%9i!''] PROCEEDINGS OP THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 547 



Deneription. — Tail produced into a fllaiueiit, the caudal basis extremely 

 narrow, supijortinj^n loiij? slender rays which are firmly bound toj^ether. 



Head 2 in trunk; depth 3. Body 3.^ to 3.^ in tail. 



Mouth terminal, large, the niaxillary much dilated at tip, reaching 

 well behind the ej'e, Ig in head. Lower jaw included, the tip slightly 

 l)roduced. 



Teetii in villiforin bands on mandible, premaxillary, vomer, and |)al.i- 

 tines, the band on mandible ,very narrow, that on vomer with the 

 diverging arms much incurved, the anterior angle rounded. Tongue 

 toothless, someof the basibranchials forming a sharply elevated dentiger- 

 ous crest. Gill lamin;i3 extremelj' narrow, the gill rakers of outer arch 

 very long ami vslender, 1 (with 4 rudiments) above angle, 15 below. 



Infraorbital chain with six mucous sinuses, the mandible with five, 

 preofjercle with live, and a number on top of head. These are all bridged 

 over with very delicate membrane which is easily rui)tured. 



A row of low strong spinous points directed posteriorly on the ridge 

 running backwards from the eye. No other spines on head, though a 

 number of short spinous points are made evident when the skin is re- 

 moved. Opercular spine rather weak. 



A distinct membranous flap runs along the projecting edge of shoulder 

 girdle, connecting pectorals with u[)i>er end of gill flap. 



Pectorals slender, eiiualing postorbital part of head. 



Ventrals each of a biliil lilaiuent, the two branches joined at the base 

 for a very short distance. They are variable in length, reaching to or 

 nearly to tips of pectorals, usually contained about Ij^ times in head. 



Dorsal beginning a trifle behind base of pectorals, its distance from 

 occiput equaling distance of latter from fronf. of eye. 



Scales very small, ai)parently covering a part of top of head. Three 

 series of large pores on sides ; one from u[)per end of gill slit backwards 

 parallel with dorsal outline; a secon<l along middle of sides; the third 

 beginning halfway between base of pectorals and ventral outline, ex- 

 tending backwards on belly and along base of anal fin. These lines are 

 all somewhat indistinct, and it can not be determined how far they ex- 

 tend backwards. 



Color light brown, head (except occiput), mouth, gill-cavity, and ab- 

 domen jet-black. Fins dusky. 



Five si)ecimens, the largest 0.] inches long, from Station 3010, at a 

 depth of 1005 fathoms, in the Gulf of California. 



10. Siphostoma cariuatum sp. nov. 



Closely related to Siphostoma cal if orniense ami (/ri.scoliueatuin, difl'er- 

 iug in the very slender sharply keeled snout, in the height and sharp- 

 ness of the body ridges, the upper and lateral faces being all concave, 

 and in the coloration. 



No ridge on opercle. Breast and belly with a low median keel. Snout 

 sharply keeled, the ridge ceasing on interorbital space to reappear on 



