ICHTHYOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 415 



riorly on occiput, and one occupying tips of occipital spines. The pair on opercles 

 can not be made out. 



Armature of body as in less strongly scaled specimens of I. vicinalis. Lateral line 

 provided with the usual spinous scales, 43 to 44 in ntimber; 40 scales in the dorsal 

 series, which extends to base of caudal. Above it is a rather crowded irregular series 

 of smaller scale-liko prickles, some of which are larger than the others and alter- 

 nate rather regularly with the plates of the principal series ; posteriorly the smaller 

 of the upper series are absent, the alternating larger ones alone present. Ten or 

 twelve small spinous plates are irregvilarly disposed l)etween lateral line and dorsal 

 series. A patch of spinous plates behind pectorals. 



Color evidently as in /. vicinalis, though very greatly faded from exposure to light. 

 The back shows traces of two dark crossbars under soft dorsal; one occupies end of 

 caudal peduncle, and a very indistinct one extends downward from spinous dorsal, 

 which is black posteriorly. Belly, and under parts generally, dusted with fine 

 black specks, the isthmus becoming abruptly white. Nostril tube white. Subocular 

 region blackish, the color continued forward onto the preorbital, opposite the front 

 end of which it crosses upper and lower lip. A dark blotch on maxillary in advance 

 of tip. Pectorals dusky. 



55. Icelus scutiger Bean. 



This species is distinguished from all others in the genus by the absence of the 

 series of enlarged spinous plates along the base of the dorsal hn. Our specimens 

 agree with the types in having the sides above lateral lines densely covered with 

 scales. These are not uniform in size, and are arranged in rather irregular oblique 

 series. The sides behind iiectorals contain larger spinous plates, and the tail below 

 lateral line is densely scaled, leaving only a narrow naked strip along each side of 

 anal base. As stated, the upper half of head is densely covered with small prickles. 

 As in other species of Icelus, the upper preopercular spine may be simple or bifur- 

 cate. The latter condition obtains in most of our specimens. All of the preopercular 

 spines are weaker than in other species of the genus. 



Compared with the nearest allies, I. euryops and I. canaliculatus, the species is 

 further distinguished by its more robust body (the depth approximately 5 in length 

 instead of nearly 6), by the smaller eye (in which the snout is contained 1^ times 

 instead of nearly twice), the narrower interorbital space, the very slight develop- 

 ment of the occipital crests, the obsolescence of the occipital spines, and the great 

 height of the spinous dorsal fin in the male specimens. It has also a shorter second 

 dorsal tin, the formula in 11 specimens being ix-19, ix-19, ix-19, ix-19, ix-19, ix-20, 

 x-19, x-19, x-20, x-20, x-20. It has less the appearance of a deep-water species, 

 the mucous canals and pores being less conspicuous and the color lighter, with no 

 brownish-black or blue-black tints. In alcoholic specimens the upper parts are light 

 brown, the lower side of head and belly, including the ventral fins, whitish. A 

 vertical black bar occupies base of upper half of pectorals, a streak extending from 

 its lower end out along middle ray of fin. The black bars characteristic of its con- 

 geners are here represented by irregular, rather sharply defined blotches on back 

 and sides. These extend also onto spinous and soft dorsal fins. A distinct dark 

 streak runs forward from eye, crossing premaxillaries, and leaving tip of snout pale. 

 Mouth and gill-cavities white. 



Numerous specimens were taken at station 3339, south of the Alaskan Peninsula, 

 at a depth of 138 fathoms. 



56. Icelinus borealis sp. nov. (Plate 25.) 



Very similar to /. oculatus, but differing in the large size of the preopercular spine, 

 the smaller, less elliptical, eye, the wider interocular space less abruptly expanding 

 anteriorly, the lower occipital ridges, and in the much smaller size. 



Body slender, tapering rapidly backward to caudal peduncle, whose least depth 

 is 3f to 4i in its length ; depth 4f to 5^ in length, in specimens If to 3i inches long. 



