PROCEEDINGS OP UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 73 



jaws, with a few irregular teetli between tlie rows, about equally devel- 

 oped ou both sides, strong, numerous. BrancUiostegals seven. Inter- 

 ocular space wider than the length of the eye. Caudal with about 20 

 rays, the principal rays each several times bifurcate, the posterior mar- 

 gin nearly straight. Weight between 40 and 50 pounds. I am told 

 that this fish will probably be of more common occurrence as the season 

 advances. Toward the northern parts of our Pacific seaboard, at Van- 

 couver's Island and along the shores of British Columbia, the halibut is 

 said to be quite common, and to attain a weight of 70 to 100 pounds, or 

 even more. Specimens from Alaska, I am told, have been identified by 

 Dr. Bean with the Atlantic H. vulgaris. 



HIPPOGLOSSOIDES Gottsche. 



Mouth large; maxillary broad, flat, extending nearly to the centre of 

 the eye ; teeth nearly equal on both sides of the jaws, rather small, coni- 

 cal. No teeth on vomer or palatines. Eyes and color on the right side. 

 Anterior nostrils on colored side with a short tube, on blind side with a 

 raised margin ; lower pharyngeal teeth in a single row. Dorsal com- 

 mencing over the upper eye ; ventrals both lateral ; caudal entire, its 

 middle rays produced. Scales of moderate size, more or less strongly 

 ciliated ; lateral line nearly straight, simple. Branchiostegals seven. 



HIPPOGLOSSOIDES JOEDANI Sp. UOV. 



D. 90-04. A. 71-75. C. 2-15-2. P. 13. A. 6. 



Dorsal and abdominal outlines equally and regularly curved from the 

 line of the centre of the eyes to the caudal peduncle ; upper outline of 

 snout strongly curved, almost a quadrant, the junction of this curve 

 with the dorsal outline forming a concavity over the anterior half of 

 the upper eye. Peduncle of tail widening posteriorly, in its narrowest 

 part from about f to f of the greatest depth of the body, which is a little 

 over ^ to f of the total length ; length of the head from -fV to less than 

 4 of the total length ; eye contained about 4i times ; snout (measured 

 from a line joining the anterior margins of the orbits to the tip of the 

 upper jaw) 5i to 6 times in the length of the head. Posterior nos- 

 trils of both sides situated on a line joining the front margins of the 

 orbits ; anterior nostrils on both sides with a raised margin, prolonged 

 posteriorly into a linguiform flap ; the posterior sub-elliptical, simi)le. 

 Lower jaw not, or scarcely, projecting in the closed mouth ; its lower 

 straight border forming an obtuse angle with the abdominal outline, and 

 its prominent posterior extremity below the centre of the eye ; a knob 

 at the symphysis. Cleft of mouth oblique, the tip of the premaxillaries 

 on a horizontal line with the upper margin of the lower eye, and the 

 posterior broad end of the maxillaries extending to nearly the centre of 

 the lower border of the same. Dentition consisting of numerous sharp, 

 slender, conical recurved teeth, in an irregular single row in the man- 



