IIAMRFT. 



411 



a distance from the ti|i of tlie snout tliat is ahoiit ('(iumI 

 to the longitiicliiial diaiiictci' oi' the eyes. The nostrils 

 of the l)lin(l side are set at the same distance from tlie 

 ti|) of the snout and in the same relative position to 

 <';ich other, the anterioi' being also furnished posteriorly 

 with a more or less nearly semitubulnr (ksrmal flap; 

 and are situated at the up])er margin of tlie head, 

 where the coloration of the eye side generally extends 

 some wa\- oxer tlu' Mind side. The jnw-hones of both 

 sides of the body are fairly similar to each other in 

 sha|)e, and show a great likeness to the corresjjonding 

 bones in the (iadldcc. The greatest asj-mmetry appears 

 in the intermaxillary bones, the length of the inter- 

 maxillary bone of the eye side being sometimes only 

 ^/.- of that of the intermaxillary- bone of the blind side. 

 The nasal processes of these bones project above their 

 upper margins '/.j (on the blind side) or '/a (on the 

 eye side) of the length of the bones themselves. Behind, 

 in their upj)er mai'gin — at t^vo thirds of the distance 

 along the intermaxillary bone of the eye side and half- 

 wa^' along that of the blind side — they are raised 

 into a sharp projection, which evidently corresponds to 

 the upright, more or less lobate process on the hind 

 part of the intermaxillary l)ones in several Gadoid spe- 

 cies. The maxillary bones are furnished with a similar 

 l)ut more process-like projection at the upper margin, 

 at the end of the first third of their length. These 

 bones differ (n\\\ slightly from each other on both sides 

 of the bod\', and the broadened hind extremity of the 

 maxillary bone of the eye side extends back to a point 

 almost vertically below the anterior margin of the pu- 

 pil of the lower e-\e, or, in older specimens, below the 

 middle of this eye. The branches of the lower jaw 

 ai'e also much alike, the length of that of the eye side 

 beinfj at least i)2 — 97 % of that of the blind side; and 

 their length, which is about 11 or 12 ?& of the length 

 of the l)odv, is always somewhat less than half that of 

 the head. The jaw-teeth resemble the teeth of a snake, 

 and in old specimens are set in several rows — in the 

 lower jaAv as many as 4, and on the front of the inter- 

 maxillar-\- bones 5 — but in young specimens they are 

 set in a single row in the lower jaw, and in two rows 

 onh' at the extreme front of the intermaxillary liones. 

 The pharyngeal teeth are like the jaw-teeth. On the six 

 upper pharyngeals (three on each side) they are set in 

 transverse rows, two rows on each bone or, in old spe- 

 cimens at least, three rows on each of the middle pair. 

 On each of the lower i)liar\ngeals, which resemble 



branchial arches, tlu- teeth are set in two longitudinal 

 rows, the outer row Ix'iug composed of smaller but 

 more numerous teeth. The gill-rakers are comparatively 

 short and scattered, but strong and denticulated. Tliey 

 arc set in a single row and almost exclusively on the 

 lower part of the anterior margin of the branchial 

 arches. On the fii'st arch, however, which is furnished 

 with from 7 to i) gill-rakers, one of the lattei', more 

 like a tubercle tiian a spine, is sometimes set on the 

 upper ])art. Even Kkover I'einarkcd the small, denti- 

 culated splinters of bone, arranged more or less re- 

 gularly in sipiares, that lie in the skin beside the 

 branchial arches themselves, and render the latter i-ough 

 to the touch. These splinters are usually most distinct 

 on the outside of the lower pharyngeals. The hind 

 (lower) i^art of the uroh}oid bone is sharply falciform, 

 with the ])oint directed foi'ward, as usual; and is almost 

 as long as the straight anterior (upper) part of this 

 bone. The entire bone lies free, almost half-way be- 

 tween the clavicular and the hvoid bones, united bj' 

 muscles to the front of the lower end of the former 

 and by a round ligament, as usual, to the under sur- 

 face of the latter. The distance between its lower end, 

 which is curved forward, and the lower end of the 

 clavicular bone is about equal to the distance between 

 the latter and the first ray of the ventral tin. Within 

 its rounded angle, open in front, lies the middle part 

 of the margin of the branchiostegal niend;)rane, which 

 is united from each side of the body, but ^\•ith this 

 exception free. The branchiostegal membrane and its 

 rays — 7 on each side, the two anterior ones being 

 partly united at the tip — conform to the usual Hete- 

 rosomatous type. The gill-openings extend upwards to 

 a level with tiie inferior margin of the upper eye. The 

 operculum forms an ecjuilateral ti-iangle, with the upper 

 posterior side convex and the lower posterior concave, 

 and in this sinus lies the suboperculum, which is 

 pointed at the top, and juts upwards almost into the der- 

 mal opercular flap. The preoperculum is rectangular, 

 but the angular point is evenly rounded, without any 

 distinct acuteness. The postorbital part of the head 

 measures between about 14 and 15 '/^ % of the length 

 of the body. 



The dorsal tin begins above the anterior jjart of 

 the upper eye, usually in a line with the anterior 

 margin of the pnpil, in other cases somewhat in front 

 of this point or at a distance from the tip of the snout 

 that measures 6' ., or 7 % of the length of the body, 



