82 



one-fourth of the total length ; eye nearly circular ; its diameter in 

 a fish of twelve and a half inches, is about one-fifth of the length 

 of the head ; in a fish of six and three-quarters inches, it is about 

 one-fourth of the length of the head. 



Mouth protractile, small ; the tip of the maxillary reaching but 

 little beyond half the distance to the eye ; lower jaw shorter than 

 the upper ; the border of the upper jaw is formed entirely by the 

 premaxillaries, which are stout and broad, the small maxillaries 

 lying behind ; teeth numerous in both jaws, none on the vomer or 

 palatines ; a doubly and sometimes triply ranked row of rather 

 large, distinct, three-lobed teeth in the front of each jaw ; behind 

 these a dense patch of similar teeth, but very small, running into a 

 small row on the side of the jaw ; lips soft, free, thin ; nostrils 

 slightly tubular, situated in front of the upper portion of the eye, 

 the posterior one a little the larger. 



Scales firm, rather large, strongly ciliated, covering the whole 

 body and head except the operculum, suborperculum, and intero 

 perculum, and top of the head, and extending far up on each side 

 of the fins ; a deep groove extends the entire length of the doreal 

 fin, separating the scales of the body from the smaller ones cover- 

 ing the base and sides of the fin ; lateral line following nearly the 

 curve of the back. 



Opercular pieces destitute of spines or serrations ; operculum 

 ending in a flat point. 



The dorsal fin, arising very nearly even with the posterior portion 

 of the base of the pectorals, is not quite half as long as the fish ; 

 the spinous part, which is lower than the soft, constitutes almost two- 

 thirds of the length of the fin ; the spines are strong, rigid, the 

 height of the hi^ifhest being a little more than one-fourth of the 

 depth of the fish. The spinous and soft portions are directly con- 

 tinuous. 



The anal fin, whose height and length ai"e equal, is coterminal 

 with the dorsal ; its first three rays are spinous, much lower than 

 the soft portion, of which the height is rather more than half the 

 depth of the fish. 



The pectorals are broad and rounded ; their height equal to half 

 the depth of the fish. 



The ventrals, arising a little posterior to the pectorals, are equal 

 to those fins in height. 



The caudal fin is broad, slightly concave on its margin, the 

 height of the external rays nearly one-fifth of the length of the fish. 



D. Xm. 13, A. Ill, 11, P. 18, V. I. 5, C. 6, 1, 7, 6, 1, 6. 



Branchial apertures continuous beneath ; branchial rays, four. 



Color plain dark blackish brown throughout ; a very Uttle lightes 

 beneath. 



