KisiiK.s AND chustackaxs — Mcculloch. ."{ol 



placed it undei- Srba>>(apiiit('.s which was considered by Jordan and 

 Evermann^ to be a synonym of Scorjxena, and later by Jordan'^ as 

 a close ally of the same. 



I cannot refer to Street's diagnosis of Sehastapistes, wliicli 

 apparently includes only " numerous dwarf species less than three 

 ijiches long " (Jordan loc. cit.) but as our fish presents all the 

 characters of UfJicolriMis, a genus doubtfully distinct from 

 Scorpa'vd, I place it under the above heading. 



There appears to be some considerable variation in the relative 

 l(!ngths of the dorsal spines of this species. The present specimen is in 

 perfect agreement with Ricliar(ls(jn's original description and figure, 

 but a numlx'r of others of smaller size, including those taken by 

 the "Thetis" Expedition, are rather better represented by McCoy's 

 figure," wherein the longest spines are higher than the anterior 

 rays. 



HOPLICHTHYID^. 



HOPLICHTHYS IIASWELLI, Sp. 'Uor. 



(Plate Ixiv.). 



D. V. 14 ; A. 16 ; P. U-f-4 ; V. I. 5 ; lateral plates 11. 



Depth of body <S|, length of head to opercular Hap 2-6 in the 

 length of the body without the caudal fin. Length of snout ■2-74, 

 diameter of eye 5"4(S and width of head 1"15 in its length. 



8nout broadly rounded, with a median notch at its extremity. 

 The lateral profile of the head is formed by a minutely dtintigerous 

 ridge which bears four large spines ; the first, which has a smaller 

 spine at its base, placed before the anterior margin of the eye, 

 another similar one before the posterior margin, a third 

 directed inwards at the end of the preopercular margin, and 

 the fourth and largest formingthepreopercularspine. Abony plate, 

 wider than the interorbital space, extends backwards from the 

 nostrils, between which and the lateral margins is a soft fleshy area. 

 Back of head covered with rough bony plates and smooth naked 

 areas. The sculpture on the plates consists of minutely denti- 

 culated, radiating ridges, the centres of which are larger or 

 smaller spines. The opercles bear three strong ridges which ai-e 

 armed with small spines along their length, and terminated by 

 larger spines. A pair of large humeral plates, each bearing a 

 strong spine. 



* Jordan and Evermann — Fishes of N. and Middle America, ii., 1898, p. 1835). 



■'' Jordan— Guide Study of Fishes, ii, 1905, p. 434. 



'' McCoy — Prodr. Zool. Vict., i., 1879, pi. 33 not very good). 



