MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 169 



median on the caudal peduncle, the tube-bearing scales being prominent, and 

 about 55 in number. Between the dorsal fin and the lateral line are about 

 nine rows of scales ; between the latter and the anal fin, eight or nine rows. 



Head twice as long as the greatest height of the body, its length contained 

 a little less than four times in the standard body length, considerably depressed, 

 scaleless except on the vertex and the preoperculum. Operculum, perhaps 

 accidentally, denuded. 



The snout is much produced, almost equal to the width of the interorbital 

 space, which is convex. The maxilla extends far behind the posterior margin 

 of the eye, its length equalling that of the postorbital part of the head. The 

 mandible projects beyond the upper jaw to a distance slightly more than the 

 diameter of the orbit, and receives the snout within its extremity when the 

 jaws are closed. The teeth have been fully described in the generic diagnosis. 

 The mandible has a series of seven large pores on its lower surface. There are 

 several similar pores under the eye. The nostrils are situated about midway 

 between the eye and the extremity of the snout, small, slit-like, the posterior 

 about twice as large as the anterior one in each pair. 



The dorsal fin contains eleven rays, and is inserted midway between the tip 

 of the snout and the base of the middle caudal rays. The fin is highest in 

 front, the length of the rays diminishing rapidly posteriorly. There is ap- 

 parently no adipose dorsal. 



The anal fin contains twelve rays and is similar in shape to the dorsal, the 

 anterior rays being the longest, and about equal in length to the mandible ; its 

 distance from the snout is about three times the length of its longest ray. 



The caudal is forked, its middle rays f as long as those in the upper caudal 

 lobe ; the lower lobe is much prolonged, the lower ray being more than 4 times 

 as long as the middle rays. Its extremity is broken off in our specimen, but 

 apparently it must have been nearly twice as long as the stump which now 

 remains. 



The pectoral fin is normal, composed of 9 rays, and is inserted close to the 

 opercular flap ; its length is slightly greater than that of the head (though 

 mutilated), extending beyond the origin of the dorsal. 



The ventral is composed of 7 rays, and its base is entirely in advance of the 

 perpendicular from the origin of the dorsal ; the inner rays reach to the vent, 

 while its outer ray is enormously prolonged, extending far beyond the extrem- 

 ity of the upper caudal lobe ; the length of the prolonged ray is fully 4 times 

 that of the head. The two ventrals are close together. 



Radial formula : D. 11 ; A. 12 ; P. 9; V. 7 ; B. 11. Scales, 9-55-8 or 9. 



Color brown, the roof of the mouth and inside of the branchiostegal flap 

 black, as well as the operculum and branchiostegal membrane. 



A single specimen, 392 mm. (15^ inches) long to the tips of the prolonged 

 ventral rays, was taken at a depth of 1850 fathoms, at Station CLXXiv., in 

 Lat 24° 33' N., Long. 84° 23' W. 



A second example of the same fish, and" oT nearly the same size, was taken 



