118 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



about 16 ill a series between tbe first dorsal fin and lateral line, deeper 

 than long, and bearing from ten to fourteen long, slender spinules sloping 

 slightly backwards. A triangular, scaleless, black-coloured depression lies 

 between tlie bases of the ventral fins, and immediately behind this is a 

 similar depression of an oval shape. 



Fin rays: 1st Dorsal, II + (9-10). Pectoral, 16-18. Ventral, 8-9. 



First spinous ray of first dorsal very minute, not appearing through the 

 skin; second ray smooth, elongate, almost three-fourths of the length of 

 head; ventrals small, outer ray slender and slightly prolonged, reaching to 

 about the sixtli anal ray. Distance between first and second dfjr.-al fins 

 slightly more than half the length of head. 



Colour, greyish-brown, with a darker, bluish tinge on the abdomen ; sides 

 of head silvery; lining of gill cavity dark greyish purple, of mouth light- 

 coloured. 



The largest size reached by specimens taken by the Hdga was 52 cms., 

 three of that size having been taken. The largest recorded size for the species 

 is 54-5 cms., this measurement having been taken from a specimen captured 

 off the W. coast of Ireland (Holt and Calderwood, 1895). 



Mcdacocepludus laevii is figured, after Giinther, in Goods and Bean, 

 " Oceanic Ichthyology," but the figure is, by an obvious error, referred to 

 a quite different species, JVeuiatonuriin (/if/a-'i. 



Measurements of a specimen (n) taken by the Silver Bella off the coast 

 of Portugal^ and two specimens (&) {(■) taken by S.S. HeUjd : — 







(«) 



(&) 



ic) 



Total length. 





430 mm. 



385 + a; mm. 



277 + X mm. 



Length of head, 





63 



61 



42 



Length of snout, 





14 



13" 



10 



Length of eye, 





15 



17 



11 



Height of eye, 





18 



17 



13 



Eye to hind edge of 



operculum, . . 



29 



27 



18 



Inter-orbital space, 





20 



21 



13 



Snout to 1st dorsal fin, ... 



70 



69 



47 



Snout to anal fin, 





94 



85 



54 



Height of body, 





62 



57 



37 



Width of body. 





37 



27 



15 



Width of head. 





— 



31 



19 



Length of barbel. 





13 



14 



9 



General Distribution. — East side of the Atlantic from Madeira to the 

 Skagerack aird Norway. On the west side it was taken by the Challenger "off 



^ Kindly put at the disposal of Mr. Holt by Dr. Wolfenden. 



