1903.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 171 



interorbital space 4; depth of caudal peduncle 2h; width of base of 

 pectoral 4; length of pectoral 2\; ventral 2^. 



Body moderately elongate, strongly compressed, and the greatest 

 depth about the middle of the belly. The greatest width less than 

 that of the head, and at the bases of the pectorals. Caudal peduncle 

 not defined, as the posterior rays of the dorsal and anal are more or 

 less connected with the caudal, deep and strongly compressed. 



Head large, attenuate, conic, and its greatest width at the opercles. 

 The upper and lower profiles nearly evenly straight, so that the tip of 

 the snout is midway in the height of the head. Snout long, conic, 

 produced, and not Very broad. Eye rather small, a httle superior, 

 and well anterior. :\Iouth inferior, some Httle distance from the tip 

 of the snout, very broad, transverse, and the gape not reaching the 

 front margin of the orbit. Lips thin, that on the mandible rather 

 broad. Teeth compressed, uniserial in the jaws, and attenuately 

 rounded at their extremities. A large curved canine on each side of 

 the mandible, and not separated from the others. No teeth on the 

 vomer or palatines. Nostrils well separated, the anterior about the 

 last fourth of the space between the tip of the snout and the posterior, 

 which is over the front rim of the orbit. The internasal space is about 

 two-thirds the diameter of the eye. Interorbital space rather broad, 

 convex like the rest of the upper surface of the head. The suborbital 

 bones are somewhat rugose and covered with a thin membrane. The 

 sides of the head posterior and superior to the eyes are similar. The 

 lower surface of the head is broad, convex and rounded like the top or 

 upper surface. 



Gill-opening small, in front of the upper base of the pectoral and 



about equal to the eye. 



Peritoneum whitish. 



Anus near the origin of the anal fin. 



Body naked, the skin smooth. Head with a number of small 

 mucous pores. Paired fins without flaps or sheaths. 



Origin of the dorsal well forward, only just a trifle behind the eye. 

 The spines are very flexible, hardly to be distinguished from the rays, 

 which are not branched. The bases of the former are a little further 

 apart than those of the rays. The first few spines are graduated, 

 after which the whole dorsal fin assumes a more or less uniform height 

 to the last rays, which decrease and are united with the caudal peduncle 

 by a low membrane reaching to the base of the caudal. The anal is 

 similar to the dorsals, except that the margin of the fin is incised 

 between the ravs. The anal spine is scarcely to be distinguished from 



