™S89 n '] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 160 



Longest anal ray 3 in head. Caudal subtruncate, 1', in bead. Pecto- 

 rals long, reaching to the last dorsal ray or even farther in young spec- 

 imens, ly% in body. Veutrals reaching third anal ray, 1 [ in head. 



Coloration in spirits grayish, unspotted, darkest above, and with 

 darker cross-shades. Snout and jaws white ; the tip of both jaws, a bar 

 across both jaws, and one behind augle of mouth, black. A black bar on 

 anterior and another on posterior part of interorbital, the latter extend- 

 ing across the cheeks. First dorsal dusky, vaguely clouded with darker ; 

 second, irregularly spotted, its posterior half dusky. Caudal, broadly 

 black at base and tip; its middle part yellowish. Pectorals dark, with 

 a slight violet shade, and traces of darker mottlings. Middle of anal 

 dusky. Veutrals dusky on upper surface. 



This species is known from several specimens, the largest 5£ inches 

 long, dredged at Station 2795, at a depth of 33 fathoms. Iu its concave 

 profile and prominent eyes it resembles the next species, but its affini- 

 ties are with the large-mouthed forms, the allies of PrionoPis evolans. 



22. Prionotus xenisma sp. nov. 



Diagnosis. — Approaching Prionotus punetatus C. & V., from which 

 it is at once separated by the form of the snout and the outline of the pro- 

 file. It approaches still more closely to P. birostratus, from which it is 

 separated by the presence of a smaller spine at the base of the spine on 

 the preopercle. The latter species lias also smaller scales and the hu- 

 meral spines smaller than the spine on the opercle. 



Type: No. 41,151, U. S. National Museum. 



Hab. — Pacific Ocean, off coast of Colombia, at Station 2795. 7° 57' 

 N., 78° 55' W. 



Description.— Head 2h to 2§ (3 to 3* in total) ; depth 3£ to 3$ (4 to 

 4i). D. VIII-11; A. 10. Scales in a longitudinal series, GO to 70; 

 about 43 oblique series, between gill opening and tail ; 35 to 40 pores iu 

 lateral line. Length of type, 4 inches. 



Body short and robust, little compressed, the width of the nape, be- 

 tween occipital spines, 6 to 6 J in head. Head, short and high; eyes, 

 prominent; the profile augulated, concave before eye, convex above it. 

 Snout short and broad, its breadth greater than its length, which is 2§ 

 iu head ; its anterior margin deeply euiarginate, the preorbital produced 

 on each side into a broad triangular spiniferous lobe, which is nearly 

 equal to half diameter of eye 



Surface of bones of head finely and densely granular striate. Mouth 

 small, maxillary 3 to 3.^ in head, not reaching front of eye. Baud of 

 palatine teeth rather broad. 



Eye large, 4 in head. Interorbital space narrow, deeply coucavo, and 

 granular striate, its least width G to GA in head; orbital rim elevated, 

 its edges granular serrate; no distinct preorbital spine, whole edge of 

 preorbital finely serrulate; a groove across top of head behind the 

 blunt supraorbital spine. Occipital ridges present, the outer granular 



