DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 459 



Dorsal fin begins at a point slightly behind the eyes; it is connate with the caudal, and 

 contains 110 rays to the middle of the base of the eandal ; the rays about the middle of the 

 tin are the longest, their height being a little more than one-third that of the body. 



Distance of anal from snout (20 millimeters) contained 4J times in extreme length ; 

 longest rays about the middle of the tin, their length {G millimeters) equaling twice that of 

 the snout. Anal connate with caudal, and contains 107 rays, counting to the middle of the 

 base of the latter fin. 



Median caudal rjiys longest, their length (0 millimeters) equaling twice that of the 

 snout. 



Pectorals none. 



Distance of ventral from snout (15 millimeters) contained 5'^ times in extreme length. 

 The ventral is separated from the anal by an interspace twice as long as the eye. The 

 number of ventral rays is 5, the longest of them being one-third as long as the head. 



Vent near origin of the anal. 



Color, grayish, everywher*; mottled with brown. Median keel on the scales dark and 

 prominent. 



Kadial tbrnnila: D. 119; A. 107; V. 5; T. none. 



A single type specimen, 85 millimeters in length, was obtained by the Blale from sta- 

 tion CCCXVI, in 320 07' N. lat., 78° 37' 30" W. Ion., at a depth of 229 fathoms. 



APHORISTIA MARGINATA, Goode and Bean. (Figure 376.) 



Jphoristia marginata, Goode and Bean, Bull. Mus. Conij). Zoiil., xii, 153. 



Bo<ly, slender, lanceolate in form, its greatest height contained 4i times in the extreme 

 length. Scales, moderate, strongly and sharply denticulate, the surface ornamented with 

 many lines and striations, which are so arranged as to form a semblance of median furrows; 

 88 to 90 scales in a longitudinal series, 34 in a transverse series. 



.laws and snout covered with scales. 



Length of the head contained 5i times in total length. Length of the snout in that of 

 liead 4i times, and equal to diameter of upper eye. 



Eyes, moderate, close together, the upper very slightly in advance. Nostril, in a long 

 slender tube, nearly midway between lower eye and tip of snout. 



Mouth, moderate, oblique, curved, its posterior angle beneath the anterior margin of 

 the pupil of the upper eye; its lengthof gape in that of head 4:^ times, and 5 times in 

 greatest height of body. Dentition feeble. 



The dorsal tin begins at a point over the posterior margin of the ui)per pupil. It is 

 composed of 9C to 100 rays, those about the middle of the body the longest, and ccmtained 

 about 2^ times in the height of the body. 



The anal origin is separated from the snout by a distance equal to 4 times the length of 

 the snout. It lias SC-87 rays, and its height is slightly less than that of the dorsal. 



Th(^ median coiidal rays are short, contained 8'^ times in total length. 



The distance of the ventral from the .snout is contained 5| times in the total length; 

 its distance from the anal 1 J times the diameter of the eye; its rays, four in mimber, the 

 longest contained 2';^ times in head. 



Color in life, reddish gray, much speckled with brown. Belly, bluish gray. Bases and 

 membrane covering fin-rays, dark brown. Dorsal and anal tins very dark on their last tenth. 

 Caudal, jiale, in marked contrast with the dark area of dorsal and anal. Tips of dor.sal 

 and anal rays, and some of the membrane covering caudal rays, vermilion. 



Color in alcohol, unilbrm grayish brown, lighter below, with a dark brown line marking 

 margin between the VxkIv and the base of the vertical tins, with a lighter line or stripe, as 

 wide as eye, inside. 



Radial formula: D. 90-100; A. 80-87; V. 4; P. none. Scales, 88 to 90-34. 



The species is described from a specimen, 102 millimeters in length, collected by the 

 steamer Blake, at station CLXXXI, in 28^ 42' N. hit., 88^ 40' W. Ion., at a depth of 321 foth- 

 oms; with a specimen from Albatross station 2376, in 29° 03' N. lat., 88° 16' W. Ion., at a 



