146 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Stichaeus ? Rothrocki, n. s. 



Seventeen small individuals of the family Sticliceidce were obtained in 

 Plover Bay and at Cape Lisburne, the largest of them being only 36 

 millimeters long. The lateral lines are undeveloped, so that I cannot 

 with certainty decide whether my species is a Stichwus or a Eumeso- 

 grammns, but the resemblance to Stichceus punctatus appears to me suffi- 

 ciently great to warrant me in referring it to the same genus. 



Catalogue numbers of the types : 27565, Head of Plover Bay, Siberia ; 

 27580, Port Providence, Plover Bay ; 27573, Cape Lisburne, Alaska, Arc- 

 tic Ocean. 



Br. YI; D. 48-49; A. I, 34-35; V. I, 4; P. 15; C. 21. 



The height of the body equals the length of the head without the 

 snout, and is contained 6 times in the total length without caudal. The 

 length of the head is contained 4^ times in total without caudal. Snout 

 subconical, equal to eye, which is ^ as long as the head. Distance be- 

 tween the eyes equals length of snout. The maxilla reaches the vertical 

 through the anterior margin of the pupil. The nostrils are midway be- 

 tween the eye and the end of the snout. The dorsal begins in the ver- 

 tical through the upper axil of the pectoral, and is connected by a low 

 membrane with the caudal. The anal begins under the 14th dorsal 

 spine, and, like the dorsal, is subcontinuous with the caudal. The pec- 

 toral is comparatively short and broad, its length being equal to the 

 height of the body, and to that of the head without the snout. Vent- 

 rals short, only ^ as long as the head and less than half as long as the 

 pectorals; they are placed very close together. The distance of the 

 vent from the snout is contained nearly 3 times in the total length with 

 the caudal. The longest dorsal spines are equal to half the height of 

 the body. The longest anal rays are about § as long as the longest 

 spines of the dorsal. The expanded caudal is slightly emarginate, in which 

 the species differs from S. punctatus and Eumesogramnnus subblfurcatus. 

 Teeth in the jaws and apparently on the vomer and palatine bones. 

 Branchiostegal membrane deeply cleft, free from the isthmus. 



Colors. — Body very light brown, intermingled with numerous light 

 spots in three series (supra-lateral, median, and infra-lateral), those of 

 the median series in some individuals being longer and narrower tl an 

 those of the other two series. The largest light spots of the supra-la.- 

 era! series are about f as large as the eye. On the top of the back, tra- 

 versed by the basis of the dorsal fin, is a series of 10 or 11 whitish 

 spots, the anterior ones being about as large as the eye. A dark stripe 

 around the nose, and continued behind the eye to the end of the oper- 

 culum. A very narrow dark stripe running along the base of the dorsal, 

 its lower margin seeming to mark the course of the superior lateral line. 

 In some individuals the origin of each anal ray is marked by a minute 

 dark point. Body covered with minute scales. 



If, as I suspect, the developed form of the species shows but one lat- 

 eral line running along the whole length of the dorsal and not far re- 



