930 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
mass of “zoophytes” (Hydrozoa on seaweed?). It lay 
on one side at the surface, but was still alive. Its 
colour was described as nacreous on the sides of the 
body, reflecting various hues, principally azure blue. 
The back was black, with the same play of colours; 
the fins were transparent; the eye was of a handsome 
green. 
The species is thus known originally as a surface 
fish. By the Challenger Expedition, however, it was 
taken in a dredge that had been drawn at the bottom 
in 1,125 fathoms of water, off Cape Finisterre. In 
most instances, as in the case of deep-sea fishes, the 
specimens secured have drifted helplessly at the sur- 
face and been cast ashore by the waves. The congener 
of this species — if they are both entitled to an inde- 
pendent, specific rank — was taken in 1869 by the Por- 
cupine expedition, in 540 fathoms of water, between 
Scotland and the Faroe Islands", and in 1880 and 
1882 by the American expeditions on the Blake and 
Fish- Hawk, in 225 and 245 fathoms of water, off the 
coast of Florida 6 . Argyropelecus Olfersii is also fre- 
quently found off the Norwegian coast in the stomach 
of Cod, a circumstance which seems to indicate that 
it keeps near the bottom, as is further suggested by 
its large eyes. But at night its congener is often met 
with at the surface off the coast of Sicily; and it is 
highly probable that Argyropelecus Olfersii shares this 
habit. To the true deep-sea fishes it cannot thus be 
referred; and the above-mentioned instances of its oc- 
currence at great depths do not exclude the possibility 
of its having been intercepted by the dredge while the 
latter was being drawn up. It seems most likely that 
in the daytime it avoids the light by retiring to depths 
where the sun exercises no appreciable influence. 
Its geographical range extends from the Cape of 
Good Hope to North Cape, but appears to be restricted 
between the limits of the great ocean currents. It has 
thus been carried by the Gulf Stream on several re- 
corded occasions to the Norwegian coast north of Ber- 
gen, but has never been found further south in Scan- 
dinavia. Collett mentions 8 specimens as having been 
found during the last thirty years, cast ashore at dif- 
ferent points on the Norwegian coast, or taken in the 
stomachs of Cod or Coaltish. 
Argyropelecus Olfersii is a voracious fish-of-prey, 
as evidenced by its dentition. In the stomach of a spe- 
cimen 82 mm. long Collett found a half-digested 
Maurolicus Mulleri that had probably measured 50 mm. 
Small fishes and crustaceans are, no doubt, its principal 
diet. Its spawning-season is unknown; but in a fe- 
male about 8 cm. long Collett counted about, 1,000 
eggs x / 2 mm. in diameter, a much greater number and 
relatively smaller size than we found in a female 
Argyropelecus hemigymnus, taken in February off the 
Sicilian coast. In the latter specimen both ovaries 
were rather tumid but of different lengths, the right, 
which was the longer, measuring hardly 6 mm. The 
eggs were V 2 mm. in diameter, and lay so loose in 
the ovaries that they were probably almost ready for 
deposition. 
Subfamily COCCIINJE. 
Body of a slightly irregular Herring-form. Ventral margin more or less terete. Cleft of the mouth more or less 
ascending , with the margin of the upper jaw formed in front by the intermaxillaries and behind by the maxil- 
laries, which are here armed, with teeth. Teeth in the mouth of fairly uniform size. Preabdominal length greater 
than the postabdominal . Pseudobranchice well developed. Snout shorter than the postorbital part of the head. 
The known forms of this subfamily are not nume- 
rous. Gunther c enumerates 5 species, distributed among 
two genera, one of which, the Mediterranean Coccia, 
containing one species with the most reduced inter- 
maxillaries and jaw-teeth, has conferred its name on 
the subfamily. In form and coloration, and probably 
° Day, Fish. Gt. Brit., Irel., vol. II, p. 48. 
b Brown-Goode and Bean, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. X (1883), p. 250. 
c Cat. Brit. Mus., Fish., vol. V, p. 387. Whether Diplophus (Gunther, Mus. Godeffr., Heft,. II, p. 101) belongs to this subfamily 
is uncertain, so long as we are ignorant whether it possesses or is without pseudobranchiae. The subfamily Chauliodontince, to which, accord- 
ing to Gunther, it should else be referred, is destitute of pseudobranchiae, and in general has a larger mouth with a more powerful dentition. 
