DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIE DISTKD3UTION. 1 « > 1 



Mouth oblique, curved, its angle in the vertical through the front margin of th>- eyes; 

 length of gape equal to thai of snout, and contained 5 limes in thai of head. Teetn very 

 feeble. Nostrils tubular, nearer to eye than to tip of snout. 



Mm sal origin in the vertical through middle of eyes; the fin contains 96 rays, includ- 

 ing half "i caudal, the length of the longest 3£ limes in greatest height of body. 



Distance of anal origin from snout i\ times in total length; the anal contains 79 rays, 

 ami its greatest height is equal to that of the dorsal. 



Length of median caudal rays contained 10 times in total length. 



Distance of ventral origin from snout (! times in total length; the ventral is separated 

 from the anal by a distance equal to one third the length of head; its length is contained 

 2*j limes in that of head: it consists of I rays. 



Color uniform gray, lighter below, the scales above somewhat metallic in luster. The 



last fourth of the dorsal has three oblong black blotches soinewhal larger than the eye; 

 tin' anal with lour similarly placed. In I he young there is a slight brownish marginal line 

 upon each scale, and an appearance of indistinct cloudings of brown upon tin; colored side. 



Radial formula: D. 96; A. 70; V. 1; scales 85-35. 



The species is described from a specimen obtained by the Albatross from station -11 I, 

 (lat. 25° 01' 30" X., Ion. sl> 59' L5" \\\: depth, 26 fathoms). Its length is 1 to millimeters 

 to base of caudal. The body is .somewhat slender, its greatest, height (43 millimeters) con- 

 tained .;.', times in its length without caudal. 



Specimens were also taken by the Albatross IV station 2362, in 22° 08' 30" X. lat., 



si; 53'30"W. Ion., al a depth of 25 fathoms; from stations 2121, 2122, between 10° 37' 40" 

 N. lat., (il 1-" 10" \Y. Ion., and 10 37' X. lat., 01 1 1' 22" W. Ion., at a depth of from 31 

 to 31 fathoms. The Blake also secured examples from station xxiv, off Dominica, and 

 station xxv. 



APHOEIST1A I't sil.I.A, Goode and Hkan. (Figure 379.) 



Aphoristia pusilla, Goope and Beak, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vni, 1885, 590. 



The body is slender, lanceolate, its greatest height contained 3i times in its total 

 length. The scales are small, strongly and sharply denticulated, 85 to 90 in a longitudinal 

 and 38 in a transverse series. Jaws and snout entirely covered with scales. 



The length of the head is contained 5 times iu total length; the length of the snout in 

 that of the head 5J limes, and equals the diameter of the eye. 



Eyes small, very closely approximated in the same vertical line. The nostril is tubu- 

 lar, placed midway between the lower eye and the tip of the snout. 



Mouth small, oblique, curved, its posterior augle under the anterior margin of the 

 pupil of the lower eye, the Length of its gape in that of the head 4jj times, in greatest height 

 of body 6| times. Deutition feeble. 



The dorsal tin begins in the vertical through the pupils and is composed of 78 rays; 

 its greatest height is contained 2jj times in that of body. 



The anal is separated from the snout by a distance about equal to the height of the 

 body, and 7] times the length of the snout, it has 70 rays; its greatest height equals one- 

 third that of body. 



The median caudal rays are short, their length contained eleven times in total. 



The distance of the ventral from the snout, is contained about 4J times in total length 

 of body; its length equals twice the diameter ofthe eye. Its distance from the anal equals 

 twice the diameter of the eye. 



Color, light brown, with II or 7 crossbars of slightly darker hue. Blind side light. 



The species is described from a specimen (Cat. No. 28730, U. S. N. M.), 55 millimeters 

 long, taken by the Fish Eatck in W° 07' 48" X. lat., 70° 45' 54" W. Ion., about 80 fathoms, 

 and a specimen (Cat. No. 28778 U. S. X. M.), taken by the same vessel in 40° 01' X. lat., 

 69° 56' W. Ion., from off Marthas Vineyard, 170 fathoms. 



t 



