216 BULLETIN OF THE 



the length to tip of upper caudal lobe: its greatest width nine times in standanl 

 length ; its height at the origin of the anal about half its greatest height ; 

 length of caudal peduncle eij^ual to greatest height of body. 



Scales irregularly ovate, with the free portion convex, thin, cycloid, leathery, 

 deciduous, those in middle of body with a vertical diameter nearly equal to 

 that of the pupil, those of lateral line with posterior margin truncate. In the 

 lateral line, which extends upon the caudal fin, descending below the median 

 line of the body near the origin of this fin, are seventy-eight specialized scales, 

 larger than those of the body. Between the dorsal fin and the lateral line are 

 about ei"ht rows of scales : between the latter and the anal fin are about the 

 same number. 



Head twice as long as the greatest height of the body, strongly depressed, 

 alligator-like, naked except upon the cheeks and a small area on the occiput, 

 with strong nasal and interorbital ridges. The greatest width is somewhat 

 more than half its greatest length, the width of interorbital area nearly equal 

 to half that of head, and one fourth the length of the lower jaw. The length 

 of the snout is equal to twice the horizontal diameter of the eye. The 

 anterior nostrils are situated midway between the tip of the snout and the an- 

 terior margin of the orbit. The cleft of the mouth is enormous, its angle pos- 

 terior to the eye by a distance about equal to the width of the interorbital space. 

 The length of the upper jaw equals one sixth of the standard body length ; 

 that of the lower jaw, one fifth. The margin nf the upper jaw (formed by the 

 intermaxillary oidy) is armed with two irregular rows of depressible teetli, 

 some of which are barbed ; those in the inner row are much the largest, many 

 of them being two thirds as long as the horizontal diameter of the pupil and 

 twice as long as those in the outer series. The lower jaws are enormously 

 strong, and broad, flattened below, the width measured on the under surface of 

 the head equal to two thirds the width of the broad interorbital space. The 

 lower jaw projects outside of the upper jaw at the sides a distance apparently 

 equal to half its width, and considerably in front ; the lower jaws are thickly 

 studded with depressible teeth, many of them, especially the larger inner ones, 

 strongly barbed, those in front claw-like, recurved. On the palatines, three 

 rows of teeth, the middle ones very much enlarged and most of them strongly 

 barbed, — these being the largest of all the teeth. On the tongue a lew 

 weaker teeth, and groups of similar teeth upon the vomer. 



Gill laminae, gill rakers, and pseudobranchia;, as described by Dr. Giinther 

 in the diagnosis of the genus. 



The dorsal fin contains seventeen rays, and is inserted at a distance from the 

 tip of the snout equal to the length of its own base, and slightly greater than 

 one third of the standard body length. The fourth or longest ray is equal in 

 length to the greatest height of the body. The first ray is a rudiment ; the 

 second is nearly half as long as the third ; the third slightly shorter than the 

 fourth ; after the fourth the rays diminish rapidly in length to the ninth, 

 which is about half as long as the lower jaw, and subsequent to which the 

 diminution is gradual : the last ray is about as long as the first. 



