PEOCEEDIXGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 347 



Leugtli of head eontained 4^ times in that of the trunk ; head and 

 trunk together shorter than tail, and contained 2^ to 2^ times irj total 

 length. Pectoral very small, its length about equal to depth of gill- 

 opening. Dorsal beginning close behind nape, much in front of gill- 

 opening; fins lo^v; tail pointed, the tip sharp. 



Color light olive ; sides each with three series of large round brown 

 si)0ts, those of the two upper series of equal size, those of lower scarcely 

 half as large, faint, and often obsolete anteriorly; the spots irregular in 

 their arrangement, those of the upper series usually' twice as numerous 

 as those of the next; those of the upper series along base of dorsal flu 

 extending i^artly on the base of the tin; lower series of spots along base 

 of anal, some of them extending on the tin or even entirely upon it; on 

 the belly are sometimes small dark spots scarcely arranged in series. 

 Dorsal tin with a terminal series of dark spots, which are i>artly con- 

 fluent, the fin narrowly margined with w^hite. Anal reddish, with a 

 lighter margin. Pectoral with a blackish blotch. Head covered with 

 round black spots, which become smaller and more numerous towards 

 the snout. Lower jaw with dark spots. Iris light yellow. 



Several specimens, from 1 to 2 feet in length, were obtained. 



1-2. Ophichthys zophochir, sp. nov. (28280, 28277, 29220, 29239.) 



Allied to Ophicuthys parilis (Richardson) Giinther. 



Cleft of mouth wide, the snout much overlapping the loAver jaw; 

 length of ga|)e from tip of snout to angle of mouth contained 2^ times 

 in length of head. Teeth small, sharp, subequal, in two someAvhat irreg- 

 ular rows on each of the dentigerous bones ; points of the teeth diieced 

 backwards; no canines; patch of vomerine teeth long, the two series 

 converging backwards. Eye large, its diameter two-thirds the inter- 

 orbital width, which is slightly less than length of snout. Anterior pair 

 of nostrils at end of anterior third of snout, in a short tube, which is 

 less than oiio-third diameter of orbit and widened at ti]>. Posterior 

 nostrils large, below the anterior margin of the orbit, not tubular, bub 

 the margin with free dermal flaps. 



Gill-opening one-third wider than eye, its upper edge slightly above 

 middle of base of pectoral; length of slits slightly greater than the 

 isthmus between them. 



Tail long, very nearly twice as long as rest of body. Length of head 

 contained 2} times in that of trunk. 



Pectoral fin well developed, its length 2i in length of head, in adults; 

 proportionally longer in the young. Doisal tin beginning slightly in 

 advance of ti}) of pectorals, well developed, the rays distinct. Tip of 

 tail finless, moderately acute. 



Color olive brown, becoming jialer on sides, whitish below; snout 

 and mandible blackish, yellowish brown anteriorly; mandible with a 

 series of Idack pores below: throat yellowish, the color extending up on 

 the opercles. Pectoral blackish, its base pale. Anal with the distal 

 half black. Dorsal with a broad black margin. Length about two feet. 



