592 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxvii. 



pairs between occiput and first dorsal fin; ^ill membranes joined to 

 isthmus, without free fold; no scattered barbels under lower jaw or on 

 branchiosteg-al membranes; 2 complex groups of barbels on underside 

 of tip of snout, another group at each angle of mouth; usually a few 

 barbels at sides of pores under lower jaw; tip of snout with usually 2 

 pairs of sharp slender spines, the anterior directed forward, the pos- 

 terior outward and l)ackward. Mouth small, inferior, snout project- 

 ing- far beyond it. Teeth on both jaws few and weak, sometimes 

 wanting on one or both jaws; none on vomer and palatines; plates of 

 body spinous; 1 pair of supraocular and 1 pair occipital spines; both 

 dorsals present. This g-enus is very close to Agonus^ differing mainly 

 in the spinous plates of the body. The numerous species differ nmch 

 among themselves. 



(TTovg^ foot; ^'/a"//, 1)ox; from the groove for the receptacle of the 

 ventrals which appears through the shrinking of the naked skin in 

 preserved spt^cimens. ) 



a. Plates on (.-audal peduncle all or nearly all armed each with a spine. 



b. Barbels below snout very numerous and large; angle of mouth with many 



barbels. 



<\ Soft dorsal with 13 rays; fins low; ventrals short; pectorals large. ./o/.u/>/;v^, 12. 



cc. Soft dorsal with 8 or 9 rays. 



(/. Dorsal rays VIII-9; teeth well developed; fins all very high, the pectoral 



emarginate in the adult, its longest ray 11 in head; ventral long; anal 



rays 10 accipiter, 13. 



(Id. Dorsal rays IX-8; teeth small; fins high; pectoral emarginate; ventral 



short; anal rays 10 sfurioides, 14. 



drill. Dorsal rays X 1-8; teeth present; fins moderate; pectoral not emarginate; 



ventral short; anal rays 9 hamlini, 15. 



hh. Barbels comparatively few and slender. 



('. Dorsal rays ^'III-8; teeth in upper jaw almost obsolete; fins moderate; 

 pectoral not emarginate, li in head; ventral very short; anal rays 9. 



gilberti, 16. 



ee. Dorsal rays I X-6; fins small; ventrals long; sides and top of head with 



very large crests; anal rays 6 (homp.soni, 17. 



««. Plates on caudal peduncle mostly not ending in spines; fins rather low, the anal 

 rays 7 or 8. 



e. Teeth wanting in the adult; barbels rather small and sparse; body not 

 everywhere deeper than wide; the caudal peduncle very long, slender, 

 and depressed veternus, 18. 



12. PODOTHECUS TOKUBIRE Ishikawa. 

 TOKUBIRE or TOKUHIRE (HANDY FINS). 

 " Fodothent.s tokubire Ishikawa Manuscript, 1902; Hokkaido. 



The type of this species, a stuffed example in the Imperial Museum 

 of Tokyo, is thus described by Dr. Ishikawa in a letter to the 

 writers: 



Head 80 mm.; snout to occiput 56; depth of head 36; D. IX-13; 

 lateral plates 40-41; pectoral IT; eye 15; snout 43; second and third 



