Vol. XXVI, pp. 75-78 March 22, 1913 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON THE SCALES OF THE SIMENCHELYID, OPHIDITD, BROTULID AND BREGMACEROTID FISHES. BY T. I). A. COGKERELL. I am greatly indebted to Mr. C. Tate Regan, of the British Museum, for scales of four families of fishes which I had not previously been able to study. The specimens prove not merely interesting, as representing undescribed forms, but quite remark-able for the light they seem to throw on the structure and relationship of other scales. SlMENCHELYIDiE. Simenchelys parasiticus. North Atlantic. The minute scales are about Tl'Om long and 225 broad, thus greatly elongated, and rounded at the ends. The scale consists of concentric rows of minute oblong elements, which, when the scales are broken, rather readily come apart. These structures are identical in general cbaracter with the separate elements described and figured by H. \Y. Marett Tims (Quart. Journ. Micr. Sci., 49, Oct., L905, pi. 6) as occurring in Gadus. Essentially the same thing is found in Synaphobranchus pinnatus. The structural resemblance between the scales of the eels and those of the Brotulidae, <ladid;e. etc., is astonishing. I M'HIDIIO.E. Genypterus blacodes. Tasmania. Scales about 2 mm. long and 1% broad, usually distinctly subtriangular, with the corners obtuse. The numerous radii extend in every direction from the nucleus, and the whole scale is divided into small transversely elongate plates, precisely in the manner of Gadus. The plates are very minutely beaded or nodulose on the outer (laterad ) side, a fact first noted by Dr. Max Ellis, who examined the scale-with me. Some of the radii are incomplete, as may lie seen in <;<i'lus (Tims, 1. c, id. <l, f. 6). Except for the subtriangular shape and the minute nodulosity of the outer sides of the plates, I do not know how the scale of < ,', ni/fitn-ux can be separated from that of Gadus. 18— Proc. Bioi . Soc. W iSH., Vol. XXVI, 1913. (7.">)
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