DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 347 



Gill rakers short, 8 below angle of first arch, 4 of which are rudimentary, the longest (2 

 millimeters) 5 in diameter of eye. (In L. profimdorum the gill-rakers are slenderer and 

 longer, though abont eqnally nnmerons on the first arch.) 



Scales in about 11 rows from the origin of the dorsal to the median line of the body. 



Ventrals with length (13 niillinieters) 3 in that of head. 



Dorsal origin far back, at a distance from the snout (55 millimeters) 4f in total length; 

 at a distance from the eye equal to head's length. (In L. profundorum this distance is two- 

 thirds of the head's length and the first ray of the dorsal is nearly over the middle of the 

 extended pectoral; in L. cervhium, over its tip, or nearly so.) 



Anal origin with distance from snout (84 millimeters) 3 in total length. Length of pec- 

 toral (10 millimeters) 3 in head's length and 13 to 14 in that of body (10 in L. marmoratum, 

 11 in L. pyofiiiKlorum). 



Scales ornamented with radiating striie, cover ing densely all parts of the fish except 

 the snout and under surface of the head and the fins. Lateral line continued almost to the 

 end of the tail. 



Color brownish-yellow, with numerous subcirc ular spots of white, with diameter half 

 that of eye along the upper half of the body. Vertical fins with narrow black margin. 



The type (Cat. No. 28704, IT. S. KM.) 2(53 millimeters in length, was taken by the 

 Fish Rmrk from station Oil, in 40o 01'* N. lat., 69° 50' W. Ion., at a depth of 70 fathoms. 

 A single specimen (Cat. No. 38955, U. S. N. M.) was obtained by the same vessel from sta- 

 tion 1030, in 390 58' N. lat., 09° 30' W. Ion., at a depth of 01 fothoms. The A Ihatross also 

 secured examples (Cat. No. 37330, U. S. N. M.) from statiim 2309, in .35o 43' 30" N. lat., 74° 52' 

 W. Ion., at a depth of 50 fathoms; (Cat. No. 33053, U. S. N. M.) from station 2004, in 37° 19' 

 45" N. lat., 74030'OG" W. Ion., at a depth of 102 fathoms; and (Cat. No. 37235, U. S. N. M.) 

 from station 2298, in 35° 39' N. lat., 74° 52' W. Ion., at a depth of 80 fathoms. 



LEPTOPHIDIUM PROFUNDORUM, Gill. (Figure 307.) 



Lejytophidium 2>rofiin(1oriim, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Pliila., 18G3, 211. — Jordan, Cat. Pish. N. America, 



1885, 126. 

 Ophidium profundorum, .Jordan and Gilhert, Bull., xvi, U. S. Nat. Mus., 793. 



The greatest height equals about a tenth of the extreme length, and is developed at 

 the pectoral region; it thence almost uniformly decreases to the end, and at the anus equals 

 one-eleventh of the same; the thickness behind the pectoral fins equals seven-tenths of the 

 height, and almost uniformly decreases to the end like the height. The anus is at the end 

 of the first third of the length. 



The head forms rather less than a sixth of the length, and is transversely convex above 

 •and moderately inflated on the sides; the greatest width equals half its length. Tlic eye is 

 rather longer than the snout, subcircular, and its diameter slightly exceeds two-sevenths 

 of the head's length; its pupil is small, the diameter equaling only a third of tliat of the 

 eye. The width of tiie interoeular region rather exceeds two-ninths of the hi'ad's h'ugtli. 

 The supramaxillary ends behind under the liinder margin of the pupil. 



The dorsal fin commences nearly over the middle of the pectoral fin, and with tlie sec- 

 ond fifth of the length and is moderately liigli; the anal coiumences immediately behind the 

 anus, and is about as liigh as the dorsal; the caudal rays of the fiu are the longest. The 

 pectoral fin little exceeds half the head's length, and the longest branch of the ventral is 

 less than a thii-d of tlie head's length, and three-fifths greater than the shorter. 



The color is a light rufous; the vertical fins margined with black. 



The following notes show the relative proijortions: 



Extreme length (7 inches), 100; length to eiul of middle caudal rays. 



Bodif. — Greatest height, 10; greatest width, 7; iicight at anus, 9; width at anus, 7; 

 lieight between anus and caudal, OA. 



Head. — Greatest length, 10; distance from snout to nape, 11 ; greatest width, S; witlth 

 of interoeular area, 3.J; height of .jireoihital, l/, ; length of snout, 4; length of supra- 

 maxillary, 0. 



