PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 629 



iusertiou of anal flu, theuce taperiug to a very narrow tail. Head 

 narrow, cuboid, compressed, the upper surface nearly plane, the cheeks 

 vertical. Eyes very small, superior, with little lateral range; diameter 

 of orbit about ^ length of head ; snout very short, about equaling 

 orbit. Anterior nostril in a short tube. Gape subvertical, the lower 

 jaw very heavy, projecting, as in Uranoscopus ; premaxillaries pro- 

 tractile, the processes reaching far behind orbits; lips fringed; both 

 jaws with bands of villiform teeth; no teeth on tongue, vomer, or pala- 

 tines. 



Subopercle and interopercle very wide, flexible, striate, the latter 

 overlapping throat and base of ventral fins, the former wholly covering 

 base of pectoral fins; the striations of opercle terminate posteriorly in 

 a wide, coarse, membranaceous fringe. Branchiostegal membranes not 

 united, free from the isthmus. Pubic bones forming a sharp projection 

 at throat. No pseudobranchite. Gills small, a round pore behind the 

 fourth. 



Dorsal beginning on the nape, its distance from snout about equaling 

 depth of body. The first six rays are shorter than those following and 

 not connected by membrane; as no traces of articulation can be found, 

 they are probably flexible spines, but are not clearly diflerentiated from 

 those immediately following. Origin of anal under fourth dorsal spine. 

 Caudal distinct, narrow, short. Ventrals inserted under anterior 

 margin of preopercle. Ventrals 2 in head; pectorals 1^. 



Scales large, with entire edges, wanting on head, breast, and region 

 behind pectoral fins. Lateral line beginning at upper posterior angle 

 of opercle, running parallel with the back on about 12 scales, then 

 obliquely downwards to middle of body. 



88. Fierasfer dubius Putnam. 



{Fierasfer aremcola Jor. & Gilb., Proc, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1881, 363.) 



Numerous specimens 3 to 4 inches long from Pearl Islands. 



Head 6f to 7^ ; eye U- to 5 in head. Teeth in upper jaw small, acute, 

 in a rather narrow band ; sometimes a few in the front of the jaw incon- 

 spicuously enlarged ; those in lower jaw and on palatines conic, blunt, 

 in somewhat wider bands, the outer series of lower jaw enlarged, canine- 

 like ; vomer with a narrowly oblong patch of small, blunt teeth, sur- 

 rounding a median series of 3 to G conspicuously enlarged, retrorsely 

 curved canines, which are usually much the largest teeth in the mouth. 



The original types of this species belonged to the present collection, 

 having been sent by Professor Verrill to the Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology. They are said to have been taken alive from the shells of 

 pearl oysters. Our Fierasfer arenicola, from Mazatlan, is apparently 

 not specifically difierent. 



The generic name Carapus Eafinesque, has been lately substituted 

 for Fierasfer by Professor Poey, following a suggestion of Dr. Gill 

 (Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 18G4, 152). This change does not seem to 

 us justifiable, as it certainly is most undesirable. 



