PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 61 



Lower orbital margin prominent, a pair of spines at its posterior 

 extremity, the binder the larger. 



Preopercuhim with a spinulosc longitndinal ridge, ending in a back- 

 ward-directed spine; a second smaller spine below this, at angle; lower 

 limb with two flat angular ijrojcctions. 



Operculum striate, Avitli a ridge, ending in a spine, on its upper part. 



Occipital and lateral ridges of upper surface of head prominent, 

 spinulose or denticulated above, but without si^ines; lateral ridges each 

 formed of three shorter ridges; no i^it on occiput. 



Gill-membranes continuous below, without isthmus ; branchiostegals 

 five, large. 



Pectoral very long, boldly rounded on its posterior and lower mar- 

 gins, broad ; the upper rays slightly increasing to about the sixth, the 

 five lowest decreasing rapidly. Tips of the longest rays reaching 

 nearly to or beyond the sixth dorsal ray, or to the back of the thir- 

 teenth or fourteenth dorsal scute. Longest rays about equal in length 

 to the head. Eays simple, base slightly oblique. 



Ventrals inserted on the plane of the upper jiectoral axil, longer than 

 the pectorals, their greatest length about 4 times in the total length, and 

 consisting of a spine and two rays, the spine attached to the first ray, 

 which is of considerable length, but shorter than the second, the tip of 

 which extends beyond the second anal ray. Membrane between the 

 two rays broad ; the second ray fringed with a membrane along its in- 

 ternal margin. 



First dorsal commencing at about the eighth dorsal scute and termin- 

 ating at the sixteenth. First spine shorter than the second, the next 

 five about equal in length, the remainder diminishing rapidly. Height 

 of the longest spines somewhat exceeeding the depth of the body below 

 the fin. 



Second dorsal about equal in height and similar in form to the first, 

 arising at about the nineteenth dorsal scute, and terminating at or near 

 the twenty-seventh. First ray shorter than the second, the next four 

 nearly equal, the remainder falling rapidly. 



Anal commencing directly below the last ray of the first dorsal, and 

 coterminous with the second dorsal, its lower margin nearly straight, 

 and its depth rather less than the height of the second dorsals. 



The last rays of the dorsals and anal are joined to the body by mem- 

 brane. 



Posterior margin of caudal convex ; accessory rays few. 



Dorsal scutes 35-3G, the two series approaching and uniting a little 

 behind the second dorsal; about seven scutes between the point of 

 junction and the caudal. 



Each scute produced posteriorly into a large spine bent backwards, 

 and frequently denticulated upon its anterior or outer edge. Behind 

 the point of junction of the two dorsal rows the spines are in closely 

 coupled pairs. 



