STERNOPTYCHID^G. 49 



Group B. — Pseudobranchisa present : no spinous dorsal fin. Scaled. 



Genus II — Maurolicus, Cocco. 



Gonostomus, sp. Cocco. Ichthyococcus, sp. Bonaparte. 



Branchiostegals eight or nine : pseudobranchioz well developed. Body oblong, it 

 and the head compressed. Cleft of mouth deep and oblique, lower jaio prominent. 

 Maxilla large and wide. Eyes of medium size. Teeth in a single row in the jaws. 

 Gill-opening wide : gill-rakers very long. Dorsal fin in the posterior half of the 

 body, also a rudimentary adipose fin. Pectoral and ventral present. Anal fin long, 

 commencing on a line posterior to the termination of the first dorsal, its last rays are 

 concealed by shin. Catodal forked. Scales very deciduous and large, covering the 

 body : one or two roivs of luminous spots along the lower side of the head, body and 

 tail. Coecal appendages in moderate numbers. 



These fishes appear to belong to the pelagic fauna, and as a rule are only 

 captured off our shores subsequent to considerable disturbances in the deep sea. 

 During the early part of this year (1882) storms were unusually prevalent, and 

 Mr. Sim obtained from the beach at Aberdeen about 170 examples. As corrobora- 

 tive proof it may be mentioned that Trachypterus arcticus was thrown on shore on 

 February 16th near Berwick, another on April 17th near Flamborough, and four 

 days subsequently a third at Burghead. On April 15th an example of Begalecus 

 Banksii came ashore in the Firth of Forth, while during the month of April 

 I heard of four specimens of Lcemargus borealis being captured, one in the Firth of 

 Forth and the three others off Aberdeen. The largest of the examples of Maurolicus 

 obtained by Mr. Sim in 1881 had fully developed ova, and they may have been 

 approaching the shore for breeding purposes, because all the large examples of the 

 170 taken at the same period this year show developed ova and milt ready for 

 shedding : or they may have been on the surface of the sea for this purpose, and 

 so come within the influence of storms. 



Miiller considered the structure of the jaws of this genus Scopeloid, most 

 correctly observing that the premaxillaries reach to the angle of the mouth, and 

 it is only beyond that angle that the toothed maxillary appears. 



1. Maurolicus Pennantii, Plate CIX, fig. 2. 



Sheppy Argentine, Pennant, Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1776) iii, p. 327, pi. lxv (Ed. 1812) 

 iii, p. 432, pi. lxxvi ; Low, Fauna Oread, p. 225. 



Argentina Pennantii, Walb. Artedi, 1792, iii, p. 47. 



Argentina sphyrcena, Turton, Brit. Fauna, 1807, p. 105 ; Bonn. Atl. Ich. p. 177, 

 pi. Ixxiii, f. 301 (not Linn.). 



Serpe Humbolti, Risso, Ich. Nice, 1810, p. 358, pi. x, f. 38. 



Scopelus Htimbolti, Risso, Eur. Merid. iii, p. 467; Cuv. Regne Anim. t. ii, 

 p. 315; Yarrell, Brit. Fishes (Ed. 1) ii, p. 94, c. fig. (Ed. 2) ii, p. 161, and 

 Mag. Nat. Hist. 1838 (2) ii, p. 25 ; Jenyns, Brit. Vert. p. 433 ; Clarke, Mag. 

 Nat. Hist. 1838 (2) ii, p. 22, c. fig. ; De Kay, Fauna New York, Fish. p. 246, 

 pi. xxxviii, f. 121. 



Scopelus borealis, Nilss. Obs. Ich. p. 9, and Skand. Fauna, Fiske, p. 479 ; Cuv. 

 and Val. xxii, p. 438; Thompson, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. (2) 1847, p. 171, and 

 Nat. Hist. Ireland, iv, p. 175; Giinther, Catal. v, p. 389; Collett, Norges Fiske, 

 p. 150. 



Muurolicus amethystino-punctatus, Cocco, Lett. s. Salmon, 1838, p. 32, t. iv. 

 f. 12; Bonap. Faun. ital. Pesc. c. fig.; Giinther, Catal. v, p. 390 ; Canestr. Faun. 

 Ital. p. 120 ; Moreau, Poiss. France, iii, p. 509 ; Giglioli, Catal. Pcsc. Ital. p. 4'). 

 11. 4 



