730 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 
very small, iu villiform bands; none on vomer or palatines; lower parts 
of head with barbels; gill-membranes united to the isthmus, not form- 
ing a fold across it. Plates of body armed with spines; spinous dorsal 
present. Ventral rays I, 2. foot; Orjxrj^ box, from a supposed 
groove for the recejition of the veutrals.) 
1119. P. vulssis J. & G. 
Dark brown, with 7 to 9 darker cross-bars, extending on the fins; 
pectorals black, with whitish edging and a pale blotch near base; other 
fins chiefly black, the anal with whitish edging; belly white. Body 
very elongate, broader than high. Head triangular, the profile irregu- 
lar, the snout pointed. Mouth fl -shaped, entirely inferior, the maxil- 
lary reaching front of pupil; distance from irremaxillaries to tip of 
rostral spines, about half length of snout; maxillary, interopercle, and 
branchiostegals, with scattered cirri, these fewer and smaller than in 
P. acipemeritim ; none on lower side of snout. Eye large, as long as 
snout, in head; the orbital rim prominent all around. Spines of 
head more numerous than iu the other Agonidw. Snout with two 
strong spines directed forwards, two large ones behind them directed 
upwards, then two smaller ones; orbital ridge elevated and serrated, 
with a preocular and a supraocular spine; behind the latter, a ridge 
armed with two spiues on each side, separated from the first i)lates of 
the dorsal series by a deep quadrangular pit; a row of minute, erect 
spines on median line of back and top of head ; a shaiqi, serrated, tem- 
poral ridge, with four spines; opercle with a strong rib and several 
spines; suborbital stay with an irregular prominent ridge; preopercle 
with three principal spines and some smaller ones; snborbital narrow, 
half width of eye, extremely uneven, armed with small spines and 
tubercles; more than 70 spines and tubercles on the head. Plates of 
body all striate, those above and on sides ending each in a sharp 
saline; breast with about six iiolygonal plates, on each side of which 
are the plates of the abdominal series; bases of caudal and pectorals 
with small spines. Ventrals short, the vent near the middle of their 
length. Head 4; depth 8. D. IX-7; A. 9; Lat. 1. 40. L. 4J inches. 
Deep water, off San Francisco; not common. 
(Agonus vulsus Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. iii, 30.3, 1880.) 
1130. P. acipcnseriiiiis (Tiles.) Gill . — Alligator fish. 
Brown with darker marblings and narrow vertical streaks; fins oliva- 
ceous, more or less marbled with dark ; veutrals plain, black in <? ; a 
