306 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
wide, with one or two series of rather large, thin cycloid scales. These 
scales perhaps covered the cheeks also-in life. At present no other 
scales are present on the head in the typical example. Lower jaw promi- 
nent, projecting in front, but included at the sides. Teeth in jaws only, 
minute, sharp, closely and evenly set, much as in IJcosteus enigmaticus, 
but rather larger and less numerous. 
Eyes large, lateral, longer than snout, their diameter contained about 
4 times in the length of the head. Cheeks rather wide. Preopercle 
with a prominent crest, behind which are some radiating mucous eavi- 
ties; the bone with a broad, prolonged, flexible membranaceous edge, 
covered with radiating strix, each of which ends in a slightly exserted 
flexible point. Opercle and subopercle rather large, extremely thin, and 
each crossed by numerous conspicuous radiating strive. 
Gill-openings wide, not separated by an isthmus, the membranes not 
eonnected. Pseudobranchie present. Branchiostegals 7. Gill-rakers 
long, slender, sharp, their length nearly three-fourths the diameter of 
the eye. They are rather close-set and moderately stiff. Gills 4, a 
slight slit behind the posterior gill. 
No bony stay connecting suborbital and preopercle. 
Scales very small, apparently cycloid, soft and smooth to the touch, 
covering the body evenly, but becoming smaller below. Lateral line 
nearly straight, apparently continuous, but not conspicuous on the mid- 
dle part of the body. It does not run up on the caudal fin. There are 
on it no traces of the spinules, so conspicuous in Icosteus wnigmaticus. 
Seales (too small to be accurately counted) in about 120 transverse 
series. 
Dorsal fin long and low, beginning opposite a point nearly midway 
between the vent and the base of the ventrals; the number of rays 39 
to 40. All the rays are soft and articulated, and apparently all except 
the first are branched. The first rays are very low, the fin gradually 
rising posteriorly, the highest about one-third the length of the head. 
The base of the fin is somewhat scaly. 
Anal fin entirely similar, but shorter, beginning slightly in front of 
the middle of the body (without caudal), and ending just in front of the 
last rays of the dorsal; its rays about 28. 
Caudal broad, fan-shaped, on a slender peduncle; the accessory rays 
numerous and recurrent. The fin is broken, so that its outline cannot 
be ascertained. 
Pectorals as in Icosteus, with the carpal bones slightly exserted, as if 
pedunculate, the base a little below the axis of the body, the outline 
rounded. The fin is short and small, its length less than that of the 
head. 
Ventrals short and small, thoracic, placed a little behind pectorals, 
with one obsolete spine and five soft rays, one of which is slightly fila- 
mentous. The fin is about one-third the length of the head. 
Fin rays not beset with spinules. 
