512 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [July, 



about opposite posterior margin of pu]^il. Lips thick and fleshy, ediies 

 papillose. Teeth short, conic, powerful, erect, and irregular in at least 

 outer series of each jaw. Onh^ an inner adjoining broad band in upper 

 iaw of minute ones. Roof of mouth and tongue edentulous. Tongue 

 broad, rounded in front, and free. Nostrils superior, anterior ones 

 each in a short tube near margin of snout, though well separated, dis- 

 tance between being equal to that of posterior pair, which are close in 

 front of eye in form of simple pores. Interorbital space broad and flat- 

 tened. Opercle ending in a triangular point above and with narrow 

 cutaneous flap. 



Gill-opening large, extending forward a little before middle in length 

 of head, though falling a little behind posterior margin of orbit. Rakers 

 about 10 knob-like bony processes on first arch, rounded, much shorter 

 than filaments though large. Filaments about equal to orbit. Isth- 

 mus narrow. 



Scales small, cycloid, striate, thin and rather narrowly imbricated. 

 Head scaled except most of snout, jaws, mandilile and branchiostegal 

 regions which are naked. Both dorsals, pectoral, except base, and 

 ventral also naked. Greater part of caudal scaly, also base of pectoral. 

 Scales before spinous dorsal, and on head above, on base of caudal, and 

 on breast, especially reduced or crowded. No lateral line. 



Dorsal spines a little flexible, membranes emarginate, and second 

 longest. Fin small, its origin about over middle of depressed pectoral 

 or about midway between tip of snout and middle of last dorsal ray 

 when depressed, and not reaching rayed dorsal. Rayed dorsal well 

 developed, posteriorly higher or fifth ray about longest, and origin of 

 fin a little nearer base of caudal than posterior margin of preopercle. 

 Anal similar to rayed dorsal and inserted a little posterior to its origin. 

 Caudal large, rounded, median rays a little longest. Pectoral rather 

 small, lower rays more expanded and branched, base of fin a little 

 fleshy, and when depressed tip of fin reaches about opposite middle of 

 length of depressed spinous dorsal. Ventrals separate, anteriorly with 

 base fleshy, inserted a little in advance of base of lowest pectoral ray, 

 rays graduated to fourtli which is longest and tip of depressed fin reach- 

 ing a little more than half wav to anal. Anal papilla large and fleshy. 

 Vent at a point about last ?- in space between tip of depressed ventral 

 and origin of anal. 



Color in alcohol deep blackish-brown, a slaty hue due doubtless to 

 the precipitate, and more or less nebulous. Bell}', lower surface of head 

 and breast scarcely paler, or dirty-brownish. I^ower surface of head 

 with paler blotches, some of which are more or less confluent. Fins all 



