^°i8S)o'."'] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 59 



(lal, the secoud ray bifid. Yentrals posteriorly inserted. Anal small. 

 Dorsal not elevated. Pectorals uniform black without white markings. 

 Veutrals white, dorsals dusky. Caudal jet-black on basal portion of 

 both lobes, the termiual third abruptly white. 



Specijic description : Head 4- in length ; depth G. 



D. 13 ; A. 10. Lat. 1., about 45. 



Snout short, 3f in head; mandible scarcely protruding, wide at tip, 

 with a narrow band of small teeth. Teetli along edge of premaxilhiries 

 in a single series. Vomer with a narrow patch, palatines with a wide 

 patch of well-developed teeth, similar to those in jaws. No teeth on 

 tongue. 



Preorbital about as wide as pupil ; distance from tip of snout to end 

 of maxillary equals length of snout. Eye large, 3J in head. Inter- 

 orbital width 3 in head. 



Distance from front of dorsal to base of middle of caudal rays equals 

 half its distance from posterior margin of pupil. Length of dorsal 

 base equals two-thirds length of head, the highest ray 2§ in head. 



Origin of anal under middle of dorsal, its base equaling snout and 

 half eye, the last ray nearly under last dorsal ray. Lower lobe of cau- 

 dal 3^ in length; the upper slightly less than head. Origin of veutrals 

 half way between base of caudal and preopercular margin, the tip 

 reaching base of third anal ray, a trifle shorter than head. 



First pectoral ray five eighths the longest ; second ray deeply forked, 

 the third and fourth apparently the longest (the tips slightly mutilated.) 

 The fin extends beyond dorsal, and falls short of the caudal by a trifle. 



Color in spirits : Black above, becoming abruptly silvery on middle 

 of sides. Pectorals jet-black within, overlaid by some silvery luster 

 without. Median ventral rays black, the inner and outer white. Dor- 

 sal dusky, without distinctive marks. Anal white. Caudal black on 

 basal portion of both lobes, the remaining third white. 



A single specimen, 9i inches long, in good state of preservation, 

 taken from a booby-bird on Clarion Islaud. 



14. Melamphaes lugubris sp. nov. 



Head very broad and heavy, the snout extremely broad and short, 

 its anterior profile nearly vertical. Mouth very oblique, the lower jaw 

 protruding beyond the upper, the premaxiUaries anteriorly on level of 

 lower margin of puiiil, the maxillary reaching vertical from its posterior 

 margin, 2f in head; snout 4i, its width equaling the length of snout 

 and eye; interorbital width 2f ; eye Gi. 



Teeth minute, uniform, in a single series in upper jaw and in front of 

 mandible, the lower jaw laterally with a narrow band. Vomer and 

 palatines toothless. 



Interorbital space strongly convex, as well as rest of head deeply ex- 

 cavated for mucous canals, which are covered with a very delicate 

 integument conspicuously marked with fine parallel or radiating striae. 



