SCIENTIFIC SURVEY. IQT 



Sub-class Teleostei. Lophioid^. 



It is never fat, notwithstanding its voracity and the great capa- 

 city of its stomach, and, like other loafers, is useless when alive 

 and good for nothing when dead. 



It takes the hook readily, and is also taken in nets, generally in the 

 autumnal months. They are so stupid that they frequently commit 

 suicide by running ashore, not knowing enough to turn round into 

 deep water again. 



Specific Description. The head is broad and flat, consisting 

 almost wholly of mouth, it having an enormous gape. The top 

 is of a brown color, smooth and scaleless. Lower jaw longest, and 

 fringed around its margin with a row of fleshy barbels, or cirrhi, 

 about an inch long. Similar smaller ones are continued along the 

 sides of the body to the base of the tail. On the top of the upper 

 jaw, about in its center, are two long bristle-pointed fleshy tcntacula 

 which the fish has the faculty of raising or depressing at pleasure. 

 The eyes are oval horizontally, pupils black and irides yellowish 

 brown. The lower jaw has a single row of long sharp teeth, curved 

 backwards. 



Tonj;ue bony on each side, on which are two rows of teeth also 

 curved backward. The intermaxillaries can be pushed beyond the 

 maxillaries, and have a single row of short teeth on each side and 

 two rows in the middle, these last are larger than the others, curved 

 backward. " Upon the upper jaw, at its tip, is a space of an inch 

 and a half destitute of teeth ; on each side of this space is one quite 

 large tooth, and a second much smaller ; about half an inch outside 

 of this is another single row of eight or ten teeth, the first three or 

 four of which are much the largest ; on each side of the pharynx 

 are three rows of sharp incurved teeth resembling spines ; these 

 rows are arranged directly above each other and are double." Stor. 



There are several Spines situated upon the head. 



The body is flattened, rather globular in front, tapering behind, 

 of a dark brown, with netlike markings, lower part lighter colored. 



Two dorsals ; first has three sharp spines, of which the posterior 

 one is shortest, all of them project above the membrane. The 

 second dorsal is more uniform in height, rounded at its posterior 

 margin, and its length twice its height and rises about two inches 

 behind the first. 



Pectorals rise by a " strong pedicel " on a line with the front of 



