180 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 51. 



wide free fold ; gill slit before first arch 1.5 in orbit, slit behind fourth 

 arch 2.9. 



Six scales between origin of second dorsal and lateral line, exclud- 

 ing the lateral line scale ; most of the scales of the body with 5, some 

 with 3, strong divergent ridges, armed with about 5 strong procum- 

 bent imbricate spines, the posterior one strongest, and extending be- 

 yond the scale margin. Lower surface of head completely naked, 

 with the exception of a very well defined, elliptical patch of scales 

 below the angle of the preopercle. A few prickly scales on the lower 

 acute end of the large pyriform nasal fossa, which is as long as the 

 eye ; a pair of naked grooves near tip of snout, converging anteriorly ; 

 scales of the median rostral ridge anteriorly with two divergent 

 ridges, posteriorly with a single keel, and with a few lateral spinules ; 

 two well-defined series of scales on each side of the rostral ridge be- 

 tween it and a lateral groove parallel to it ; the scales in these series 

 are armed each with a single spinous ridge ; the two series on each 

 side diverge opposite the end of the rostral ridge, the inner series of 

 each side meeting above the middle of the orbit, and forming a median 

 occipital series, the outer series becoming continuous with the occip- 

 ital ridge; two lateral occipital series, between the occipital ridge 

 and the median series, not extending on the snout ; scales small and 

 prickly outward from the lateral rostral grooves ; scales in the modi- 

 fied series midway between occipital and postorbital ridges, and on 

 the opercles, with 3 spinous divergent ridges, those on the suborbital 

 ridge with several spinous ridges; other scales of the head with a 

 single trenchant spinous crest, strongest on the occipital and postor- 

 bital ridges. 



Color light brown (dark on belly), with about six distinct dark 

 brown bars extending across the body, and about as wide as the inter- 

 spaces between them; one is located behind the occiput, the second 

 below the first dorsal, one below the interdorsal space, three broad 

 ones on the anterior half of tail, and several indistinct ones behind 

 these. Head grayish, except on the dusky opercle. Vertical fins 

 dusky, the anal with a blackish margin ; ventral dark, but with a light 

 filament; two uppermost pectoral rays, and the distal ends of the 

 other rays dark. Buccal, branchial, and peritoneal cavities lined with 

 blackish, the branchial cavity with a whitish margin on the opercular 

 membranes, the peritoneal lining spotted, underlaid with silvery. 



A larger specimen, in poor condition, about 535 mm. long, from 

 station 4911, differs from the smaller specimen in the following char- 

 acters: Scales on anterolateral angle of snout scarcely enlarged; 

 length of snout 2.27, width 1.55 in its length ; depth over tip of pre- 

 maxillaries 1.65; orbit smaller, 2.1 in snout; maxillary 3.65; scaly 

 ridges less prominent ; scales with 5 to 7 ridges ; nasal fossa more com- 

 pletel}^ scaled anteriorly ; a few lateral spinules besides the median keel 

 on the scales on top of head ; scales on median rostral ridge with 5 



