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Part III. — Twenty-fourth Annual Report 



the snout ; lengths of the ventral and pectoral fins ; length of the bases 

 of the third dorsal and first anal fins ; the horizontal diameter of the eye j 

 breadth of the hind extremity of the maxilla ; distance between the 

 ventral fin and beginning of the first anal fin. All these characters were 

 represented as percentages of the total length of the fish. In most of 

 these characters not only do luscus and minutus come close together, but 

 they both closely resemble esmarkii, as reference to Table XIII. will show. 

 In the characters the length of the bases of the third dorsal, minutus and 

 esmarkii, come close together, both being separated from minutus. In the 

 length of the base of the first anal considerable diversity exists between 

 the three forms. It is not necessary to follow Smitt into the other 

 characters, which are represented as percentages of various standards. It 

 is to be expected that the different species in a genus will show very 

 many points of close resemblance, and that the characters in which they 

 differ may be few. The specific tout ensemble may be very characteristic, 

 and still not be easily reduced to a specific description. The specific 

 descriptions of the two fishes in the " Scandinavian Fishes " recite in 

 detail many points in which the two species of luscus and minutus agree, 

 and do not emphasise the points of difference. 



The fin-formulae and vertebrae given in the " Scandinavian Fishes " are 

 as follows : — 



Luscus— I D, 12-14; 2 D, 20-26 ; 3 D, 18-20; I A, 27-35 ; 2 A, 

 17-21 ; Pect., 19-20; Yentr., 6. Vertebras, 48. 



Minutus— \ D, 12-15 ; 2 D, 19-25 ; 3 D, 17-24; 1 A, 25-31 ; 2 A, 

 17-23 ; Pect., 17-19 ; Ventr., 6. Vertebras, 50. 



The variations in the number of fin-rays found during the present 

 research are arranged in Table V., p. 149, and the variations in the 

 number of vertebras appear in Table VI., p. 150. 



Schmidt discusses Smitt's evidence on the question of the identity of 

 the two species. He shows that in the young stages luscus and minutus 

 are quite characteristic, and are easily separated by the specific characters 

 that hold good in the adult. He emphasises the position of the anus 

 with reference to the first dorsal fin, and the union of the anal fins wnich 

 he finds constant in the young stages. He also lays stress on the differ- 

 ence in depth between the two species. He describes and figures a series 

 of both species up to 5cm. in length. 



Parnell, in his account of the Brassy {Morrhua lusca), mentions that 

 the scales are very deciduous. It is characterised by a dusky spot at the 

 base of each pectoral, by the first anal fin commencing under the middle 

 of the first dorsal. He had examined Morrhua lusca up to a size of 17 

 inches (42cm.). Parnell says that this fish resembles Morrhua minuta, 

 but the latter has a shorter anal fin than Morrhua lusca. This author 

 does not record Morrhua minuta from the Firth of Forth. The fin- 

 formula of a Morrhua lusca, measuring 16 inches (40cm.) in length, he 

 gives as follows :— 1 D, 13 ; 2 D, 24 ; 3D, 17 ; I A, 31 ; 2 A, 18 ; P, 

 15; V, 6. In the case of the third dorsal he obtained a number (17) 

 which is less than the smallest number found in any of the specimens 

 examined in the present research, viz., 18 rays. 



Gadus esmarkii. 



This form, which was first recorded for Scottish waters by Gunther, 

 was obtained by Sir John Murray in the Clyde and certain lochs on the 

 West Coast of Scotland. 



The distinctive characters selected by Gunther are the following : — 



The lower jaw projects beyond the upper. 



