758 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [NoV.. 



Body elongate, rather deep, compressed, and greatest depth near 

 middle of its length. Caudal peduncle small, its width f its depth. 



Head triangular, deep, and compressed, and profiles evenly though 

 slightly convex above and below. Snout long, conic, sides becoming 

 compressed, and top of head flattened anteriorh-. Eye high, nearly 

 touching upper profile, and a little anterior. ]\louth moderate, its 

 gape reaching about half way in space between tip of snout and front 

 rim of pupil. Preorbital long, of about even width, and groove 

 extending about opposite middle of eye. Maxillary when exposed 

 reaching front rim of orbit, but when mouth is closed reaching front 

 rim of pupil, and entirely concealed posteriorly by preorbital. Teeth 

 small, conic, rather few, and uniserial in jaws. Tongue small, anterior, 

 elongate, tip rounded and free. No teeth on roof of mouth. Nostrils 

 lateral, and space between each moderate. Anterior circular, about 

 midway between tip of snout and front of eye. Posterior a short 

 vertical slit. Interorbital space broad, flattened, or onl}^ slightly 

 concave in middle. Top of head, posterior to eyes, convex. 



Gill-opening large, its posterior margin forming a vertical undulation 

 leaving a large flap at lower corner, and extending forward till nearly 

 opposite posterior nostril. Shoulder girdle furnished with two broad 

 fleshy processes with a rather broad space between. Isthmus long and 

 thin, but without a sharp edge. Rakers 13 + 23, long, though a little 

 shorter than longest filaments, or about equal to space between tip 

 of snout and posterior nostril. Rakers compressed, rather attenuate, 

 and furnished with a series of fine pointed and rather flexible bristles 

 on each inner edge. Filaments longest on middle of ceratobranchial. 

 Pseud obranchise about equal to space between tip of snout and anterior 

 nostril. Air-bladder rather large. 



Scales small, all narrowly imbricated, those about pectoral and just 

 behind gill-opening enlarged. Scales below second dorsal small. 

 Cheeks and top of head scaly, rest of head naked. Lateral line con- 

 ciurent with back till after first dorsal, then inclined straight to base 

 of caudal. A short keel at base of each caudal lobe laterally. Pectoral 

 without flap, but with a ridge along scales above to its tip. Soft dorsal 

 and anal covered with minute scales, other fins except pectoral, naked. 

 Adipose eyelid large, leaving only middle third of eye exposed. 



Dorsal spines slender, pungent, first two close together, third longest, 

 and others graduated to last which is short. Depressable in a groove 

 which extends well beyond its tip when fin is depressed, and origin 

 falling a little nearer base of soft dorsal than tip of snout, or about over 

 first f of pectoral. Second dorsal small, inserted nearer origin of pec- 



