1764 Bulletin //, United States National Museum. 



dorsal spines, and a large one beginning back of fourth spine and extend- 

 ing along entire upper edge of fin; edge of pectoral, ventral, anal, and 

 sometimes caudal, black. In some specimens a black blotch on membrane 

 back of second anal spine, as in *S. macrocMr. Opercular lining blackish, 

 this visible externally as a dusky blotch. Aleutian Islands. The type is 

 a specimen 325 mm. (12| inches) long, taken south of the Alaskan Penin- 

 sula of Alaska at a depth of 62.5 fathoms. No other specimens were 

 secured during the Alaskan expedition of 1890, but the species was later 

 found to be almost equally abundant with S. alascanus m deep water off 

 the coast of California. From S. alascanus it is distinguishable at sight 

 by the contour of the spinous dorsal fin, the smaller number of dorsal 

 spines, and the dusky liuing of the opercle. From -S'. macrodnr, with 

 which it agi'ees in its fin formula, it is distinguished by the greater height 

 of both dorsal and aual spines, and in the different contour of the spinous 

 dorsal. 



The following description is taken (by Mr. Cramer) from a specimen 

 from off San Diego : 



Head 24^ to 2|; depth 3|. D. XV, 9; A. Ill, 5. Transverse row of scales 

 about 33. Body compressed ; head rather large, very slightly compressed 

 in region of orbit. Eye very large, orbit 2| in head, nearly twice as largo 

 as snout. Interorbital space very narrow, 3^ in orbit, moderately con- 

 cave, with 2 closely approximated frontal ridges. Cranial ridges thin and 

 sharp, not Very high; preocular, supraocular, postocular, tympanic, parie- 

 tal, and nuchal spines preseut, arranged in a straight line, all sharp; a 

 sharp spine behind orbit, 2 on shoulder. Mouth large, nearly horizontal ; 

 maxillary reaching posterior margin of pupil, 2* in head, somewhat dilated 

 behind. Jaws equal ; lower jaw included laterally, and with a A-ery slight 

 symphyseal knob ; premaxillaries not meeting in front, each with a small 

 bony prominence; tip of lower jaw fitting iuto the emargination. Broad 

 bands of teeth on jaws and narrow bands on vomer and palatines. Pre- 

 orbital rather broad, with 2 large slit-like pores, its lower margin sinuate, 

 without spines; suborbital stay close under rim of orbit, with 3 sharp 

 spines, the sharp, high keel beginning at anterior edge of preorbital and 

 extending across preopercle; preopercular spines small, sharp, diverging, 

 the uppermost largest, with a small spine in front of its base; opercular 

 spines minute. No pit between suborbital stay and orbit. Gill rakers 

 short, 15 on anterior limb; pseudobranchi;e small. No pit at occiput; 

 space between parietal ridges slightly concave. Anterior dorsal spines 

 somewhat curved, the third longest, 2^ in head, the thirteenth about \ as 

 long; longest soft rays about equal to longest spine; second anal spine 

 strongly curved, much stronger and longer than third, about 1* in head, 

 reaching beyond soft rays; ventrals not attached to belly by a mem- 

 brane; pectorals reaching far beyond ventrals, about to origin of anal; 

 lower 5 rays slightly thickened, exserted, rays all branched; base of fin 

 broad, about 3i^ in head, not j^rocurrent. Scales of body large, very 

 strongly ctenoid, easily deciduous, those on head cycloid ; maxillary, pre- 

 orbital, cheeks, interorbital space, opercle, breast and branch lostegal mem- 

 branes scaly; fins thickly covered with cycloid scales; lower jaw naked. 

 Color in alcohol reddish; a small dark blotch between first and third 



