590 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxvii. 



second dorsal indefinitely cross-banded with short streaks of darker on 

 rays; caudal dusky; pectoral pale, indefinitely banded with short 

 streaks of darker on rays; ventrals pale in both sexes; anal pale. 



North Pacific, south to Japan and Oregon; Arctic Ocean near Bering 

 Sea (W. J. Fisher, Steindachner); Bering Sea, Bristol Bay (Gilbert); 

 Tareinsky Ba}' (Barrett-Hamilton); Port Clarence, Alaska (Scofield). 

 A variable species. The specimens here described are four from 

 Aomori, the longest 12 cm. in length, and an equal number from 

 Nemuro, loaned us b}^ the Sapporo Museum. Still others are from 

 Mororan, This is much the most abundant of the Agonida? of Japan, 

 occurring in eel grass in shallow baj'S. 



{barhatw^ provided with a barbel.) 



8. DRACISCUS Jordan and Snyder. 

 Draciscus Jordan and Snyder, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., 1901, p. 379 {sacM). 



Closeh" allied to Podoth(x-ii)<, from which it diffei's in the extraor- 

 dinary size of its soft dorsal and anal fins, each of which has 14 to 16 

 rays. 



(dpaKO^ a dragon.) 



II. DRACISCUS SACHI Jordan and Snyder. 



Draciscus sachi Jordan and Snyder, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci., 1902, p. 379, pi. xix; 

 Aomori, Kayabe, Hokkaido. 



Head 3i in length; depth 7^; snout 2 in head; eye 4|; D. VllI-14; 

 A. 16; P. 15; spines in lateral line 44. 



Body formed about as is usual in Podothecus; caudal peduncle long 

 and slender, contained about four times in the length. Snout long and 

 pointed; two spines on tip of snout above; two small, closely apposed 

 spines behind middle of snout, at the end of its second third; ridge of 

 mouth with a small double spine at its extremity; a stout spine above 

 e^^e. Bones of sides of head with granular, radiating ridges. Tip of 

 upper jaw and angles of mouth with clusters of barbels; their length 

 equal to more than one-half the diameter of eve. Sides of body with 

 4 longitudinal rows of spinous plates, the spines stout, hooked; the 

 upper row begins at nape and extends to base of second dorsal; the 

 other 3 rows run from head to base of caudal. Plates on breast with- 

 out spines. 



First dorsal rather high; its first spine highest, contained about 2| 

 times in head. Soft dorsal inordinately high; its middle x^ays, longest, 

 2f in length. Anal still larger, a little higher and beginning farther 

 forward, the highest ravs behind the middle; its height about 2t in 

 length; pectorals rather long, 4| in body; some of the lower rays pro- 

 duced and with free tips. Ventrals short, Sf in head. 



Color. — Brownish, with some dark blotches on back. Vertical fins 

 dusky, becoming black on distal portion, each fin with irregular rows 



