ANTARCTIC FISHES OF THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. 249 



Melanostigma gelatinosum. 

 Giinth., I.e. 

 Depth of body about 10 in the length, length of head 6. Diameter of eye 3^ in 

 lenoth of head, interorbital width about 12. Maxillary extending to below middle of 

 eye. Distance from head to origin of anal equal to length of head ; pectoral nearly 

 ^ as long as head. Sides spotted and marbled with purplish grey ; end of tail blackish ; 

 inside of mouth, gill-opening, and vent black. 

 Magellan Straits, 24 fathoms. 

 Here described from the type, a specimen of 140 mm. 



III. A Monograph of the Nototheniiformes. 



The division Nototheniiformes includes Percoids without pungent fin-spines, with 

 the spinous dorsal, when developed, shorter than the long soft dorsal and anal, the 



Fir. 3.— Pectoral fin-skeleton of 1, Cottoperca gohio ; 2, Trematomus newnesii ; and 3, Notothenia coriiceps. 

 cl, cleithrum ; sc, hypercoracoid (scapula) ; /, foramen ; cor, hyjjocoracoid ; m, metacoracoid process; 1, 2, 3, radials. 



principal caudal rays reduced in number (usually 14), the pectorals typically broad- 

 based and the pelvics jugular, separated by an interspace, and each formed of a spine 

 and 5 branched rays. There is a single nostril on each side. The structure and position 

 of the pectoral radials is highly characteristic ; they are 3 in number, rather large flat 

 plates ; all or 2 are inserted on the hypocoracoid, and the lowest is the narrowest and 

 has its lower edge in contact with the metacoracoid process. In other osteological 

 characters the more generalised types are very similar to the Perciformes. 



