DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 459 



Dorsal fin begins at a point slightly beliind the eyes; it is connate with the (caudal, and 

 contains 119 rays to the middh- of the base of the candal; the lays abont the uiiddk; of the 

 fin are the longest, their height l)eing a little more than one-third tliat of the body. 



Distance of anal from snout (20 millimeters) contained 4] times in extreme length; 

 longest rays about the middle of the fin, their length (G millimeters) equaling twice that of 

 the snout. Anal connate with caudal, and ('ontains 107 rays, counting to tlie middle of tlie 

 base of the latter fin. 



Median caudal rays longest, their length (<i nullimeters) equaling twice tliat of the 

 snout. 



Pectorals none. 



Distance of ventral from snout (15 millimeters) contained r)§ times in extreme length. 

 The ventral is separated from the anal by an interspace twice as long as the eye. The 

 number of ventral rays is 5, the longest of them being one-third as long as the head. 



Vent near origin of the anal. 



Color, grayish, everywhere mottled with l)rown. Median keel on the scales dark and 

 prominent. 



Radial formula: D. IIO; A. 107; V. 5; P. none. 



A single type specimen, Sa millimeters in length, was obtained by the Blake from sta- 

 tion CCCXVI, iu 320 07' N. lat., 78° 37' 30" W. Ion., at a depth of 229 fathoms. 



APHORISTIA MARGINATA, Oooijf, and Hean. (Figure 376.) 



Jphoristia marginata, GooDE and Bean, Bull. Atus. Comj). Zool., xii, 153. 



Body, slender, lanceolate in fin-m, its greatest height contained 4.J times in the extreme 

 length. Scales, moderate, strongly and sharply denticulate, the surface ornamented with 

 many lines and striations, which are so arranged as to form a semblance of median fiuTows; 

 88 to 90 scales in a longitudinal series, 3-4 iu a transverse series. 



Jaws and snout covered with scales. 



Length of the head contained 5h times in total lengtli. Length of the snout in that of 

 head 4J times, and equal to diameter of upper eye. 



Eyes, moderate, close togethei', the upper very slightly in advance. Nostril, in a long 

 slender tube, nearly midway between lower eye and tip of snout. 



Jlouth, 7nodcrate, oblicjue, curved, its posterior angle beneatli the anterior margin of 

 the pupil of the upper eye; its length of gape iu that of head 4j times, and T) times in 

 greatest height of body. Dentition feeble. 



The dorsal tin begins at a i)oint over the posterior margin of the upper jmpil. It is 

 composed of 90 to 100 rays, those about the middle of the body the longest, and contained 

 about 2^ times in the height of the body. 



The anal origin is separated from the snout by a distance equal to 4 times the length of 

 the snout. It has 86-87 rays, and its height is slightly less than that of the dorsal. 



The median caudal rays are short, contained 83 times in total length. 



The distance of the ventral from the snout is contained 5i times in the total length; 

 its distance from the anal 1;^ times the diameter of the eye; its rays, four in number, the 

 longest contained 2't| times in head. 



Color in life, reddish gray, nmch speckled with brown. Belly, bluish gray. Bases and 

 membrane covering fin-ray.'<, dark brown. Dorsal and anal hns very dark on their last tenth. 

 Caudal, pale, in nnirked contrast with the dark area of dorsal and anal. Tips of dorsal 

 and anal rays, and some of the membrane covering caudal rays, vermilion. 



Color in alcohol, uniform grayish browu, lighter below, with a dark brown line marking 

 margin between the body and the base of the vertical fins, with a lighter line or stripe, as 

 wide as ej'e, inside. 



Radial formula: D. 90-100; A. 80-S7: V. 4; P. none. Scales, 88 to 90-34. 



The species is descrilied from a specimen, 102 inillimetcrs in length, collected by the 

 steamer Blair, at station CLXXXi, in 28^ IJ' N. lat., 88^^ 40' W. Ion., at a depth of 321 fath- 

 oms; with a specimen from Albatross station 2;;76, in 29^ 03' N. lat., 88^ 10' W. Ion., at a 



