FISHES OF PUGET SOUND. 823 
middle of suborbital stay with a strong hooked spine; 
below the stay, on the naked area, are 2 or 3 plates with 
spines on their centers; angle of preopercle with a large 
sharp spine; along the lower edge of preopercle are 3 or 
4 blunt spines; a ridge of 4 spines running back from 
each eye, corresponding with the dorsal keels of body; 
below this on each side is a ridge, somewhat irregular but 
not broken into spines, terminating in a spine that points 
between the dorsal and upper lateral keel of body: a small 
ridge on upper edge of opercle which does not end ina 
spine; a few small spines around posterior edge of oper- 
cle; a few minute spines along median line of top of 
head, the upper part of the eye covered with minute 
prickles. .At the occiput is.a deep’ pit, broader and 
deeper than long, divided by a low ridge through its 
middle. 
Body with four ridges on each side, formed by the 
body plates, each plate ending in a strong recurved spine, 
except those of the abdominal ridge, which are smooth; 
arow of minute spines along median dorsal line from first 
dorsal to occiput; small spines following the lateral line; 
no trace of keels or spines in front of ventrals. The ab- 
dominal ridges are widest apart on the belly, they unite 
on the tenth plate in front of the caudal fin. The dorsal 
ridges unite on the ninth scale in front of the caudal fin, 
but the spines continue double to the tail; a row of sharp, 
small spines around the base of the pectoral and caudal 
fins. 
Dorsal spines slender, the fin highest in front, the sec- 
ond spine the longest, its tip reaching to the base of the 
next to the last spine when the fin is depressed; third dor- 
sal ray the highest, its tip reaching nearly to the last ray 
when depressed; the last ray is very short and adnate 
to the body for the whole of its length. Lower rays 
