420 BULLETIN 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
The head, as usual, is deeper than wide, the erroneous statement 
to the contrary in the type description being due to the abnormal in- 
flation of the sides of the head. A few proportions follow: length 
of orbit, 3.8 in head; length of snout, 3.6 (3.8) ; least interorbital dis- 
tance, 4.1; length of upper jaw, 3.3; length of barbel, 0.6 length of 
orbit (in specimen from station 5609). A triangular portion of the 
interopercle is visible above and behind the rounded, denticulate 
margin of the preopercle; the ridge of the preopercle is produced 
backward as a rounded lobe. Number of branchiostegal rays, 6. 
Five rows of scales occupy the region between the lateral line series 
and the front of the second dorsal. 
The ventral fins are inserted well behind the pectorals, directly 
below the origin of the first dorsal. The distance between the inser- 
tion of the ventrals and the center of the anus is very short, being 
about equal to the length of the snout, and shorter than the distance 
between the ventral base and the isthmus. 
The buccal cavity is lined with dusky, but is lighter behind the cor- 
ners of the mouth; the branchial and abdominal cavities are lined 
with bluish black. 
The type-figure, referred to above, is rather inaccurately drawn; 
the snout is represented too long, and the ventral fins are inserted 
too far forward. 
This aberrant species is certainly not closely related, as Radcliffe 
was led to believe, to Macrurus petersonii Alcock, a species which in- 
habits comparatively shallow water and belongs to a genus quite dis- 
tinct, namely Ventrifossa. 
Table of measurements in hundredths of length to anus. 
Type. |Paratype. 
Albatross Station . 42%... -saen eee cee cc see aerate cee erie eerste aes annie terete seater 5608 5609 
Totalleng thax mime. Vseeeasee cae sealers oe ee 1188 166+ 
Length to anus in mm......-. cee 62 55 
Length of head...........--- 70 70 
Mength OLorbit ees ssssee ect - 18 19 
Width of interorbital........-- 17 18 
Width of saberbitalls ns. asst ne tee Sacer eae Scie alee eel eine eee eee eine tee 11 11 
Orbit to préopercle. 23 5.322 stents nan ses oe eee sae ce eee ani see seen alee siete ee 31.5 32 
Je WO UC eOl pean Aenean ecbee acco: cecoondeacecche *aeeoos aoc Has snas (ons seen a secre 20 20 
d Deiat eg Woy 510) Of: DE a ae Ree eee cc eae ease pees DOBCo ae CS eee comScbosh ene Sa. 22 22 
Tenet hiof banbelesc sox cmees ~ sa ae Seater iat eel eases are ester te ree 11 13 
Depth Ol DOG yee conc. i- scene <meta alere aint ae er oe et 51 57 
Widthiofibod'y 6 255. cca ts ae. == Stee ase oo este Sin a cla ci Te eae lea eee ear ee Teer ees eR A 
SAMUS FO Ventral s.ccncoaiseasise cee cee eee Bim cicatate Seigicicra aw aatd See ee eons seas 22 21 
Ventralto isthmus. 26.226 555-22 Seo awe ce at ca an eee eee eae ete Some ase oe 27.5 30 
Length of first dorsal baseia8.¢ 522-2 aene saene ace ence ne hanes See are eae 18 18 
Length of pectoral 0 sees cen cea dees comes tesco cee se)te tees asin ais|t eestor 34 30 
Tength of oliter ventral Tay/-.2— sae e ie nett aisiese ee aisle a eee Rene een eee 62 63 
Length of'second ventral rays... 22% vs ons see see ceil ese ets aieleispe aioe oan atone 25 Sl eee 
1 A small pseudocaudal developed. 
(aequatoris, in reference to the type locality, which is nearly 
under the equator.) 
