Jordan and Evcrmajin. — Fishes of North America. 1^11 



side of which is an outwardly curved ridge ending in a minute spine; 

 over each eye is the largest spine on the head or body ; the large trian- 

 gular orbital spine, its base occupying nearly the whole space above 

 eye, sharp and strongly hooked back; on the anterior part of its base a 

 small, sharp, preorbital spine, pointing upward; a series of minute spines, 

 running medially along the top of the head and body, from a point 

 between the orbital spines to the first dorsal spine; on each side of these 

 are 2 large blunt spines with traces of a smaller one between them, con- 

 tinuous with the dorsal keels of body; farther down and continnous 

 with the upper lateral keel of body is a ridge broken up into 4 irregular 

 spines, larger than the body spines; 4 triangular spines on edge of 

 preopercle, the upper one the largest; a very irregular ridge running from 

 upper ])reopercular spine, under eye, to snout; a ridge on upper part of 

 opercle. Body with 4 ridges on each side, formed l)y the scales, each of 

 which cuds in a spine; traces of a ridge between lateral ridges, the spines 

 on abdominal ridges as sharp as those on rest of body ; a Y-shaped ridge 

 of spines in front of ventrals, the forks toward the ventrals and the 

 base ending at gill membrane; a raised area between ventral fins, run- 

 ning from their base to their tips, which is entirely covered with small 

 prickles, the anus in the posterior end of this; dorsal and abdominal 

 ridges coalescing with their fellows of the opposite side, but coming 

 together so graduallj^ that it is impossible to tell exactly where they 

 unite as the spines continue distinct to the caudal fin. Small spines 

 covering the outer part of the base of the pectoral ; a ring of spines around 

 caudal base; occiput abruptly higher than body, but scarcely forming a 

 pit as body is aljout level behind it. Spinoiis dorsal highest in front, the 

 second spine reaching to base of last spine when fin is depressed; the 

 dorsal rays subequal in length, the last not shortened and not adnate to 

 body, last ray reaching to the tenth plate before caudal fin ; pectoral fin 

 posteriorly rounded in outline, the lower rays not produced, reaching to 

 second plate before anal fin ; ventrals small, reaching just past vent; anal 

 longer and lower than soft dorsal; dorsal and anal ending at the same 

 corresponding place; caudal fin rounded behind. Color in spirits, gray 

 with 7 or 8 dark cross bars; head uniform gray with the exception of a 

 dark spot at occiput; belly dusky; dorsals somewhat mottled; anal black 

 with a white spot near its middle; pectorals white with a large Idack 

 spot on base of rays; ventral black, abruptly white attij)s; caiidal black, 

 edged with white, Puget Sound. One specimen, \\ inches in length, 

 dredged at Port Orchard, near Seattle. (Jordan & Starks.) Another 

 since taken at Port Ludlow, {a^ivrj, an ax; o^pvi, eyebrow.) 



Xystes axinophrys, JoBDAN & Starks, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 1895, 824, pi. 92, Port Orchard, 

 Admiralty Inlet. (CoU. E. C. Starks.) 



773. BATHYAGONUS, Gilbert. 



Bathyagonus, Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Miis., xni, 1890, 89 (nigrvpinnis). 



Spinous dorsal developed ; lower jaw the longer ; plates of body spinous ; 

 gill membranes united to isthmus, not forming a fold across it; teeth well 

 developed on jaws, vomer, and palatines; pectorals not notched, the 



