414 MB. E. W. L. HOLT — STUDIES IN [May 1, 



Molua dipterygia, Sinitt, Hist. Skaud. Fishes, ed. ii. p. 521, 

 pi. xxvi. fig. 3. 



Introduction. 



The specific name adopted by Collett and Lilljeborg originated 

 with Walbaum (' Petri Artedi sveci Genera Piscium/ 1792, p. 135), 

 and is therefore older than Nilsson's name, the date of which is 

 1832. Professor Smitt identifies the fish with the Gadus diptery- 

 <jins of Pennant (Introd. Arct. Zool. ed. ii. vol. i. p. cxxiv), which 

 is not included in the synonymy by the other Scandinavian authors 

 referred to. 



The retention of Nilsson's name, as the earliest in post- 

 Linnsean literature, is justified by the rules of scientific nomencla- 

 ture, and, since it is used in Giinther's catalogue and in the 

 'Challenger' monograph, appears to be for the convenience of 

 British readers. 



At the time this paper was written the only drawing of the 

 species with which I was acquainted was that given by Strom (op. 

 cit.). The work of this author is sufficiently rare, and his figure, 

 though accurate enough, is merely a small outline. One of my 

 chief objects was therefore to put forward a recognizable figure in 

 a publication easy of access to British readers, while at the same 

 time extending the known horizontal range of the species, and 

 recording certain anatomical peculiarities which had escaped the 

 notice of previous writers. 



Within the last few months, however, ichthyological literature 

 has been enriched by the appearance of Professor Smittfs new 

 edition of Pries, Ekstrom, and Sundevall's ' History of the Scandi- 

 navian Pishes.' This contains a description, with figure, of the 

 species under consideration. 



The text, as I think, is not so complete as to render my own 

 remarks altogether superfluous, the more especially since only 

 Skandinavian examples were known to the author, while the figure 

 differs from all examples know 7 n to me in rather important details 

 (to be referred to below). It being too late to so far rewrite my 

 remarks as to incorporate the whole of the necessary references to 

 Smitt's work in the text, 1 have interpolated them chiefly in the 

 form of notes. 



The resemblance borne by the Mediterranean form, M. elongata 

 (Eisso) 1 , to the species now under discussion has attracted the 

 attention of Lilljeborg, who gives a careful comparison of the 

 measurements of specimens of each species. He notes that a 

 difference exists in the texture of the scales, and is unable to 

 establish their complete identity. It would appear, from his 

 description, that the Mediterranean form approaches the Faroe 

 and Iceland specimens of M. dbyssorum in the reduction of the 

 caudal peduncle, a point in which it differs somewhat from Skan- 

 dinavian examples. While inclined to suppose that the characters 



1 Lotta elovgata, Eisso, Faun. Eur. Merid. iii. p. 217, fig. 47 ; Costa, FauD. 

 del regno di Napoli, Pesc. i. p. 15, tav. xxxviii. 



