1903.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 167 



third dorsal ray, H; third anal spine 1|; third anal ray 1; caudal 2f 

 in body; ventral spine 1§ in head; ventral fin 2^ in body. 



Body elongate, compressed, the greatest depth about the anterior 



dorsal spines. 



Head compressed, rather deep and somewhat bluntly pointed. 

 Its greatest v^ndth is a little greater than the greatest width of the 

 body, which is at the bases of the pectorals. Snout rather long, blunt, 

 and with a marked prominence above. Preorbital space broad. 

 Eye moderate, high, and a little anterior in the head. Mouth large, 

 oblique, and the maxillary reaching back till below the front rim of 

 the pupil. Distal expanded extremity of the maxillary broad, equal 

 to three-quarters the eye-diameter, and inclined below ventrally. 

 Jaws and vomer with bands of very fine teeth. Tongue thick posteri- 

 orly, and in a rather long, thin, compressed point, which is free in 

 front. Lips fleshy, the lower on the side of each ramus of the mandible 

 very thick. The lower jaw large, protruding when the mouth is closed. 

 and with a small protuberance at the symphysis. The interorbital 

 space is rather narrow, deeply concave, and with a rather shallow 

 median groove. Nostrils well separated, circular, the rims a little 

 elevated, and the anterior with a small thin flap. 



No nasal spines. Preocular spines very blunt, and more or less con- 

 cealed in the skin. Postocular spine very broad, obttise. Coronal 

 and tympanic spines developed as low obscure ridges, and with a simi- 

 lar median spine between the former. Parietal spines large and broad. 

 Nuchal spines small. Margin of the preorbital with two blunt, obtuse 

 spines. Cheek with a bony ridge, furnished with a blunt spine at the 

 preopercle. Margin of the preopercle with three obtuse spines. Mas- 

 toid and suprascapula each with a long spine. Opercle with a broad 

 spine posteriorly. 



Gill-opening large, continued forward below the posterior nostril. 

 Rakers short, thick. Gill-filaments much longer, though also rather 

 short. Pseudobranchiffi. Isthmus broad, with a broad groove, and 

 the branchiostegal membranes connected for a short distance. 



Scales small, cycloid, and present on the greater part of the head, 

 except the jaws, snout and maxillary. A pair of short narrow cutane- 

 ous flaps at the tip of the snout, and the two large obtuse spines 

 along the preorbital margin each concealed in a rather long flap. 

 Three short dermal flaps along the lower margin of the preoperculum. 

 No flaps at bases of the paired fins. Scales rather large on the side 

 and posterior portion of the trunk. Bases of the caudal, pectoral and 

 ventral with small scales, the other fins without scales. Lateral line 



