NO. 1115. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 447 



another downward. Xo pit under orbit, but a broad, sliallow depres- 

 sion between orbit and suborbital ridge. Suborbital ridge well sepa- 

 rated from eye, equidistant from lower rim of orbit and upper edge of 

 maxillary, and composed of three or four minor ridges, each beginning 

 above the one in front of it, and ending under the one behind it; a 

 single small spine at posterior end of last ridge. Uppermost preoper- 

 cular spine longest, a little below the line of the suborbital ridge; 

 above its base is a small spine nearly in line with the ridge; second, 

 third, and fourth preopercular spines successively smaller, the fifth 

 obsolete. Opercle with two diverging flat ridges with strong spines. 

 Three thiu, sharp ridges on shoulder. First two scales of lateral line 

 with bony keels. 



Mouth large, nearly horizontal, wholly below inferior rim of orbit. 

 Maxillary reaching about to posterior margin of jjupil, 2J in head; 

 jaws equal, the lower without prominent symphyseal knob; broad 

 bands of teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines. Pseudobranchia' large, 

 reaching down nearly to epihyal bone. Gill rakers very short, broad, 

 with many minute spines; about 6 developed, the anterior rudiments 

 tending to form a continuous spinous ridge. Scales moderate, mostly 

 cycloid (or very weakly ctenoid?). Vertex, interorbital space, snout, 

 both jaws, and cheeks above suborbital stay, naked; small embedded 

 scales behind orbits, on cheeks below suborbital stay, on base and flap 

 of opercle. Scales on breast small. Anterior nostrils with broad, leaf- 

 like laciniate flaps; pieocular flaps minute, supraocular flaps long, 

 more than half orbit, about oue-third as broad as long; numerous flaps 

 on back and sides, on opercle, and edge of preopercle and preorbital; 

 a few small ones on cheeks and on eye above pupil; a large, much- 

 incised and divided flap above base of pectoral parallel with edge of 

 opercular flap, its length about li in orbit. Origin of dorsal opposite 

 upper angle of gill opening; dorsal fin not very deeply notched, the 

 spines only moderately exserted; third and fourth spines equal, about 

 2| in head, the following spines decreasing to the eleventh, which is IJ 

 times as long as the first; longest soft rays about equal to longest 

 spines. Caudal truncate or very slightly rounded, li| in head. Second 

 anal spine a little longer than third, about 2^ in head ; soft rays a little 

 longer than second spine, not quite reaching base of caudal. Pectorals 

 about 3fV in length of body, reaching nearly to origin of anal; the 

 base procurreut, its width about 3^- in head; rays 19, lower S .simple, 

 slightly exserted and thickened, the next 10 branched, much longer, 

 the uppermost simple. Veiitrals reacliing only to vent. 



General color apparently scarlet; cheeks under orbits mottled with 

 small, dark, mostly round spots; dorsal and pectoral pale, with slight 

 cloudings and small spots of dark; flaps of sides pale or scarlet, cau- 

 dal with two faint cross bars of dark spots, faint white spots on the 

 lighter bauds; no trace of white spots on posterior [)art of sides, and 

 no trace of dark baud across lop of caudal peduncle. Axils pale, with 

 apparently 3 or 4 darker spots. A large dark si)ot on side behind 



