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Show 414 MR. E. W. L. HOLT-STUDIES IN [May 1, Molua dipterygia, Smitt, Hist. Skand. Fishes, ed. ii. p. 521, pi. xxvi. fig. 3. Introduction. The specific name adopted by Collett and Lilljeborg originated with Walbaum (< Petri Artedi sveci Genera Piscium,' 1792, p. 135), and is therefore older than Nilsson's name, the date of which is 1832. Professor Smitt identifies the fish with the Gadus diptery-gius of Pennant (Introd. Arct. Zool. ed. ii. vol. i. p. cxxiv), which is not included in the synonymy by the other Scandinavian authors referred to. The retention of Nilsson's name, as the earliest in post- Linnaean literature, is justified by the rules of scientific nomenclature, and, since it is used in Giinther's catalogue and in the 'Challenger' monograph, appears to be for the convenience of British readers. At the time this paper was written the only drawing of the species with which I was acquainted was that given by Strom (op. cit.). The work of this author is sufficiently rare, and his figure, though accurate enough, is merely a small outline. One of my chief objects was therefore to put forward a recognizable figure in a publication easy of access to British readers, while at the same time extending the known horizontal range of the species, and recording certain anatomical peculiarities which had escaped the notice of previous writers. "Within the last few months, however, ichthyological literature has been enriched by the appearance of Professor Smitt's new edition of Fries, Ekstrom, and SundevalPs ' History of the Scandinavian Fishes.' This contains a description, with figure, of the species under consideration. The text, as I think, is not so complete as to render m y own remarks altogether superfluous, the more especially since only Skandinavian examples were known to the author, while the figure differs from all examples known to m e in rather important details (to be referred to- below). It being too late to so far rewrite my remarks as to incorporate the whole of the necessary references to Smitt's work in the text, 1 have interpolated them chiefly in the form of notes. The resemblance borne by the Mediterranean form, M. elongata (Bisso)1, to the species now under discussion has attracted the attention of Lilljeborg, who gives a careful comparison of the measurements of specimens of each species. H e notes that a difference exists in the texture of the scales, and is unable to establish their complete identity. It would appear, from his description, that the Mediterranean form approaches the Faroe and Iceland specimens of M. abyssorum in the reduction of the caudal peduncle, a point in which it differs somewhat from Skandinavian examples. While inclined to suppose that the characters 1 Lotta elongata, Risso, Faun. Eur. Muriel, iii. p. 217, fig. 47 ; Costa, Faun. del regno di Napoli, Pesc. i. p. 15, tav. xxxviii. |