730 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



very small, in villiforin bauds; none on vomer or palatines; lower parts 

 of head with barbels; gill-membranes united to the isthmus, uot form- 

 ing a fold across it. Plates of body armed with spines; spinous dorsal 

 present. Ventral rays I, 2. (-w^c, foot; Oq/.Tj^ box, from a supposed 

 groove for the reception of the ventrals.) 



1119. P. vnlsus J. &■ G. 



Dark brown, with 7 to 9 darker cross-bars, extending on the fins; 

 pectorals black, with whitish edging and a pale blotch near base ; other 

 fins chiefly black, the anal with whitish edging; belly white. Body 

 very elongate, broader than high. Head triangular, the profile irregu- 

 lar, the snout pointed. Mouth fl -shaped, entirely inferior, the maxil- 

 lary reaching front of puj)il; distance from ijremaxillaries to tip of 

 rostral spines, about half length of snout; maxillary, interopercle, and 

 branchiostegals, with scattered cirri, these fewer and smaller than in 

 P. acipenserimis ; none on lower side of snout. Bye large, as long as 

 snout, 3J in head; the orbital rim prominent all around. Spines of 

 head more numerous than in the other Agonidw. Snout with two 

 strong spines directed forwards, two large ones behind them directed 

 upwards, then two smaller ones; orbital ridge elevated and serrated, 

 with a preocular and a supraocular spine; behind the latter, a ridge 

 armed with two spines on each side, separated from the first plates of 

 the dorsal series by a deep quadrangular pit; a row of minute, erect 

 si)ines on median line of back and toi? of head ; a sharp, serrated, tem- 

 poral ridge, with four spines; opercle with a strong rib and several 

 spines; suborbital stay with an irregular prominent ridge; preopercle 

 with three principal spines and some smaller ones; suborbital narrow, 

 half width of eye, extremely uneven, armed with small spines and 

 tubercles; more than 70 spines and tubercles on the head. Plates of 

 body all striate, those above and on sides ending each in a sharp 

 spine; breast with about six polygonal plates, on each side of which 

 are the plates of the abdominal series; bases of caudal and pectorals 

 with small spines. Ventrals short, the vent near the middle of their 

 length. Head 4; depth 8. D. IX-7; A. 9; Lat. 1. 40. L. 4 J inches. 

 Deep water, off San Francisco; not common. 



{Afjonus vulsus Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. iii, 30.3, 1880.) 



1120. P. acipenseriBius (Tiles.) GiU.— Alligator flsh. 



Brown with darker marblings and narrow vertical streaks; fins oliva- 

 ceous, more or less marbled with dark ; ventrals plain, black in <? j a 



