DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTKIBUTION. 321 



Oiigiii of dorsal over tlie uiidclle of ijcctoral; that of tlic anal iimiicdiately bcliiud tlie 

 vent. The anal tins are low. Tlic pectoral is composed of 13 rays, half as long as the head, 

 lanceolate, the two lower rays detatdied without being more developed than the others. 

 Ventrals still smaller (perhaps nnitilated in the specimen ligujed by Vaillant). 



Color white, except bluish-black upon the head and abdomen, and the pectorals a deep 

 brown. 



Three specimens were obtained by the French Expedition at station oi, off the Cape 

 Verde Islands, at a depth of 3,1*00 meters. The fish is very remarkable by reason of the 

 siuallness of its eyes and the peculiar character of the scales. 



DICEOMITA ONCEROCEPHALA, (Vaili..vnt), (Joode ami I!ean. 

 Sireniio oncerocephahis, Vaillant, Exp. Sci. Travailleiir et Talisman, 277, PI. xxiv, Fis;. fi. 



Body elongate, compressed, its height oue-uiuth and its thickness one-third of its 

 length. Length of the head two-elevenths of the length of the body; it is rounded. Snout 

 hemispherical, occupying three-elevenths of the length of the head and projecting beyond 

 the mouth. Mouth moderate, although the maxillary extends behind the eye; the mouth 

 does not extend to the middle of the length of the head. The two jaws, the vomer, and 

 the palatines are armed with fine teeth in villiform bands. Eye small, inconspicuous, hid- 

 den in the integuments, its diameter one-fifteenth of the length of the head; interorbital 

 space five times as wide as the diameter of tlie orbit. Branchial opening wide. The bones 

 composing the opercular Hap are hidden in the mucous integument which covers the head, 

 and indistinct; only one flexible spine can be seen on the operculum. A few scales upon 

 the vertex, and more upon the jaws and opercular flap. Vent at a third of the distance 

 from the snout to the tail, and separated from the origin of the ventrals by a distance a 

 little greater than the length of the head. Scales very minute, imbricated; no lateral line 

 is perceptible. 



The origin of the dorsal is a little in advance of the branchial opening; the anal im- 

 mediately behind the vent, both (luite high posteriorly, their height, nearly half that of the 

 body. Caudal rays prominent (Vaillant says "assez dustincte," but the figure shows the 

 vertical fins to be confluent). Pectorals short, a little more than half as long as the head, 

 composed of 21 rays. Ventrals as long as the pectoral. 



Color, pure white; head entirely bluish-black, as is also the abdomen, though not so 

 dark. 



A single specimen was obtained by the French explorers from station ci, oil' the Cape 

 Verde Islands, iu 3,200 meters. 



BathtjOHKS (jlKtuiosiis, Alcock, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., Sept., 1800, 210, from ofl' the 

 Madras coast, 98-102 fathoms, is i)ossibly of this genus. 



BASSOZETUS, Gill. 



Batkyncctes, GCnther, Anu. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ii, 1878,20; Challenger Report, xxil, 1887, 10!) (name pre- 

 occupied iu carcinology). 

 Bassosetus, Gill, Proc. U. S. Nut. Miis., vi, 188:i, 2.o9. 

 Bathyonus, Goode and Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., viii, 188C, 603. 



Brotulids with body compressed and long tapering tail, covered with deciduous, thin 

 scales of moderate size. Bones of head very soft and cavernous; a feeble spine at ui)per 

 angle of operculum, which is expanded backwards, a thin membranous plate, nearly as 

 long as high and not at all excavated. Preorbital membranous, not excavated, and ex- 

 panded on the closed supramaxillaries. Operculum spineless. Shoulders unarmed. Snout 

 obtuse, scaleless; the jaws nearly equal in front. Mouth wide; teeth in villilbrm bands on 

 the jaws, vomer, and palatines. Barbel none. Eyes small. Pectoral llns simple; caudal 

 rays confluent with those of dorsal and anal, but somewhat exscrted. Ventrals close to- 

 gether at base, each a single simple lilament, and inserted below the rounded angle of the 

 preoperculum. 



198CS— No. 2 21 



