632 A NEW FISH TO NORTE AMEBIC A— BEAN AND BEAN. vol. xvii. 



Brancliiostegals mucli curved, four in number. The dorsal begins at a 

 distance from the nape equal to the postorbital part of the head, the 

 origin being" about over the end of the extended pectoral. The ventral 

 reaches farther back than the pectoral, and is longer than that fin, its 

 length equaling postorbital part of head. The distance of the vent 

 from the tij) of the snout equals somewhat more than three times the 

 length of the head; it is under the interspace between the last spine 

 and first ray of the dorsal, with a small genital papilla behind it. The 

 caudal is very long and tapering, one and two-thirds times as long as 

 the head. The dorsal spines are long and slender, the fifth nearly as 

 long as the postorbital j)art of the head. The second dorsal ray is 

 slightly longer. The anal rays are about as long as those of the dor- 

 sal. The scales are thin, not imbricated, except on the jiosterior part 

 of the head, where they are long and elliptical in shape. The head 

 and breast are naked. 



Color. — The colors have faded out in alcohol; the ground color 

 appears to have been light brown, with darker blotches on the median 

 line of the body under the spinous portion of the dorsal and the 

 anterior part of the soft dorsal. 



The specimen here described was obtained in the Gulf of Mexico 

 and presented to the Museum by Mr. Eobert S. I^ay, of New Orleans, 

 La. It was received June 30, 1885, and is No. 38220, U. S. National 

 Museum. 



