762 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MVSEVM. vol.xxiii. 



ing posteriorly to a vertical through a point midway between eye and 

 edge of opercular Hap; covered for the greater part of the length. 

 Tongue ver}^ broad; slightly notched. Teeth villiforni; none of them 

 enlarged; in hands which extend backward a little less than half the 

 hnigth of mouth; pharyngeal teeth bristle-like. Gill-opening not 

 large; the lower edge an eye's diameter below l)ase of pectoral; the 

 width of isthmus slightly greater than depth of caudal peduncle. (tIH- 

 rakers on first arch 8+l(J; short and slender; the length of longest less 

 than diameter of pupil. No protuberances on inner edge of shoulder 

 girdle. Lower jaw without l)arl)els. Anterior nostril with a conspic- 

 uous short tube, widened at its opening. 



Head naked; the skin thick; not much wrinkled nor folded; preor- 

 bital with a fleshy flap which extends forward and dowiiwfird below 

 nostrils. A conspicuous line of pores extends from a point above and 

 posterior to the nostrils forward, and then downward along upper 

 edge of preorl)ital flap where it divides; one branch running backward 

 below the eye and curving upward behind it; the other backward 

 toward the middle of cheek. A similar line of pores lies on either 

 side of lower jaw between the folds of skin. A large pore on inter- 

 orbital space between posterior parts of eyes. Body with small, thin, 

 cycloid scales, which are more or less deeply embedded in the skin. 

 Anteriorly the scales are closely crowded and somewhat irregularly 

 placed; on the breast and belly they are minute and almost hidden 

 beneath the skin. 



Dorsal iins well separated; height of longest spines about equal to 

 length of snout; posterior spine connected with the back by a large 

 triangular membrane; rays somewhat higher than the spines, the 

 longest al)out equal to depth of caudal, peduncle; no meml)rane con- 

 necting posterior ra}" with the back. Anal equal in height to spinous 

 dorsal; when depressed the anal and dorsal extend an equal distance 

 posteriorly, })oth falling short of bases, of flrst caudal rays a distance 

 equal to one-half the depth of caud.al peduncle. Caudal rounded. 

 Pectoral rounded; its upper edge with a fringe of 1-t or 15 thread-like 

 fllaments. of which each ray except the uppermost contributes two. 

 Ventrals short; free from body posfceriorly; tiie meml)rane connect- 

 ing the spines fleshy; elevated; its "height equal to diameter of eye; 

 its edge concave. ^ 



Color in spirits, dark above; the throat and ))elly light; head with 

 indistinct dots above, and scarcely discernible bars on cheeks; si-des of 

 body with irregularly shaped smalJ white spots, in Avhich a transverse 

 arrangement is suggested. Dorsai, anal, and caudal flns edged with 

 white, the white of caudal forming a distinct band; membranes of flns 

 with indeflnite light spots; first dorsal with a large, round, white s]wt 

 just behind last spine, where the iu,iembiane is black; caudal with a large 

 black blotch at its base followed bv a ti'ansverse row of small white 



