288 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxvn 



front of the middle line of isthmus, with a rather wide free margin 

 behind; lateral line without plates; nasal spines small; 4 short spines 

 on preoperculai- maroin. These specimens answer well to the detailed 

 description of the type, but are still more ornate, in that they possess 

 along the ))ack a nu!n})er of broad dark bars alternating- with lighter 

 bars, the formtn- conHuent below, with the ground color of the sides. 

 In the largest specimen, T cm. long, the ventral tins extend onl}' to 

 base of third anal ray. There are no tu))ercles on the rays, and the 

 membranes extend nearly to tips of the 2 outer rays, and two-thirds 

 lenoth of the inner ray. The ventral spine is slender, nearly as long 

 as the iimer ray, and is firmly adnate to outer ray. The smaller 

 speciuKMis art>, respectively, 4 cm. and 3.5 cm. long, the ventrals 

 reaching in one to front of anal, in the other to vent; tins are finely 

 cross barred, more variegated than in the type. (Jordan and Gilbert.) 

 Known only from Sakhalin Island, 1 specimen S»2 mm. long (Herzen- 

 stein), and Iturup Island, where 3 spechnens were obtained b}' the 

 U. S. Fish Commission steamer Alhatro.ss in 1896; our description 

 from the latter. 



(Named for its discoverer. Dr. Zander.) 



28. ZESTICELUS Jordan and Evermann. 



ZfiMireInx Jordan and 1m-ermann, Cheek-List Fishes, 1896, p. 443 {projnvdorum). 



Deep-sea sculpins, closely allied to Porocottm^ but with the skeleton 

 little developed, the head soft and spongy, filled with mucous channels, 

 the skin perfectly smooth, the lateral line reduced to a series of sepa- 

 rate open pores, the vertical fins few-rayed and weak. Preopercular 

 spine slender, curved upward. Deep seas; 2 species known; probably 

 degraded from Porocottu.s^ the soft skeleton and feeble structure being 

 results of deep-sea life. 



(CsffToz., soft-boiled; Icelus^ a son of the god of sleep.) 



32. ZESTICELUS BATHYBIUS (Gunther). 



('ntt)is hafhi/hiiis {iijyiTUKH, Rejit. Fishes Challenge)', 1887, p. 62, pi. x, fig. C; off 

 Tokyo. 



This species is thus described l)v Dr. Gunther: 



D. 5 to 10; A. 7; P. 17, V. 3. The preoperculum is very strongly armed. There 

 are two spines arising from the same root at the angle, one in front of the other, the 

 posterior being longer than the eye; three other shorter spines along the lower edge 

 of the preopercnlum; operculum with a small spine at its antero-inferior angle. 

 A pair of spines on the occiput behind a deep depression occupying nearly the whole 

 of the vertex. Eyes longer than the snout, close together. Minute teeth on the 

 vomer, but none on the palatine bones. Tail much attenuated. Pectoral fin 

 extending beyond the origin of anal; ventrals not reaching the vent. Second 

 dorsal fin higher than first; length of the caudal two-fifths of that of the body 

 (without head). Muciferous system much developed, opening by wide pores along 

 the lower jaw, the preoperculum, the infraorbital ring and the lateral line. Grayish- 

 brown; throat and all the fins black. 



