166 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL 3IUSEUM. vol.39. 



row (about 5-6) inclined inward, short and blunt; large intermaxillary 



teeth in outer row 6; Bmaller in inner row 10-12 L.fortidens. 



I?. Vomerine teeth little enlarged with mammiform crowns, 10 or thereabouts; 



palatine teeth weaker than in L. fortidens (about 8-9) L. latifrons. 



b^. Vomerine teeth scarcely enlarged and in two rows, separated by an elliptical 

 interval; palatine teeth of outer row (about 7) much stronger than those of 



inner (about 7) L. denticulatus . 



d?. Mandibular teeth uniserial (9-10), palatine and intermaxillary teeth few. 



Vomerine teeth few and subacute (about 5); palatine teeth of outer row (about 

 5-8) erect but curved, scarcely if any larger than those of inner (about 4-6) 

 which are suberect; intermaxillary teeth in outer row 4 (2+2) in inner row 

 6 (3+3) L. paticidens. 



Great as these differences are, in view of the range of variation 

 manifest in the related genus Anarrhiclias , it is not impossible that 

 they may intergrade and prove to be merely individual characteristics 

 within a single species. It would, however, be too violent a strain 

 on our present knowledge to anticipate such a result and the variants 

 are allowed provisional specific rank. Besides, it would scarcely be 

 expected that in a type like Lycichthys, in which the teeth are not 

 crowded, the teeth would be as irregular as in Anarrhichas, in which 

 the irregularity is to a great extent the consequence of crowding. 

 If, indeed, we were guided by the example of students of other group, 

 a distinct genus might be considered called for on account of the form 

 named L. paucidens distinguished by uniserial mandibular teeth while 

 the others have biserial teeth. 



According to Goode and Bean'^ "many specimens [of Lycichthys] 

 have been received from the halibut schooners," presumably from 

 "the deep waters in 200 to 400 fathoms on the offshore banks," but 

 unfortunately none except the two herein noticed have been pre- 

 served.^ It is much to be hoped that other specimens may be 

 received to enable us to understand the nature and value of the 

 differential characters in question. So far as known, there are no 

 external differences coincident with the dental, and consequently 

 suspicion of the taxonomic significance of the latter may be enter- 

 tained until confirmed or refuted. 



LYCICHTHYS FORTIDENS, new species. 



Anarrhichas latifrons Goode and Bean, Oceanic Ichthyology, 1895, p. 301, fig. 271. 



North Atlantic, in deep water, off the coasts of Maine and Nova 

 Scotia. 



Type 21845 Banquereau obtained at a depth of 300 fathoms by a 

 Gloucester fishing vessel, the Marion. 



« Oceanic Ichthyology, p. 302. 



&The specimen figured and subsequently made into a cast appears not to have 

 been preserved; it was 21373 of the collection. 



