PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 89 



The nostrils are small and inconspicuous. Gape of mouth very small 

 on colored side, considerably larger on the blind side. On the colored 

 side the clei't is nearer vertical than horizontal ; the posterior end of the 

 maxillary reaches very little behind the anterior margin of the orbit of 

 the lower eye, and the symphysis of the intermaxillaries is about level 

 with the upper edge of the orbit. Mandible projecting in the closed 

 mouth, short, not passing a vertical from the front margin of the pupil, 

 with a prominent knob below the symphysis, and a smaller one at its 

 posterior extrenuty. Teeth on both sides of the jaws throughout the 

 full length of the gape, in a single row, broad, but thick, forming a blunt 

 continuous edge, about thirty-four in the lower jaw and rather fewer in 

 the upper in an individual 11^' long. In an example 14|' long there 

 were 14 teeth on the colored and 26 on the blind side of the mandible, 

 the latter the lai-ger ; in the intermaxillaries, 13 on the colored and 23 

 on the blind side. Each lower i)haryngeal with a double row of teeth, 

 the inner larger than the outer ; the four anterior teeth of the outer row 

 conspicuously larger than those following. About 12 teeth in each inner 

 row. Upper pharyngeals each with a close-set row of 6-7 blunt conical 

 teeth. Branchiostegals seven ; gill-rakers few, flexible, very short. 

 Dorsal commencing between the front of the orbit and the pupil, con- 

 siderably behind the nostrils, long and low, forming ai continuous arch 

 of slightly greater curvature than the <lorsal outline, the longest rays in 

 the central i^ortion, and ending opposite to the anal at about two-thirds 

 of the width of the caudal peduncle from the origin of the caudal. Anal 

 mth a horizontal spine, the first ray rather distant froui the visible por- 

 tion of the spine, and nearlj^ the length of the ventral behiud the pec- 

 toral base ; similar to the dorsal. Almost all the rays of dorsal and anal 

 directed backwards. Caudal convex on posterior margin, rather narrow, 

 the rays once bifurcate, sometimes bifurcate again near the tips. Pectoral 

 of colored side exceedingly long and lanceolate, about one-fourth of the 

 total length of the fish ; the first five rays simple, tlie othprs once bifur- 

 cate. Fourth ray longest, fifth nearly equal, sixth a little longer than 

 the third, tlience diminishing rapidly. Usual i)ro])ortion of the first four 

 rays 3-8-10-12. Pectoral of blind side lanceolate, rather more than one- 

 third of the length of that of the colored side, and formed of the same num- 

 ber of rays, the first four simple, the others once forked ; fourth and fifth 

 rays longest. V'entrals inserted so that their hinder axil is vertical with, 

 or a little posterior to, the anterior axil of the pectoral ; their tips reaching 

 to the first anal ray ; the four i)osterior rays once bifurcate. Lateral line 

 almost straight, rising very sUghtly anteriorly, formed of a double row 

 of tubes, about 138 in number, excluding those upon the caudal. A 

 row of similar pores commencing at the ridge under the upper eye, and 

 continuing around the lower eye almost to its front margin. Scales 

 small, smooth, uniform over the body, and extending over the head to 

 the snout, on which they are smaller. Intermaxillaries and mandibles 

 scaleless. Scales of blind side similar. Caudal scaly on both sides ; 



