18 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. x.xvi. 



number (29). The family is distinguished by the combination of chin 

 barbels, increased number of rays, and small number of branchioste- 

 gals. The increased number of ventral rays and the structure of the 

 fins points plainly to Berycoid affinities. According to Boulenger, the 

 skeleton is essentially that of Bery,r^ and the species resemble Mul- 

 lida3 in the peculiar hyoid barbels, but in no other regard. 



A single genus, with a few species, inhabiting rather deep waters in 

 the tropical Atlantic and Pacific. 



7. POLYMIXIA Lowe. 



Polymix ia howE, Trans. Cambr. Pliil. Soi'., 183<S, p. 19S (nobilis). 



Nemobrama Valenciennes, Berliei'-Webl) and Berthelot, Ichth. lies. Cauar., 



1844, p. 40 {webbii). 

 Dhiemus VoEY , Memorias II, 1860, p. 160 {venustus). 



Characters of the genus included above. 



(TCoXvg, many; jxt^is, mixing; a mixture of the characters of many 

 groups.) 



10. POLYMIXIA JAPONICA Steindachner. 

 (tINME (SILVKR F>YK). 



Polyndxid jajioiiica Steindachner, Fische Japans, I, 1883, p. 12, pi. iv, lig. 2, 

 1883; Tokyo.— IsiiiKAWA, Prel. Cat., 1897, p. 58; Tokyo. 



. Head 2| to 3; depth 2f to 2f ; D., V, 33 to 3tt; A., IV, 15 to IH; 

 P., I, 15 to 16; v., ], 6. Scales 7-60-16. Body long, compressed, 

 with the anterior jirofile convex and descending from the eye to 

 the snout; posterior profile gradually descending to the caudal fin; 

 posterior profile nearly straight. Scales small and rough. Head 

 compressed and more or less scaly; eye large, 3 in the head and If 

 in the maxillary; snout short, very o))tuse, produced, about If in 

 eye and 3 in the maxillary; mouth large, inferior, the maxillary 

 expanded distally until a little more than half the eye and reaching 

 a short distance behind the eye; jaws with broad, rough patches of 

 minute teeth; mandibular barbels reaching the ventrals in smaller 

 specimens; suborbital narrow, about one-third the eye; nostrils close 

 together in front of the eye, the posterior an elongate slit, the 

 anterior rounded and covered by a fiap; interorbital space convex, 

 scaled till even with the front margin of the eye, a little less than the 

 eye and 2 in the maxillary; preoperculum and operculum scaly. Gill- 

 opening large, the gill-rakers 5+9, moderate, compressed. Origin of 

 the dorsal nearer the tip of the snout than the base of the caudal; the 

 spinous dorsal with weak spines, graduated to the last, which is the 

 longest and more than half the length of the highest soft rays which 

 includes the first 7 or 8, the rest of the soft dorsal being low and of 

 uniform height; anal spines weak and graduated to the fourth or 

 longest; first anal ray the longest, higher than the fourth anal spine, 

 and similar in shape to the dorsal; pectorals low, short, reaching 



