138 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.43. 



each radiating row meeting its fellow on median line; spinules on 

 scales of head hair-Uke, those following ridges of head scarcely enlarged, 

 unlike the other species of the genus from the Philippines, those 

 on ventral surface of head minute. 



First dorsal spine small, second 2.35, smooth; interdorsal space 

 3.55 in head; anterior rays of second dorsal rudimentary, becoming 

 better developed posteriorly; anal rays much better developed than 

 those of second dorsal; ventrals widely separated, small, outer ray 

 with a short filament, 2.93 in head, reacliing about 0.66 distance 

 from its base to vent; pectoral 2.35 in head. 



Color in alcohol: Ground color of back light brown, becoming 

 silvery on sides; region around vent grayish black with silvery 

 reflections, this color continued forward along median hne of belly 

 to base of ventrals where it widens out, including branchiostegals 

 and extending forward to tip of mandible ; cheek, opercles and region 

 immediately below suborbital ridge silvery, the black lining of 

 opercle showing through; fins punctulate with dusky black. 



Type.— C&t. No. 72949, U.S.N.M., a gravid female 36.5 cm. in 

 length, taken with a beam trawl at station 5172 (lat. 6° 03' 15" 

 N.; long. 120° 35' 30" E.), vicinity of Jolo, at a depth of 318 fathoms, 

 on a bottom of fine sand and shells. 



The arrangement of the spinules on the scales appears to be some- 

 what variable, some have the spinules arranged in divergent rows, 

 some in parallel rows and others without apparent regularity m their 

 arrangement. The dark band extending forward from the vent along 

 median line of belly, the somewhat swollen semitransparent appear- 

 ance of the head and the shagreen-hke appearance of the scales are 

 characteristic of the species. The form of the head and the incon- 

 spicuous ridges on top of head add weight to the contention that 

 the differences between the species of this genus and Macrourus are 

 slight. 



MACROUROIDIDiE Smith and Radcliffe, new family. 



Degenerate macrurids with a very large, ellipsoidal head and a short 

 trunk, tapering into a long, compressed, leptocercal taU; a single 

 dorsal of low, feeble rays beginning near nape and continuing to tip 

 of tail; anal fin confluent with the dorsal; ventrals absent; pectorals 

 small, lateral, complete; head and body covered with small spinif- 

 erous scales; bones of head very feeble; eye very small; teeth small, 

 villiform, in narrow bands on jaws only; mouth moderate, inferior, 

 horizontal; premaxillary protractile; snout subconic, high, projecting 

 beyond mouth; gill-openings wide; gills 4, a narrow slit beliind the 

 fourth; gill-rakers small; pseudobranchise absent; branchiostegal 

 membranes joined to the isthmus. 



