132 bulletin: museum of COMrARAXIVE ZOOLOGY. 



p. ranina Tiles. 



Distribution. — Fields of sea weed in the Tropical Atlantic, Richardson. 



A single large pediculate was obtained from a colored fisherman and handed 

 to me by Professor Mark. It is evidently Cuvier's Chironectis laevigatus and 

 also agrees remarkably well with Richardson's ('44-48, p. 15, pi. 9, Fig. 354), 

 Chironectis pictus \ ax. vittatus. 



Antennarius stellifer, sp. nov. 



(Plate 4.) 



D. 3 + 12; A. 7; V. 5 ; P. 10; C. 9. 



Closely related to A . nuttingii Garman ; but differing conspicuously in color- 

 ation, size, and form of bait. 



In form this species is short and extremely bulky anteriorly. The caudal 

 peduncle is short and compressed. The head is as wide as high ; with a rather 

 deep, scaleless concavity behind the second dorsal ray. The mouth is very 

 wide, almost vertical, and the eye is small. The first dorsal ray is extremely 

 long and slender, a little more than 2^ times the length of the second dorsal ray. 

 On the posterior surface of the second dorsal ray there is a peculiar fringe of 

 elongate scales, a tuft of similar scales being situated on each side of the naked 

 occipital depression. The base of the first dorsal ray is a prominent movable 

 pedicel. The second dorsal ray is quite free, while the third is connected with 

 the dorsum by the skin. The soft dorsal is composed of two regions ; the 

 anterior five rays are of equal size and their tips do not extend beyond the 

 connecting membrane. The condition in the posterior part of the fin is very 

 diff"erent; the rays do project beyond the membrane, and from the sixth to eighth 

 ray the height of the fin increases regularly, while from the ninth to twelfth 

 the decrease is as regular, so that the posterior portion is more or less fan- 

 shaped. The bait on the tip of the first dorsal ray is a tiny sphere, from which 

 spring numerous delicate filaments. 



The color of this species, described from the alcoholic specimen, is as fol- 

 lows: — The entire body is very dark brown, almost black with areas of deep 

 velvety black, which are sometimes surrounded in a zone of lighter brown. 

 The bait, posterior surface of second dorsal ray and under surface of the pec- 

 toral and ventral fins is dirty white. There is on each side of the body an 

 irregularly stellate figure of white composed of a central patch and radiating 

 spots. A white saddle is situated on the caudal peduncle. 



Only one specimen known, the type (M. C. Z., No. 29,056), obtained in 

 Castle Harbor by Mr. L. Mowbray of St. George's, and procured from him 

 by Professor Mark. 



A. scaber (Cuv.) 



Distrihution. — West Indian waters. 



A single specimen from Bermuda was obtained in exchange from the Boston 

 Society of Natural History. It had been in the collection for some time. 



