PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 327 



— 3 times; eye of — 6:^ times iu the leiigtli of the head; lower Jaw t«— M 

 of the head. Pectoral fin g^ — h t^e length of the head, and 4^ to 

 almost 6 times the length of the ventrals ; anus situated at the end of 

 the second fifth of the total length. 



Nostrils much nearer to the extremity of the snout than to the eye 

 and below the horizon of the lower margin of the orbit ; provided with 

 a short tube. 



Eyes elliptical, directed obliquely upwards and outwards; the inter- 

 ocular space only about ^ of the total width of the head, the sides of 

 which continue to shelve outwards at the same angle with the eye-balls 

 as far as the lower margin of the suborbital ring. Interorbital sx)ace 

 concave to about the center of the orbit, at which point the two ridges 

 bordering the eyes unite with the central ridge, separating again pos- 

 teriorly. 



Mouth large, slightly oblique, the cleft straight, its angle reaching 

 about to a vertical from the center of the pupil ; intermaxillaries and 

 maxillaries very slender; lower jaw received within the upper; lower 

 margin of mandible straight, with a small sym])hysial knob, and a 

 prominent articulation. In the females the mouth is smaller; maxillary 

 with its posterior extremity enveloped in the skin of the angle of the 

 mouth. Tongue large and thick. 



Teeth small, slender, bluntly pointed, those of the mandible in about 

 four irregular rows in fi'out, those of the inner row largest and farthest 

 apart. The outer row disappears at about ^ of the length of the cleft of 

 the mouth from the tip of the mandible, but the inner row continues to 

 about h the length of the cleft of the mouth. The outer row slopes out- 

 ward, but the inner is much recurved, and the three or four posterior 

 teeth of the inner row on each side are the largest and strongest in the 

 jaws. Teeth of the intermaxillary in a single row, extending about 

 half-way along the sides of the mouth, the largest in front, gradually 

 diminishing posteriorly. No vomerine or palatine teetli. 



Gill-openings narrow, inclined forwards, and broadly attached to the 

 isthmus; branchiostegals six, sometimes only five. Pseudobranchiae. 

 Operculum vely small, with radiating ridges; cheeks fleshy, very long, 

 so that the eye is nearly midway between front of opercle and tip of snout. 

 Upper and lower pharyngeal bones covered with villiform teeth ; the 

 posterior ui)per pharyngeal smallest ; the lower pharyngeals separate, 

 subtriangular. Gill-rakers quite short, pointed, flexible. 



Vertical fins continuous, long and low, and formed of soft rays 

 throughout, dorsal commencing at a vertical from a little before the 

 center of the length of the pectoral, caudal somewliat rounded, anal 

 commencing very near to the anus. Dorsal with about 1)0 rays ; anal 

 with about 70. 



Ventrals very small, jugular, consisting of two rays; their insertion 

 slightly jiosterior to the lower extremity of the branchial opening. 



Upper axil of pectorals below the center of the height of tin- Ixxly, 



