— 307 — 



between the 3rd and 4th, 5th and 6th, and 6th and 7th trans- 

 verse bands. 



The third specimen has the aspect of an adult. It was caught 

 also near the surface at the entrance to the harbour of Messina 

 at the end of April 1884. It measures 78 millimetres in total 

 length; head 16 millimetres; from nape to apex of abdominal 

 cone 27 millimetres; height of body immediately behind the abdo- 

 minal cone 12 millimetres. I have figured it once and a half 

 the natural size (Plate XXXIV. fig. 4). It differs especially in 

 colour from the two younger and smaller specimens ; the trans- 

 verse dark bands on the body and blotches along the median fins 

 are faintly marked. The paddles of the ventral fins are tipped 

 with blackish brown, and were edged with violet in the fresh 

 specimen; the general colour of which was a faint pink, with 

 yellowish tinge along the basal half of the dorsal and anal fins. 

 The abdominal cone is bright silvery; it has no trace of a hind 

 marginal membrane. The caudal is subtruncate ; and, lastly, the 

 cylindrical hyaline warts on the nape are very prominent and 

 distinct. 



I believe that Eretmophorus belongs to the Gadid^; and approa- 

 ches that section to which Haloporphyrus and Physiculus belong. 

 I am, however, inclined to think that its nearest ally may be the 

 strange pelagic Gadoid described a few years ago (' Naturalista 

 Siciliano,' iii. pi. 2) by -my friend Dr. L. Facciola, from a single 

 specimen got also at Messina, and named Hypsirhynchus hepa 

 ticus, Face. Later two more specimens were got at Naples, and 

 I have one. Hypsirhynchus, which deserves to be more fully 

 described, has much the size and sahpe of Eretmophorus, but 

 there is no abdominal cone and the ventrals have seven rays, 

 some of which are slightly prolonged and end in a rounded head ; 

 but no fish that I know of possesses anything like the beautiful 

 lanceolate ventral paddle-like blades of Eretmophorus. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XXXIV. 



Fig. 1. Enlarged scales of Eretmophorus kleinenbergi. 

 » 2. Younger specimen, natural size. 

 n 3. Nearly adult specimen, slightly enlarged. 

 » 4. Oldest or adult specimen, once and a half natural size. 



