe any enlargement at the termination. I believe that, 

 when the fish was first seen, the anterior portion of this remarkable 

 ventral ray with the lobe had been already broken off during the efforts the 

 fish made to regain the sea. 



Tail without any caudal fin, being formed by a number of spines, getting 

 gradually thinner and tending to a point. 



Anal vent 4 feet 1 inch behind the ventral spines. 



The lateral line is formed by a number of elongated smooth scales, which 

 lie in a groove. It starts from the posterior end of the supraorbital, 

 gradually descending, so that at the anus it is situated only 3-5 inches 

 above it. Four longitudinal ridges which are cut off obliquely by the lateral 

 line extend along the whole length of the body, they are covered with small 

 round tubercles and are about three-quarters of an inch broad, the space 

 between them having nearly the same breadth. This space is also covered 

 with tubercles, which, however, are very minute. Below the latter the 

 intermuscular septa are situated. The skin below the lateral line is almost 

 smooth for about an inch, after which the tubercles appear again, getting 



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