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Show 1894.] TELEOSTEAN MORPHOLOGY. 415 which separate the species may ultimately prove of less than specific value, I do not feel justified, in the face of the opinion of so accurate an observer as Lilljeborg, in including M. elongata in my synonymy. I have never had the opportunity of examining an example of this form, and am acquainted with no description of its anatomy. Distribution. The species is known to occur along the whole of the western coast of Scandinavia and in the Cattegat, but does not seem to have been observed elsewhere. It is a deep-wTater fish, abundant between 100 and 300 fathoms in that region K Of the examples before me, seven in number, two came from the neighbourhood of Ingolfs Hofde Huk, on the south coast of Iceland, in the summer of 1892. One of these was taken on a long-line, in the immediate neighbourhood of the 100-fathom line, in company with another example, which did not come into my hands. The other was trawled, at a depth which certainly could not have greatly exceeded 40 fathoms, and may very probably have been considerably less. I am indebted for these two specimens to the courtesy of Messrs. "W. Hoole aud F. Barrett respectively. M y other five examples I bought in the Grimsby Fish-market in December 1893, and ascertained that they had all been taken in one shot of the long-lines at about 160 fathoms, 28 miles N . W . of Fugaelo, Faroe Islands. From the information of fishermen it appears that specimens are taken from time to time on the Faroe " Bank," but are sufficiently rare to be unknown to many who regularly work that region. I could hear of no previous instance of the fish having been taken off the coast of Iceland. The Birkelange is one of those forms which our fishermen regard as hybrids, the imputed parents being the Hake (Merluccius vulgaris) and the Common Ling (Molva abyssorum), whilst taint of Conger blood is sometimes suggested. The fish appears to be used as food in Norway, but, according to Mr. Hoole, who made culinary experiment of one which fell into his hands, it is very rank, and the flesh of one which I had removed for osteological purposes failed to commend itself to the not very delicate palate of a seal. Smitt, however (op cit. p. 524), remarks that the fish is more esteemed, when fresh, than the Common Ling, so that tastes would appear to differ. The Scandinavian vernacular name, which means " Trade Ling," is cited as testifying to the commercial value of the species. Diagnosis of Species. Head and body elongate, covered with minute imbricating scales. The length of the head contained about five times in the total length without the caudal fin, and much greater than the height 1 Also at 35 and 80 fathoms (Smitt). |
