448 BULLETIN 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



ridges in particular forming a crest unusually high for a species 

 of the subgenus Paramacrurus. The posteroventral angle of the 

 subopercle is produced backward and slightly downward into a 

 pointed flap. The length of the rounded-oblong orbit is contained 

 3.25 times in the head, 1.2 in the snout, 1.15 in the postorbital 

 length of the head (measurements of orbit in smallest paratype: 

 3.1 in head, 1.35 in snout, 1.0 in postorbital). The least interorbital 

 width, which is contained 1.5 (1.3 to 1.6) times in the postorbital, 

 lies above the front of the pupil; behind this point the slightly 

 convex sides of the interorbital diverge strongly; least interorbital 

 width, 2.2 (to 2.25) in postorbital. The mouth is rather small, the 

 length of the upper jaw, which extends backward to below the 

 hind margin of the pupil, is contained 1.0 times in the head (3.9 to 

 4.3 times in the paratypes). The outer series of the villiform 

 teeth forming the premaxillary band is scarcely enlarged. Length 

 of the free portion of the barbel, 6 (3.5 to 5.5) in postorbital. 

 Branchiostegal rays, six; the gill-membranes are attached £0 the 

 isthmus, leaving a narrow free fold. 



The distance from the center of the anus to the base of the 

 outer ventral ray varies from about two-fifths (in the type) to 

 one-fourth the distance from the anus to the base of the outer 

 ventral ray, the latter distance is slightly shorter, or slightly longer 

 than, the postorbital length of the head, and is usually, but not 

 constantly, a little longer than the distance from the ventral to 

 the isthmus. 



A well-marked, narrow, scaleless ventral fossa, widest anteriorly, 

 extends forward from the peritroct to between the ventral fins. 

 An ovoid gland-like body lies imbedded in the body wall above the 

 front part of this fossa, and is connected by a strand of tissue with 

 the peritroct ; it is without apparent skeletal support. The "gland" 

 is pigmented with black on its ventral and jDosterodorsal surfaces, 

 while the posterior stand of tissue is pigmented on its lower side 

 only. We have described similar structures in other groups of 

 Coelorhynchus, as well as in species of Hymenocephahis and Lion- 

 urus. 



The pyloric caeca are rather short and slender, 28 to 32 in num- 

 ber (counted in four paratypes). 



'Scales in 6 or 5^ series from the origin of the second dorsal fin 

 to, but excluding, the lateral line scale. There are at most 5, and 

 often fewer, spinous carinae on the scales, but they are much 

 stronger and somewhat more divergent than in related species. 

 The median ridge on the scales of the body bears as many as 9, but 

 usually fewer, strong retrorse spinules, imbricate on one another, 

 and increasing in size posteriorly ; the last one projects well beyond 



