258G Bulletin ^y, United States A^ational Museum. 



nostril fossa; a double series of scales intervenes between tlie nostrils and 

 the orbit; lower side of snout wholly naked anteriorly, partly scaled lat- 

 erally. Mouth large, overhung bj" premaxillaries for a distance about \ 

 diameter of orbit; premaxillaries in advance of nostrils; niaxillaries 

 reaching vertical from posterior margin of pupil, 2| in head; snout about 

 equaling interorbital width; barbel long, f orbit. Teeth in cardiforni 

 bands of equal width in both jaws, narrowed laterally, but not to a single 

 series; anterior series in upper jaw enlarged, in lower jaw all the teeth of 

 equal size. Preopercle broadly rounded, the angle but moderately pro- 

 duced, a narrow strip of the interopercle visible fur its entire length; 

 outer gill arch partially joined to cover, as usual; gill rakers obsolete; 

 gill membranes united, forming a wide free fold across isthmus posteriorly. 

 Scales without ridges, their exposed sui-faces thickly beset Avith spines 

 which are usually without definite arrangement; the marginal spine 

 longest, thence decreasing in length to the base, about 40 present on each 

 scale on middle of sides; scales on head crowded, the spines shorter and 

 not directed backward as on the body; a rosette of short spines on tip of 

 snout; no naked area between ventrals; mandible and gill membranes 

 partly scaled; no considerable naked area in axil of pectorals. Dorsal in- 

 serted over base of pectorals, the length of its base slightly less than \ the 

 interspace between base of dorsals; second dorsal spine rather short and 

 fragile, furnished anteriorly with a series of retr(U'se spinules, its length 

 slightly exceeding \ that of head, its tip not reaching origin of second 

 dorsal ; origin of anal fin well in advance of second dorsal ; the vent unu- 

 sually far forward, its distance from base of ventrals 2 to 2i in its distance 

 from anal fin ; ventrals less widely separated than iu M. scajjhojjsis, the outer 

 ray produced, extending beyond front of anal; ventrals with 10 rays; 

 pectorals with 22 to 24 rays; longest pectoral ray equals | head. Color 

 very dark brownish, lighter on tail; lower side of head, breast, and ab- 

 dominal region, including front of anal and base of pectorals, blue black; 

 roof of mouth, valvular flap of membrane behind bands of teeth, gill . 

 membranes, and upjier posterior portion of opercular lining, black ; mouth 

 and gill cavity otherwise white; peritoneum bright silvery, with little 

 black specking; fins dusky. (Gilbert.) Coast of southern California. 

 Two si)ecimens, the longest 12 inches in length, from AJhatrosn Station 

 2960, in 267 fathoms. {dreXyic,, a scraper; Xetc'li;, scale.) 



Macrurux stehjidolcjns, Gu^bert, Proc. U. S. Kat. Mus. 1890, IIG, coast of southern Cali- 

 fornia, at Albatross Station 2960, in 267 fathoms. 



L"J«3. MACROURUS CINEREUS, Gilbert. 



(Pop-eye.) 



D. II , 10 or 11 ; ventral 9 ; 7 scales between lateral line and first 

 dorsal. Eye 3f to 4 in head; snouf about 4, high and blunt, but little 

 overlapping the mouth, terminating in a pointed prolongation of the 

 median ridge, Avhich bears at its tip a bony tubercle furnished with radi- 

 ating ridges ; nasal ridges terminatiug in shorter and smaller, but similar, 

 tubercles, the outline between them concave; tip of snout overpassing the 

 premaxillaries for f its length; eye very large and protuberant; mouth of 



