'°l89o"''] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM 91 



50. Xenochirus tiiacanthus sp. nov. 



Characterized by its loug snout, bearing three spines, its small eyes, 

 the gill membranes without free fold, the cheeks with plates below the 

 bony bridge. 



Head 4f to 5 in length ; depth slightly less than half liead. Eye 3 

 in head. Maxillary 3j| in head. D. V or VI-G or 7 ; A. G, P. 13, Y. T, 

 2. Lat. 1. 41. Length 7 inches. 



Interorbital spac ^ narrow, ridgeless, channeled, 3J in orbit. Snout 

 long, less depressed than usual behind the nasal spines, 3i in head, its 

 h'ugth equaling its greatest width. Mouth horizontal, the lower jaw 

 but slightly included, the maxilhiry not reaching vertical from front of 

 orbit, 3f in head. Teeth in broad bands in jaws and on vomer and 

 palatines. Two n'sal and one terminal spine on snout, well developed, 

 the widely triangular base of the latter only slightly overhanging i)re- 

 maxillaries. Tiiree to five spines on eyeball. A supraocular spine 

 present, two on occipital ridge, one on paroccipital lidge, two on pre- 

 opercular margin, the lower broadly triangular, but with spine like tip. 

 One spine on bridge across cheeks. Three plates, with centrally radi- 

 ating stri«, but without spines, below bony bridge across cheeks. 



Gill membranes broadly joined to isthmus, without free fold. Five 

 or six small bony plates mesially on branchiostegal membranes. 



Two or three long thick barbels at tip of maxillary, and three smaller 

 pairs on lower side of mandible. 



Distance from front of dorsal to nape equals length of head behind 

 front of eye. Distance between dorsals, 1 J in orbit. Caudal truncate, 

 about half head. Pectorals deeply notched, the four lower rays 'hick- 

 ened, the two upper of these elongate, 1| in head. Ventrals short, 2^ 

 in head. 



Plates spinous, and arranged as usual ; seven before dorsal, seven 

 under spinous dorsal, two between dorsals, seven under soft dorsal, 

 sixteen or seventeen on back of tail. Lat. I. 41. Plates covering breast 

 subangular, the center little elevated, not spinous, weakly striate. 



Color: Olivaceous, witli traces of darker cross-bars on back. Fins 

 white or somewhat dusky, uuuiarked, the dorsal not black-margined. 



From stations 2893, 2973, and 3059, in 145, 6S, and 77 fathoms. 



51. Xenochirus pentacanthus sp. nov. 



Head 43 in length ; depth 2^ in head. D. yiI-7 ; A. 8. V. I, 2; P. 15. 



Length, Gi inches. 



No decided pit on nape or occiput, the region behind eyes and behind 

 occiput slightly depressed and concave. Bye large, longer than snout, 

 3 in head. Interorbital area narrow, grooved, with two low ridges, its 

 width one-fourth diameter of orbit. Snout rather long, 3i in head, 

 flat, the area behind nasal spines mncAi depressed, concave. 



Mouth horizontal, the jaws equal, the maxillary scarcely reaching 



