Gobioidei, Discocephali, and Tezniosomi 689 
Four of these fishes have beer obtained on the coast of Japan, 
and have been described and figured by the present writer in 
the annals of the Imperial University of Tokyo. These are 
different from the California species and are named Trachypterus 
ishtkawe, but they show the same bright silver color and the same 
streamers on the head and tail. Probably they, too, in Japan 
are kings of something or other, or perhaps silver swans from 
the submarine palace, for along such lines the Japanese fancy 
is more likely to run. 
The young of the dealfish has the caudal symmetrical, and 
the dorsal spines and ventral rays produced in very long 
streamers. 
According to Goode and Bean, the dealfishes are ‘‘true deep- 
sea fishes, which live at very great depths, and are only found 
when floating dead on the surface or washed ashore by the 
waves. Almost nothing is known of their habits except through 
Nilsson’s observations in the far north. This naturalist, as well 
as Olafson, appears to have had the opportunity of observing 
them in life. They say that they approach the shore at flood- 
tide on sandy, shelving bottoms, and are often left by the 
retreating waves. Nilsson’s opinion is that its habits resemble 
those of the flatfishes, and that they move with one side turned 
obliquely upward, the other toward the ground; and he says 
that they have been seen on the bottom in two or three fathoms 
of water, where the fishermen hook them up with the imple- 
ments employed to raise dead seals, and that they are slow 
swimmers. This is not necessarily the case, however, for the 
removal of pressure and the rough treatment by which they 
were probably washed ashore would be demoralizing, to say the 
least. Trichiurus, a fish similar in form, is a very strong, swift 
swimmer, and so is Regalecus. Whether or not the habits of 
Trachypterus arcticus, on which these observations were made, 
are a safe guide in regard to the other forms is a matter of 
some doubt, but it is certain that they live far from the surface, 
except near the arctic circle, and that they only come ashore 
accidentally. They have never been taken by the deep-sea 
dredge or trawl-net, and indeed perfect specimens are very 
rare, the bodies being very soft and brittle, the bones and fin- 
rays exceedingly fragile. A considerable number of species have 
