PONTINUS FURCIRHINUS. 51 
rudimentary, the head is entirely covered with comparatively large scales, 
and the excavations in the skull for the lateral system are broad and 
shallow. In all respects it is evident this form is adapted to life at a great 
distance from the surface. 
SCORP ANID Al. 
Pontinus furcirhinus sp. n. 
Plate VII. 
Br rad; Di xa 9" (10);) A: To (6), V. I, os5Pe 17; Li 54 scales, 24 
pores; Vert. 24. The figure given on Plate VII. will recall that of Sebastes 
jilifer Val., a species to which the present evidently is somewhat closely 
related. The main outlines bear some resemblance to those of Sebastes 
macrochiy Giint. Body moderately elongate, much compressed, tapering 
rapidly behind the pectorals, rising to the greatest height at the third or the 
fourth dorsal spine, whence the outline descends steeply to the snout; 
width two thirds of the depth, the latter less than two sevenths of the total 
length. Head large, one third of the entire length, width equal to the 
depth at the occiput, rough with keels and spines; crown flattish, without 
a transverse groove, but with a faint transverse ridge at the end of the 
interorbital space; with a moderately deep longitudinal groove between 
the eyes, and a low prominence on the internarial space. On the cheeks 
there are two strong divergent spines, behind the opercle, the lower of 
which ends a keel across the operculum; the preopercle bears a strong in 
most cases doubled spine, a continuation of the infraorbital series of four 
spines rising from a ridge, and below this spine, commonly, there is a wide 
space in which the majority of the specimens have a very small spine close 
to the upper edge, which also in the larger individuals ends a low ridge from 
the mouth; below the space mentioned there is a series of three short 
spines of which the foremost is more or less completely hidden ; below the 
infraorbital ridge, above the maxillary, there are two strong hooked spines. 
At each side of the internarial space there is a small spine directed upward ; 
between the eyes above each orbit there is a series of four sharp spines, and 
behind each of these series there is a couple of stronger spines at the back 
of the head. Snout blunt, nearly as long as the eye, most prominent in 
the rounded groups of teeth on the intermaxillary. Eye large, nearly one 
fourth as long as the head, very prominent. Interorbital space a groove of 
