92 Ni:W FISHES FROM PACIFIC COAST GILBERT. 



vertical from front of eye, 3^ in head. Teeth small, iu broad bauds on 

 jaws, vomer, aud palatiues. Gill membranes broadly united across 

 throat, joiued mesially to isthmus, and without free fold. Auterior 

 nostril with a short tube and ^-ithout flap. 



Nasal spines strongly developed. In front, on tip of snout, a small 

 broadly-triangular movable plate, bearing three spines diverging back- 

 wards, much smaller than nasal spines, and not overhanging i)remaxil- 

 lary. A pair of spines on sides of snout behind nostrils, two posteriorly 

 on suborbital process, one or two on a line with latter on prcopercular 

 margin. A large spine at upper posterior margin of orbit, two on 

 occipital ridge, and four on a lateral ridge behind eye, the latter in- 

 cluding spine on shoulder. A few other si)ines on head. A row of 

 usually four backward-directed spines on eyeball above pupil. Below 

 the bony bridge across cheeks a row of three tubercular plates, each, 

 or the two last, bearing a backward-directed spine. 



Two long barbels on end of maxillary, and one below on each side of 

 mandible. 



Distance of front of dorsal from nape equals length of snout and eye. 

 Distance between dorsals equals diameter of orbit. Front of anal 

 under interspace between dorsals. Pectorals deeply divided, the lower 

 four or five rays greatly thickened, in adults longer than the upper 

 rays, separated from them by a notch. Ventrals one third head. Pec- 

 torals 1^ in head. Caudal truncate, about half head. 



Plates cov^ering breast rather large, subangular, not spinous, each 

 with lines radiating from the elevated center. Plates on sides strongly 

 spinous, the series arranged as usual, with a dorsal and a ventral pair be- 

 coming single on caudal peduncle, and two lateral pairs. Eight plates in 

 front of dorsal fin, nine along basis of spinous dorsal, three between 

 dorsals, eight under soft dorsal, and sixteen on caudal peduncle. Lat. 

 line 43. 



Color : Dusky, without conspicuous markings, with four or five fiiint 

 dusky cross bars on back; a blackish blotch in axil. Caudal black, 

 narrowly white-edged. Dorsals dusky, darker towards tips, the soft 

 dorsal narrowly white-edged. Pectorals dusky. Ventrals white. 



Several specimens from station 3070, in 178 fathoms. 



52. Xenochirus latifrons sp. nov. 



Difiering from other species in the very short snout, the large eye, 

 the three spiues on snout, and in the branchiostegal membranes, which 

 are free posteriorly. 



Head, 4f in length ; depth half head. Eye 2i to 2a in head. D.VI 

 or VIl, 7; A. 7 or 8, V. L 2, P. 14 or 15. L. G inches. 



Interorbital space narrow, deeply channeled, without ridges, 3f in 

 orbit. Snout short, 3^ to 4 in head, broadly triangular, with a notable 

 depression between nasal spines and front of eyes. Mouth slightly 

 oblique, the lower jaw a little included, the maxillary reaching vertical 



