88 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The scales upon the body and fins are highly deciduous, and the lat- 

 eral line is much less distinctly pronounced than in the succeeding spe- 

 cies. Although the lowest pair of branchiostegals is not easy to make 

 out, I have no doubt that seven is the correct number. The individual 

 10^ in length, l^o. 3, is the largest I have yet seen, and is probably 

 adult. In flavor this fish is inferior to G. zacMrus. This species was cer- 

 tainly not brought to market during the winter months. I first saw it 

 March 15, and from that date to the end of April a few have usually 

 been exj)osed for sale, but it cannot be said to be abundant. It is not 

 taken within the bay. 



The dark color, elongated form, and correspondingly long dorsal and 

 anal fins render this species easy to distinguish from every other except 

 G. zachirus, from which it can be known by its short pectoral, entire 

 want of teeth on colored side, and more pointed form of the front part 

 of the head, as well as by the absence of an anal sjiine. G. pacijicus 

 differs from G. cynoglossm of the Atlantic in the greater relative length 

 of the head, the smaller number of teeth in the upper jaw, and the 

 smaller number of dorsal and anal rays. 



Glyptocephalus zachirus sp. nov. 



D. 94-106. A. 79-89. C. 5-6-7-4. P. 11-13. V. 6. 



Body elongate-ovate, the anterior portion of the oval shorter than the 

 posterior ; snout declivous, almost vertical, its tip level with the upper 

 margin of the lower eye, and its curve uniting without sensible depres- 

 sion with that of the nape ; dorsal outline rising with a regular gentle 

 curve from the snout to about the twenty-second dorsal ray, thence de- 

 clining very gradually and regularly with but slight curvature to the 

 caudal peduncle. The abdominal outline is almost straight from the 

 knob of the mandible to the ventral ; from thence to the end of the anal 

 curved in the same manner as the dorsal outline. Peduncle of tail 

 slightly expanded towards the caudal, its least width al)out one-fourth 

 of the greatest depth of the body. The greatest width of the body is 

 contained from 3J to 3^ times, and the length of the head from about 5^ 

 to 5-\ times in the total length ; the eye about 3^ timC/S, and the snout 

 about 8 times in the length of the head. The greatest distance from 

 the anal to the lateral line is less than the length of the head. Eyes 

 large, elliptical, lateral, the lower in advance of the upper about half 

 the length of the pupil, and scarcely reaching the dorsal profile ante- 

 riorly. Interocular space very narrow, about ^ of the longitudinal 

 diameter of the eye, smooth, not raised above the eye in a fresh fish. 

 xV slight ridge rises at its posterior i)art, forms the lower posterior 

 margin of the upper eye, and dies out on the dieek. Nostrils of right 

 yide level with the upper margin of the lower eye ; the anterior with 

 a short tube, the i)osterior with a raised margin, and vertical with 

 the fi'ont margin of the lower orbit. Posterior nostril of blind side 

 in advance of the eye; anterior nostril nearly as on colored side. 



