278 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxvii. 



ensiger. Body slightl}^ compressed posterior to tips of pectoral. 

 Interorbital space ver}^ wide and very shallowly concave, at once dis- 

 tinguishing it from all other known Japanese forms. Maxillary 

 reaching- to posterior border of eye. Lower jaw included; knob at 

 symphysis scarcely developed. Sharp, small, conical teeth in bands 

 on jaws and vomer; the greatest width across vomerine patch a little 

 greater than length of eye. Nasal spines ver}^ small, covered by the 

 skin. Ridges on top of head scarcely developed, covered with thick, 

 warty skin; top of head not concave. No spines above orbit or occip- 

 ital. Low digitate processes may be felt under the skin. A pair of 

 short, simple filaments behind eye. Preopercular spine ver}^ short 

 and stout, reaching one-third of the distance between its base and end 

 of opercular flap; it is straight along its upper edge and slightly 

 curved along its lower. Next spine below about a third of the length 

 of the large spine; it is inclined somewhat downward. The usual 

 spine on lower edge of preopercle inclined forward; above it the edge 

 of preopercle is straight and smooth to the second spine. Spine on 



Fig. 20. — Myoxoceph.\i.is r.vninus. 



anterior edge of subopercle very short and blunt. Ridge on opercle 

 low and ending in a blunt spine. Posttemporal spine short and sharp, 

 not produced through the skin; its tip does not reach so far poste- 

 riorly as opercular spine. Humeral spine not dcA'eloped. Suborbital 

 stay ver}" low. Skin nowhere with plates. Top of head thickly cov- 

 ered with large, rather soft warts. 



Dorsals low, well separated; tips of spines when tin is depressed do 

 not reach soft dorsal by a distance equal to length of pupil. Tips of 

 last dorsal and anal rays on the same vertical. Pectoral with IS ra.ys; 

 its tip reaching to opposite front of soft dorsal. Ventrals reaching 

 two-thirds of distance from their base to front of anal. Caudal trun- 

 cate; the outer raA'S rounded. 



Color, brown above, lighter below; a very conspicuous, sharp-cut, 

 white cross band runs obliquely downward and forward across caudal 

 peduncle just behind l)ase of last dorsal ray; its width equal to height 

 of caudal peduncle; sides of belly with large, round, white spots nearly 



