PROCEEDINGS OF UXITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 247 



ON THE IDEIVTITV OF THE OEIVITS I.E VRVBTIVIS, r.OCKIIVOTOIV, 

 U^ITH I.VCODOPSIS, COtiLETT. 



By THEODORE C^ILL. 



Tn the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London for 1879 

 (at pp. 380-381) Mr. Robert Collett has iiublished a communication ''On 

 a fish of the genus Lycodes from the Pacific." The article was read at 

 the meeting held April 1, 1879, and published in the part (II) issued 

 August 1, 1879. 



In this article Mr. Collett describes at length the species referred to, 

 under the name Lycodes pacijicvs^ and gives a figure of the head and 

 anterior part of the body. The diagnosis is as follows: 



"Vomerine and palatine teeth none. Coloration uniform yellowish 

 grey. The body is scaly, the head and pectorals naked. The head is 

 contained four and six-tenths, the height of the body nine times, in the 

 total length. Lateral line very indistinct. 



"M. B. 6; D. (circa) 92; A. 71; C. (circa) I, 1 ; P. 18. 



"5^a?;.— Japan {Mus. Berol.y 



At the end of the description Mr. Collett expresses the following 

 opinion : 



" The absence of vomerine and palatine teeth, a character quite peculiar 

 to the species, will perhaps necessitate its removal to a separate genus, 

 for which I propose the name Lycodopsis.''^ 



In the Proceedings of the United States National Museum for 1879 

 (at pp. 326-332) Mr, W. N. Lockington has given " Descriptions of new 

 genera and species of fishes from the coast of California." The signature 

 in which it ai^pears was issued March 25, 1880. 



In this article Mr. Lockington describes what is considered to be a 

 new generic type, under the name Lenrynnu paucidens. The diagnosis 

 of the geiuis is as follows: 



" Generic cliaracters. — Family Zoarcidcc, allied to Lycodes. Ventral 

 fins present, short; no teeth on vomer and palatines; dorsal and anal 

 fins continued without interruption around the tail; scales small, but 

 evident. The name is from Xsupd:; — smooth; u^^i^ — vomer, in allusion to 

 the character Avhich chiefly distinguishes the genus from Lycodes.''^ 



Selecting characters to compare with those mentioned in Mr. Collett's 

 diagnosis, we have the following: 



"No vomerine or palatine teeth. — Color olivaceous, the scales lighter 

 than the skin ; the color formed by numerous dark points, which are 

 continued also iipon the head. L^pper surface of head darker, abdom'- 

 inal surface lighter than other jjortions. Vertical fins margined with 

 black. — Scales roundish, smooth, sei^arate, imbedded in the skin, uniform 

 over the whole of the body, except upon an area on the upper surface in 

 front of the dorsal, where they are smaller, and region near base of 

 pectorals scaleless. Head scaleless — the ridges somewhat prominent. — 



