476 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NA TIONAL MUSEUM. 



12, represented by mere elevations; pseudobranchije large; head with 

 a conspicuous crest, extending- along median line from tip of snout to 

 nape, highest on occiput, its greatest elevation somewhat less than 

 diameter of orbit. 



Head naked, without filaments; scales on body posterior to region 

 of anal opening minute, smooth, deeply imbedded; no scak\s on mem- 

 branes of tins; no lateral line. 



Dor.sal inserted a])ove base of pectorals, connected with the caudal 

 posteriorly, no incision separating them; membrane of tin thick, fleshy, 

 concealing the spines, not incised ]>etween their tips; spines strong, 

 curved, pungent, those near middle of posterior half of tin longest, 

 3| in head; anal inserted below base of fifteenth or sixteenth spine of 

 dorsal; the spine minute, concealed; membrane of tin flesh}', conceal- 

 ing the rays, not incised on its edge, connected with the caudal, the 

 longest rays equal to length of snout; caudal rounded, 2 in head; pec- 

 toral rounded, 2^ in head: no vcntrals. 



,,-^ejai^i 



-^f >^jrf!^ W 



Fig. IC— Alectkias benjamini. 



Color in spirits yellowish-olive, darker above than below; a row of 

 whitish spots, larger than orbit, on body along back of dorsal, the 

 spaces between the spots darker than other parts of the body, the 

 spots themselves speckled with black; a simihir row of spots along 

 middle of side; an indistinct dark line extending ])ackward and down- 

 ward from ej^e; cheeks, chin, and throat speckled and flnely mottled 

 with blackish; crest with 4 dark vertical ])ars; anal with whitish spots 

 bordered with blackish; caudal with indistinctly outlined vertical light 

 and dark bars; pectoral light, with a few dusky lines. 



Described from a specimen 95 mm. long. Considerable variation in 

 color is shown, some l)eing very dark and almost entirely umnarked, 

 some dark, with the lighter marking showing conspicuously, others 

 light, with an indistinct lateral band more or less broken; in all, the 

 marking on the chin and throat persists more or less plainly. The 

 length of the maxillary is slightly shorter in some individuals than 

 in others, occasionally not extending much beyond the pupil. 



