"'i'8jo'"'] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 109 



ou jaws, vomer, aud palatines. Eye 3f iu bead ; snout 4f ; iuterorbital 

 width two-thirds eye. Gill-rakers sleuder, the longest one-fourth eye, 

 four developed. Tip of snout with a stroug, concealed spine, as in 

 L. prorates. Opercle ending in a short spine. 



Nape midway between front of dorsal aud front of pupil. Dorsal be- 

 ginning over middle of pectorals, which are 2^ in head. Ventral 

 filaments very short; the inner the longest, 4f in head. 



Scales very small, about two hundred in a longitudinal series extend- 

 ing forwards on top of head to middle of iuterorbital space. Cheeks 

 and opercles scaly. 



A single specimen, from Station 3014, in 29 fathoms. 



73. Leptophidium microlepis sp. nov. 



Closely related to L. prorates^ differing principally in the much smaller 

 scales. 



Head 4| in length ; depth 7 J to 8. 



Rostral spine very stroug as in prorates. Eye 4J to 5 in head ; 

 snout 5; iuterorbital width Oi ; maxillary extending beyond orbit, 2;^ 

 to 2^. 



Outer teeth enlarged, not at all movable, those in upper jaw largest. 

 Four gill-rakers developed, the longest 3i iu eye. Opercle ending in a 

 short concealed spinous point. 



Dorsal iuserted in front of middle of pectorals, the distance from nape 

 to front of dorsal usually less than from nape to middle of eye. Longest 

 ventral filament 3^ to 3i in length of head. Pectorals 2^ to 2h in head. 



Scales exceedingly small, regularly imbricated, in about two hundred 

 and fifty transverse series, thirty-five transverse series between nape 

 and dorsal (about one hundred and seventy-five transverse rows in pro- 

 rates, twenty-five series between nape and dorsal). Top of head scaly 

 as far as front of eyes. Cheeks and opercles scaly. 



Color as iu prorates., the lining of peritoneum and gill cavity silvery 

 white, the former with little or no black specking. 



Many specimens, the longest 14 inches, from Stations 3015 aud 3016, 

 iu 145 and 76 fathoms. 



74. Leptophidium stigmatistium sp. nov. 



Much resembling L. prorates, differing in dentition, in gill-rakers, aud 

 in color. 



A stroug rostral spine. Head 4^ iu length; depth 9:^. Eye 4J in 

 head; suout6; iuterorbital width 6i; maxillary reaching slightly beyond 

 posterior border of eyes 2J in head. Outer teeth scarcely eularged, 

 evidently so only in front of upper jaw. Gill-rakers long and slender, 

 strongly curved forwards at tip, the longest equaling one-half eye; 

 seven well developed rakers present. Opercle ending in a rounded 

 process, a broad soft fiap projecting beyond it. 



Dorsal iuserted behind middle of pectorals, the nape equidistant fiom 



