FINNY LIGHT-BEARERS. 99 



make-up, literally living bags, or rather mouths. The Mela- 

 nocetus Johnstoni (Giinther, Plate XXIII.) is one of these ; 

 having an enormous pouch, with a fishing-rod upon its head 

 similar to that of our common LopMus. Melanooetus probably 

 buries itself in the ooze, as shown in the engraving, allowing 

 the tip of its tentacle, or rod, to protrude ; and, when the 

 living bait is touched, it opens its cavernous mouth and seizes 

 the victim. 



Still more remarkable is the Eurypharynx pelecanoides, 

 which has a mouth of enormous dimensions (Plate XXIV.), 

 from which depends a pelican-like pouch. This form is 

 interesting, from many peculiarities ; among which may be 

 mentioned the fact, that the bronchial arches are here simple 

 bars, five in number, having no connection with the cranium. 

 The mouth can open to a surprising extent, the lower jaw 

 being composed of two pieces attached to the cranium by 

 a movable joint, so that it swings literally in various direc- 

 tions. The fish probably feeds by swimming along the 

 bottom blindly, ingulfing various animals, holding them by 

 its interlocked teeth. This phenomenal fish was taken in 

 1882 by Vaillant, the French scientist, twenty-five hundred 

 metres from the surface ; while another genus of these deep- 

 sea, eel-like creatures was described in 1883 by Gill and 

 Eyder, who called it Gastrostonms hairdii. In the latter, the 

 jaw is six or seven times as long as the cranium. 



One of the most striking phosphorescent fishes is a small 

 shark, Squalus fulgens, also described and figured by Kner as 

 Leius ferox, which, in general appearance, somewhat resem- 

 bles the black or brown nurse (or Scymnus) of our Southern 

 coast. This interesting light-giver was discovered by Dr. 

 Bennett, and the following is his version of the find : " Being 



