176 Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [sess. 
in front of the eye, with a groove, in which there are sensory 
papillae, from the hinder part of the anterior nostril down and 
forward to the lip. Eyes small, lateral, without an orbital fold. 
A large, strong, horizontally directed opercular spine ; no other 
spines on the head. Gill openings wide ; membranes not united, 
free from the isthmus. Gills four, a slit behind the fourth ; 
laminae short ; rakers well developed, numerous. Pseudobranchiae 
small. Branchiostegal rays eight. An air-bladder. Pectoral 
fins intermediate in form between those of Neobythites and those 
of Dicrolene , some of the lower rays being free for a con- 
siderable portion of the length. Ventrals small, a short 
distance apart, at the humeral symphysis, each composed of two 
distinct rays. Vertical fins united; dorsal and anal very long; 
caudal narrow. Scales small, thin. Lateral line rudimentary or 
absent.” 
Puis : 
“Ventrals small, longer than the snout, less than one diameter 
of the eye apart, below the humeral symphysis; each fin com- 
posed of two rays, separated to their bases, and varying from 
somewhat inflated and blunt to acuminate or filamentary at 
the ends.” 
6. Ce genre nous interesse particulierement, car c’est a lui qu’il 
convient de rapporter le Poisson abyssal de la Scotia qui fait 
l’objet de cette communication. 
Seulement, je ne crois pas qu’il y ait lieu d’accorder a 
Holcomycteronus une valeur taxonomique superieure a celle de 
sous-genre de Neobythites , si tant est qu’il faille allerj usque la. 
En effet : 
(1) L’absence d’epines preoperculaires se retrouve, notamment, 
dans trois especes que M. Garman lui-meme laisse dans le genre 
Neobythites (N. grandis , N. steatiticus, N. pterotus) ; * 
(2) Les caracteres des ventrales d’ Holcomycteronus sont repro- 
duits dans une espece que M. Garman lui-meme ne separe pas 
du genre Neobythites (N. pterotus ) ; j 
(3) Les rayons plus ou moins isoles, et d’ailleurs non allonges, 
* A. Gunther, Deep-Sea Fishes, etc., p. 100 ; A. Alcock, Investigator, etc., 
pp. 82 et 83 ; S. Garman, Albatross, etc., p. 391. 
t A. Alcock, Investigator, etc., p. 83 ; S. Garman, Albatross, etc., p. 391. 
