PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 407 



Ilend depressed tliroughout, broad beliiud and iiarvowiiig- by slightly 

 naiiided lateral outlines to a broad Hat, much depressed, somewhat 

 scoop-shaped snout. Width of head behind orbit 14 to 2 iu its length; 

 width of snout at end of its anterior fourth 3f in head. Bones of the 

 head very thin and cavernous. Orbits enormously large, a little longer 

 than deep, 2| in head. Interorbital space very narrow, about (>h in orbit, 

 with a median groove bordered on each side by two small ridges. 

 Snout 32 in head. Lower outline of the head markedly rounded; 

 mouth obli(pie, the maxdlary abruptly exi)an(led behind, rounded at 

 the end, and reaching to about the front of the pupil or a little beyond. 

 Premaxillary very slender, nearly as long as the maxillary. Lower 

 jaw entirely included laterally, much less oblique than the upper jaw, 

 its tip forming a broad dentigerous lobe which enters the profile and 

 extends well beyond the premaxillaries. Symphyseal teeth form a 

 rounded patch on each side of the middle line, those of the anterior 

 series largest, strong, conical, directed horizontally forward. Jaws with 

 very narrow bands of small teeth; vomer with a few teeth ou its prom- 

 inent anterior descending i^rocesses; a short, very narrow band on 

 palatines. Tongue broad, flat, and thin. ]S!ostrils far apart, close to 

 anterior rim of orbits. Posterior edge of preopercle directed down- 

 ward and a little forward, its angle broadly rounded under posterior 

 rim of orbit. Opercle broad, with a prominent triangular lobe reach- 

 ing beyond the upper part of base of pectoral lin. Gill membranes not 

 united. Pseudobrauchi;e large. Gill rakers slender, tlieir length a 

 little more than interorbital space, about 21 on horizontal limb of 

 anterior arch. Scales large, thin, cycloid, somewhat deciduous; G in a 

 transverse series between the lateral line and the origin of the dorsal 

 fin. Interorbital space, snout, jaws, and (probably) opercles scaleless. 

 Cheeks with excessively thin and weak scales. Distance from tip of 

 snout to origin of first dorsal 2^ in length of body; distance betweeu 

 dorsals 3f, from tip of snout to base of ventrals 2|, from base of ven 

 trals to origin of anal 2|, and from vent to origin of anal 34, in length of 

 body. Base of the dorsal fin about 2| in head. Adipose dorsal small, 

 above the middle of the anal. The anal far back, its base about 4 in 

 head. Pectorals narrow, their base about 3 in orbit, tlieir longest rays 

 reaching to or beyond vent, about 1.^ in head. Ventral rays, especially 

 the outer ones, strong, the longest (all injured) about li in head. 



Color {ill alcohol). — Parts w^here the scales have fallen off dusky 

 brown. Scales quite silvery. The breast and sides above the ventral 

 tins densely speckled with bi^ownish black, other parts sparsely speckled. 

 Snout, jaws, and interorbital space dusky. Cheeks silvery. Anterior 

 part of first dorsal, three inner rays of ventrals, and upper part of 

 axils, the gill cavities and posterior part of mouth cavity, black. Peri- 

 toneum black. 



Type 7 inches, with well-developed ova. 



Young, 31 inches long. Head 3f; depth about 7; orbit, 2.\ in head; 

 depth of tail, 2;^ iu dejith of trunk. Distance between dorsals 3, from 



