DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 441 



gill opening. That on the colored side is composed of II rays, its h'ugth (10 inillimeters) 

 nearly one-sixth of the t«tal length; that of tiie blind side composed of 7 or iS rays, the 

 largest (28 niillitneters), almost as long as hea<l. 



Eadial formula: D. 1)3; A. 73; P. 11, 7 or S; \'. «; L. hit. (iti. 



Color, light brownish gray, a dailc blotch as long as the eye on the anterior rays ol' the 

 anal; a few obscure ones onditferent i)arts of lighter line at Ihe JuMction of the curved and 

 straight portions of the lateral line. 



PLATOPHRYS, Swainson. 



Platophrya, Swainson., Nat. Hist. Fishes, etc., 1839, ii, 30L>. 



RhomboUiiuhlliiin, Ulkekeb, Act. Si)o. Sc. ludo-NTeilcre. i M.iuail. ami Makass., 07. — GCxtheu, Cat. Fiah Brit. 

 Mu8., IV, 431. 



^loutli of moderate width, or sTuall, tin; lengtli of the masillary being one-third, or less 

 than one-third, of that of the head. Teeth minute, of equal size, in a single or double se- 

 ries; vomerine and palatine teeth none. Eyes separate<l l)y a concave more or less broad 

 space. The dorsal eommences on the snout; dorsal and anal rays simple. Scales ciliated, 

 of moderate size (L. hit. 4(1) and deciduous; lateral line with a strong curve anteriorly. 

 Eyes on the left side. (Gilnther.) 



rLATOl'HKVS NKBlILARI,S,.Joi:i..\x ami (Jii.heut. 

 I'hitdphrys nehulariK, JoItOAV ami (ill.I'.EIiT, Troc. IT. S. Nat. Mils.. VII. 31. .Tunc 3, IS84. 



Body ovate, deei) anteriorly, tlie profile descending steeply, rendered abruptly concave 

 in front of interrn-bital space by the conspicuously projecting, short snout. Moi;tb very 

 small and oblique, the maxillary reaching vertical from front of lower eye, SJ in head; tip 

 of lower jaw entering the profile. Teeth fine, conii-al, in two series in the upper jaw, one 

 in the lower; those of the outer row in U])per jaw laiger and more widely separated than 

 those of the inner series. 



Snout very .short, about one-tifth head, equaling interorl)ita] width. Intcrorbitai space 

 narrow, deeply concave, closely scaled. Eyes large, the lower in advance of upi)er, its 

 diameter 3§ in head. Gill rakers obsolete, 7 rudiments on horizontal branch of anterior 

 arch. 



Scales moderate, not extending on the fins, those on colored side ctenoid, those on 

 blind side smooth. Arch of lateral line short and high, its ba»se contained 4i to 5 times in 

 the straight portion. 



Dor.sal beginning opposite anterior nostril, the rays nearly uniform in length, the long- 

 est about half head. Pectoral of colored side 4-^ in length. \'cntral of colored side 

 beginning under middle of lower eye, with (J rays; the right ventral with 5 rays. 



Head 4 in length; depth li. 



Radial fornjula: D. 85; A. 04; L. lat. 75 ([lores). 



Color, in life, bght grayish with reddish tinge, covered with small round spots of darker 

 gray and with lighter rings inclosing spaces of the ground color. Vertical fins similarly 

 colored, with a small black s|)ot near base of each ninth or tenth ray. Two black spots on 

 median line of body divide the length into nearly e(iual thirds; souu- otlier small black 

 spots scattered over colored side, {.hn-dan and (lilhri-f.) 



The specimens before ns agree in all particulars with .Ionian and (liJberfs <li-scription, 

 save in trifling variations in number of fin rays and in tlu^ fact that in large specimens the 

 cibations of the scales are absent. In three specimens of medium size, the first ray of the 

 pectoral of the colored side is elongated, in one considerably so. 



Specimens were taken by the Hlale from station rcxi.iii, in 24'^ 4:5' X. lat., S.'jo 25' \V. 

 Ion., at a depth of 37 fathoms; al.so by the Allmtross from station 2;?1S, in l'4o 25' 4S" N. 

 lat., 81° 46' W. Ion., at a depth of 45 fathoms; from station 24(i5, in 28= 45' X. hit., 8.5° 02' 

 W. Ion., at a depth of 30 fathoms; from station 2400, in 28o 40' X. hit., 84o 49' W. Ion., at 



