THE ETERNAL QUESTION 249 



we may perhaps suppose that the other eggs are im- 

 bibed or in some way absorbed by the embryos in the 

 course of their development. A male of Saccogastei' 

 maculata is represented in Fig. 47 : it is provided with 

 a special organ for the internal impregnation of the 

 egg. 



Although the males of the viviparous Ophidioids are 

 distinguished from the females by a very conspicuous 

 external character of primary importance, I cannot say 

 that any unequivocal secondary sexual differences are 

 discoverable among the Investigator deep-sea fishes, such 

 as have been noticed in several kinds of shore fishes, 

 with the exception, perhaps, of the single species 

 Neobythites, also one of the Ophidiidce, In this species, 

 specimens of which have been dredged in the Arabian 

 Sea in 1000 fathoms, and in the Bay of Bengal in 1310- 

 1748 fathoms, the pectoral fin-rays of the male are about 

 twice as long as those of the female, and some of them 

 have the ends curiously broadened and flattened. The 

 eyes are small, and if we may infer from this that the 

 species lives in perpetual gloom, then we are justified in 

 supposing that these long fin-rays of the male, which 

 are clearly feelers, are useful sexual ancillaries of 

 secondary importance. 



Before leaving the Investigator fishes, attention may 

 be bespoken for three very curious forms which have not 

 yet been mentioned. One of these is HalimochirMrgus 

 centriscoides (Fig. 48) remarkable for its small mouth 



