96 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.xxxv. 



The head is pointed, the dorsal and ventral contours curved equally 

 and evenly between dorsal, ventral and snout. The maxillary, en- 

 tirely concealed beneath the suborbital, extends to a vertical through 

 anterior edge of orbit; interorbital space convex; lips very thin, the 

 lower with a pendent flap ; upper lip with a series of very thin parallel 

 longitudinal ridges which are broken up anteriorly, forming bunches 

 of minute papillae. Gillrakers short and flat, 8 on lower arch. Base 

 of dorsal with two to three rows of scales; fin low, the rays longer 

 than the spines; longest (posterior) spine twice the length of the 

 first, 2-J in head; longest ray 2 in head. Base of anal with scales; 

 spines graduated in length from first to third, the latter contained 

 3.2 in head ; both dorsal and caudal reaching a vertical through end 

 of last vertebra when depressed. Caudal truncate except for the tips 

 of the upper and lower rays, which project about an eye's diameter 

 beyond the posterior edge of fin; middle rays 1.6 in head. Upper 

 rays of pectoral longest, l.G in head. Ventrals rather falcate, 1.3 

 in head, almost reaching origin of anal. 



Color in spirits, 7 or 8 dusky lines extending along upper half of 

 body from snout to a dark posterior band, the lines more or less 

 broken up into spots on the scales; posterior part of body with a 

 huge band shaped like a reversed comma, the basal part of which 

 covers the lower half of soft dorsal and extends to the lateral line, the 

 tail continuing downward and backward across caudal peduncle and 

 along lower edge of caudal fin to the tip of the inferior lobe; dorsal 

 with a round black spot somewhat smaller than eye between second 

 and third spines ; tips of spines and rays narrowly edged with dusky ; 

 anterior half of anal black, the dark color extending along edge of 

 posterior half of fin; ventrals jet black throughout. 



Type. — Cat. No. G2233, U.S.X.M.. a specimen 205 mm. long, from 

 the market at Naha, Okinawa. Cotype, Cat. No. 21102, Stanford 

 University Museum. 



A dissection of the specimens in hand seems to show the presence 

 of both sexes, though not without doubt, as the viscera are poorly 

 preserved. 



LEPIDAPLOIS MIRABILIS, new species. 



Head 3.2 in length ; depth 2.4; depth caudal peduncle 0.2; snout 2.5 

 in head; eye 1.5; interorbital space 3.6; D. XII-8; A. 111-10; scales 

 in lateral line 28; between origin of dorsal and lateral line 3; between 

 origin of anal and lateral line !>. 



Anterior profile rather steep, curving evenly from the blunt snout 

 to origin of dorsal ; interorbital space slightly convex. Maxillary ex- 

 tending to a vertical through anterior edge of orbit; upper lip with 

 longitudinal frills within, the frills replaced anteriorly by bunches 

 of papillae which hang down between the teeth; lower lip very thin, 

 with pendent flaps on the sides. Gillrakers very short, 6 or 7 on lower 



