216 DEEP SEA FISHES. 
Macrurus tenuicauda sp. n. 
Plate XLIX. fiy. 1. 
Br. r 7-6) D. 10=9°-- 2 Aca 1A Vi Sebo: 
Form somewhat like that of WM. flicauda Giint., but more slender, with 
wider and longer snout, larger eye, smaller mouth, and rough scales. Body 
compressed ; tail very slender ; total length about five times the length of the 
head, nine times the greatest depth, or nearly four times the distance from the 
end of the snout to the first anal ray. Head rather elongate, about as wide as 
high, subtriangular in transverse section, narrow and convex across the nape 
or the crown, wide and sharp-angled at the suborbital ridge and the rostral 
edges, broad and pointed forward. Snout prominent, sharp pointed, wide 
across the lower surface, which is flat and straight, arched across the top, 
with pronounced angles in front of the nostrils each like the median angle 
bearing a small bunch or rosette of spines. Orbital ridges diverging and 
turning abruptly outward in front of the nares, with branches backward as 
if to meet at the nape in an acute angle. Length of snout one and one 
third times that of the eye. Interorbital space convex transversely ; crown 
straight from the nape to the end of the snout. Eye large, hardly three 
fourths as long as the snout, four fifteenths of the length of the head. 
From the end of the snout to the intermaxillary is not much less than from 
the same point to the eye. Mouth small, inferior; the end of the maxil- 
lary subtends three fifths of the eye. Teeth very small, in short villiform 
bands, subequal; those of the lower jaws crowded near to the symphysis. 
Suborbital angle prominent, sharp, continued to the preopercle. Branchios- 
teval rays commonly seven, frequently six; in each case there are seven 
either on one side or the other or on both sides. Barbel very small, slender, 
nearly one fourth as long as the eye. The rostrum has the appearance of 
bifureation at the tip. First dorsal with nine or ten rays, anterior above 
the axil of the pectoral, second with prominent and sharp prickles; base 
about as long as the eye, or the interspace between the dorsals. Second 
dorsal low and feeble. Anal well developed, originating below the hind ex- 
tremity of the base of the first dorsal. Vent at two thirds of the distance 
from the bases of the ventrals to the base of the anal. Pectorals and ven- 
trals small, bases of the latter below those of the former. Tail slender and 
thread-like backward. Scales medium, rough, with four to five equal keels 
each of which bears minute serrations or spines. Cephalic ridges roughened 
