302 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Eyes large, dextral, tbeir anterior margins about even with each 

 other; the upper eye larger and directed obliquely upward. A con- 

 spicuous ocular ridge about the upper eye, becoming continuous with 

 the lateral line. luterorbital space narrow, not half the width of the 

 eye, scaly, as is the space in front of it. Cheeks wide, the posterior 

 edge of the preopercle free. Opercle rather short and weak. Premaxil- 

 lary protractile, capable of little protrusion. 



Gill-rakers long and strong, about 4 -f- 13 in number, the longest 

 more than half the diameter of the eye. 



Scales very small and thin, irregularly arranged, their margins weakly 

 ciliated, in about 135 transverse series; about 100 tubes in the course of 

 the lateral line. The lateral line is nearly straight, gently ascending in 

 front. 1^0 accessory lines. Scales on blind side similar. 



Dorsal fin beginning just behind the middle of the eye, its rays low, 

 especially anteriorly, its greatest height considerably behind the mid- 

 dle. Caudal fin somewhat forked. Anal fin higher than the dorsal, its 

 highest rays about midway. No spine before anal. Caudal peduncle 

 long and slender, about a s long as the maxillary. Pectoral fins short, the 

 one on the right or eyed side longest, its length nerfrly equal to that of 

 the maxillary. Ventral fins very short, reaching just past the vent. 



Fin rays: D. 101; A. 85. 



Color plain brown, with darker punctulations. Left side white, the 

 many dark points giving it a soiled appearance. Fins dusky. 



This species is known to us from one example over a foot long, bought 

 in tbe San Francisco market, and taken just outside the Golden Gate. 

 It doubtless reaches a much larger size, and the adult is i^robably less 

 slender than this example. 



It differs from its congener, the Greenland Halibut, Platysomatichthys 

 hippofjlossoides^ of the ]S"orth Atlantic, in the slenderer body, larger 

 mouth, longer gill-rakers, and narrow interorbital space, but the two 

 appear to agree in all respects of generic value. 



We regret the necessity of using the clumsy and inappropriate generic 

 name Platysomatichtliys for these fishes instead of the name BeinJiardtius 

 proposed by Professor Gill. The former name, although later in date, 

 has priority of definition.* 



Table of measurements of riatysomafichthys stomias. 



Extreme lengtli 12.9 inclies 



Length to base of caudal 10.9 inclies = 100 



Greatest depth of body 30 



Least depth 07 



Length of caudal peduncle 12 



Length of head 28 



Number of gill-rakers 4,11 



Length of longest gill-raker 032 



Length of snout 068 



Length of maxilliary 152 



*In a paper written later, but by accident printed earlier (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 1880, 51), we have recognized this sj)ecies aa the type of a distinct genus, Atheresthes. 



