122 A. Alcock — Recent Collection of BatJiyhial Fishes. [No. 2, 



Several specimens were dredged in the Bay of Bengal at 162 and 

 170 fathoms. 



This species is easily distinguished from PhysicuUis roseus — the only 

 other Indian species as the following tabular statement shows : — 



Comparison of the Indian Species of Physiculua. 

 Phpsiculus roseus. Physictdus argyropastus. 

 Greatest height of the body a little Greatest height of the body a little 

 over one-sixth of the total (with caudal), over one-seventh the total (with caudal). 

 Jawbones broad and massive. Jawbones thin and narrow. 

 Barbel stout and fleshy, about as long Barbel filiform and inconspicuous, 

 as the eye. never half the length of the eye. 

 First ray of first dorsal fin prolonged. No prolonged dorsal ray. 

 Seven ventral rays, the longest, (outer- Six ventral rays, the longest (outer- 

 most) of which only just sui'passes the most) of which reaches to the 12th or 

 orgiu of the anal. 13th anal ray. 



Uniform rose red. Body with a reddish tinge ; fins 



scarlet. 



Family Ophidiidse. 



Glyptopiiidium, Alcock. 



11. GlyptopTiidinni macropus, n. sp., PI. VI., fig. 3. 



In character quite similar to Glyptopiiidium argenteum (Ann. Mag. 

 Nat. Hist., Nov. 1889, p. 390, and Zool. H. M. I. M. S. ' Investigator,' 

 Fishes, Part I., PI. II., fig. 3), from which it differs chiefly in having the 

 ventral fins in the form of bifid instead of simple filaments, and in 

 having the caudal fin confluent with the other vertical fins instead of 

 being free a short distance from its base. 



The head, which is higher than, and nearly twice as long as the 

 trunk proper, is nearly one-fourth of the total, and has the muciferous 

 channels greatly developed, but the frill-like crests which delimit them 

 — with the exception of the one in the middle line — low. The shoi't 

 trunk falls abruptly to the low finely tapering tail. 



The snout, which does not overhang the equal jaws, is a trifle more 

 than one-fourth the length of the head, and not quite equal to the major 

 diameter of the large subcutaneous eye, which latter is equal to the 

 breadth of the interorbital space. 



Mouth-cleft wide, the maxilla reaching beyond the middle of the 

 eye : the jaw-bones, like all the bones of the head, are extremely deli- 

 cate. Villiform teeth in very narrow bands in the jaws, palatines, and 

 vomer. 



Operculum with a feeble spine above : gill openings very wide, the 



