618 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MIJSEVM. 



Cosmopolitan, in the wanner seas. We have seen no specimens] 

 from Japan, but the species doubtless stra3"s into Nagasaki, as into 

 -ilmost all other tropical and semitropical ports. 



{(Tavpos^ lizard.) 



Family II. PTEROTHRISSID.E. 



Body oblong-, with rounded abdomen, covered with small cj^cloid 

 scales; head nari'ow, oblong, naked, without barl)els; nuiciferous chan- 

 nels much developed. E3'e large; mouth inferior, small; margin of j 

 the upper jaw formed by the premaxillaries mesially, and by the max- 

 illaries laterally; bands of minute teeth embedded in the thick lips;' 

 maxillar}' with a marginal row of ver}^ small teeth. Opercidar appa- 

 ratus complete. Lateral line present. No adipose fin; dorsal finj 

 much elongate, many rayed; anal tin short; caudal tin forked, with] 

 dense la^^er of small scales. Stomach with a blind sac; pyloric append- 

 ages numerous. Gill apparatus well developed; pseudobranchissj 

 present; gill openings wide. Air })ladder with very thick walls, 

 terminating in 2 short horns in front, pointed behind. Ova very 

 small; ovaries without duct. 



The family is represented by a single genus and species, occurring 

 ofll: the coast of Japan in rather. deep water. 



3. PTEROTHRISSUS Hilgendorf. 



Pterothrissns Hilgendorf, Leopoldiiia, XIII, 1S77, p. 127 {gissu). 



Bathythrissa GvvrnER, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., p. 443, November, 1877 {dorsalis). 



The characters of the genus are included above. Several extinct 

 genera are referred to the neighljorhood of Pterot?irissus. 

 [TTtepov^ wing; Opiffffa, herring.) 



3. PTEROTHRISSUS GISSU Hilgendorf. 

 GISTJ. 



Pterothissus gissu Hilgendorf, Leopoldina, Pt. 13, 1877, p. 127 (off Tokyo). — 

 Jordan and Snyder, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XXIII, 1900, p. 743 (Hakodate, 

 Japan) . — Jordan and Starks, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm. for 1902, p. 578 

 (Matsuahima Bay, Suruga Bay). 



Bathythrissd dorsalis (tunther, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., November, 1877, p. 443. — 

 GttNTHER, Shore Fishes, Challenger, 1880, p. 63 (Enoshima). 



Hahltat. — Coasts of elapan, in rather deep water. 



Head 4 in length, without caudal, -ii to -if in total length; depth, about 

 6i (7f in total length); dorsal rays about 60. Counting the tirst two 

 minute spines, we tind the ra37s in our specimens as follows: 56, 57, 57, 

 58, 60, 64, 65; A. 12; P. 16; V, 10; scales in lateral series about 112; eye 

 large, prominent, 3^-4 in head; snout, 3 in head; pectoral, If; 

 ventral, 2i; least depth of caudal peduncle, 4^ to 5, 



