ICHTHYOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 427 



lateral folds, the less complete investment of the tins with prickly scales, and above 

 all in the peculiar coloration of the male. 



Dorsal x or xi, 23 to 26 ; anal 24 to 26 ; caudal 12 ; pectoral 18 ; ventral i, 3 ; lateral 

 line 48 to 50; brauchiostegals 6. 



Description: Bod j^ heavy at shoulders, tapering rapidly to the slender caudal 

 peduncle. Depth, Gin length ; depth of caudal peduncle, one-fourth its length from 

 base of last dorsal ray. Head, 3f to 3| in length ; its greatest width slightly less 

 than its depth; its lower profile straight, the upper descending in a gentle, oven 

 curve. Mouth nearly horizontal, the maxillary almost reaching vertical from middle 

 of eye, 2^ to 2^ in head. Villiform teeth on jaws and vomer, none on palatines. 

 Snout longer than eye, 3^ to 3^ in head; eye, 3^ to 3*. Supraorbital rim slightly 

 elevated, a groove-like depression behind it. Interorbital space rather wide, forming 

 a shallow groove; its width 3t to 5 in diameter of orbit. Occipital ridges obsolete, 

 a faint trace of them sometimes present, never ending in a spine. Opercle with 4 

 spinous points, the lowermost directed downward and forward, the others radiating 

 downward and backward. Brauchiostegal membranes broadly united, free from the 

 isthmus. 



Longest dorsal spine, 3t to 4 in head. Base of spinous dorsal, l-i% to 1^ in head; 

 base of soft dorsal, 2| to 3 in length of head and body ; base of anal, 2-i% in head and 

 body. Caudal slightly emarginate, 2,Vf in head. Head and upper part of body 

 densely covered with very tine prickles, much finer than in T. scepticus. The lower 

 side of head, the maxillaries and a narrow strip along the lower side of cheeks 

 naked. The usual series of enlarged prickles along the base of dorsals. Lateral 

 folds few in number, scarcely exceeding the scutes of the lateral line. They leave a 

 wide, naked strip along the base of anal and do not encircle the caudal peduncle 

 below. Breast with 5 or 6 cross folds similar to those on sides. The scales along 

 margins of folds very small, those of successive folds widely separated, not over- 

 lapping, as in T. scepticus. 



Color: Light olive brown above, whitish on lower jiarts of sides and below; the 

 breast and belly, including area in front of pectorals, silvery. Back crossed with 

 four saddle-shaped black blotches, most distinct in the males. The first of these is 

 under the middle of the spinous dorsal and extends obliquely forward to the upper 

 axil of pectorals. The second and third are under the soft dorsal, narrowing rapidly 

 downward to lateral line. The fourth is on the back of caudal peduncle. In males, 

 the lower ends of these crossbars are connected by a narrow lengthwise jet-black 

 streak extending from shoulder below lateral line nearly to base of caudal. The 

 narrow interval between this streak and lateral line is occupied by a bright silvery 

 streak, interrupted by the dark crossbars. A black blotch at base of upper and one 

 at base of lower caudal rays, and a small black spot near tips of the outer caudal 

 rays; the fin otherwise unmarked. An indistinct, dusky blotch below the eye, and 

 a dusky streak along under side of suborbital stay, extending forward along the 

 margin of the preorbital, to tip of snout. A blotch on middle of maxillary and 

 upper lip. Front of lower lip dusky. A dark blotch on opercle, and a dusky bar on 

 brauchiostegal membranes. 



In the females the general pattern of coloration is the same, but the darker mark- 

 ings are less distinct, and the l)lack lateral streak of the males is represented by a 

 disconnected series of irregular dark blotches and vermiculations. In both sexes 

 the dorsals and pectorals are crossed by narrow, dusky bars, formed by series of dark 

 streaks on the rays. Mouth whitish. Gill-cavity silvery white, except the lining of 

 opercle and outer half of branchiostegal membrane, which is dusky. 



Taken very abundantly at the following stations, located both north and south of 

 the Aleutian Islands and in Bristol Bay : 3214, 3217, 3220, 3231, 3232, 3233, 3235, 3237, 

 3238, 3241, 3248, 32.50, 3264, 32«i5, 327.5, 3281, 3284, 3287, 3289, 3290, 3291, 3294, 3296, 3298, 

 3300, 3302. The depths range from 7^ to 42 fathoms. Specimens 82 to 140 mm. in 

 length. 



