7 ICHTHYOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 427 
lateral folds, the less complete investment of the fins with prickly scales, and above 
all in the peculiar coloration of the male. 
Dorsal x or XI, 23 to 26; anal 24 to 26; caudal 12; pectoral 18; ventral1, 3; lateral 
line 48 to 50; branchiostegals 6. 
Description: Body heavy at shoulders, tapering rapidly to the slender caudal 
peduncle. Depth, 6inlength; depth of caudal peduncle, one-fourth its length from 
base of last dorsal ray. Head, 33 to 3% in length; its greatest width slightly less 
than its depth; its lower profile straight, the upper descending in a gentle, even 
eurve. Mouthnearly horizontal, the maxillary almost reaching vertical from middle 
of eye, 2} to 24in head. Villiform teeth on jaws and vomer, none on palatines. 
Snout longer than eye, 3} to 34 in head; eye, 34 to 32. Supraorbital rim slightly 
elevated, a groove-like depression behind it. Interorbital space rather wide, forming 
a shallow groove; its width 3} to 5 in diameter of orbit. Occipital ridges obsolete, 
a faint trace of them sometimes present, never ending in a spine. Opercle with 4 
spinous points, the lowermost directed downward and forward, the others radiating 
downward and backward. Branchiostegal membranes broadly united, free from the 
isthmus. 
Longest dorsal spine, 34 to 4 in head. Base of spinous dorsal, 1;°5 to 14 in head; 
base of soft dorsal, 23 to 3in length of head and body; base of anal, 2;%; in head and 
body. Caudal slightly emarginate, 2); in head. Head and upper part of body 
densely covered with very fine prickles, much finer than in 7. scepticus. The lower 
side of head, the maxillaries and a narrow strip along the lower side of cheeks 
naked. The usual series of enlarged prickles along the base of dorsals. Lateral 
folds few in number, scarcely exceeding the scutes of the lateral line. They leave a 
wide, naked strip along the base of anal and do not encircle the caudal peduncle 
below. Breast with 5 or 6 cross folds similar to those on sides. The scales along 
margins of folds very small, those of successive folds widely separated, not over- 
lapping, as in 7. scepticus. 
Color: Light olive brown above, whitish on lower parts of sides and below; the 
breast and belly, including area in front of pectorals, silvery. Back crossed with 
four saddle-shaped black blotches, most distinct in the males. The first of these is 
under the middle of the spinous dorsal and extends obliquely forward to the upper 
‘axil of pectorals. The second and third are under the soft dorsal, narrowing rapidly 
‘downward to lateral line. The fourth is on the back of caudal peduncle. In males, 
the lower ends of these crossbars are counected by a narrow lengthwise jet-black 
‘streak extending from shoulder below lateral line nearly to base of caudal. The 
narrow interval between this streak and lateral line 1s occupied by a bright silvery 
‘streak, interrupted by the dark crossbars. A black blotch at base of upper and one 
tat base of lower caudal rays, and a small black spot near tips of the outer caudal 
Tays; the fin otherwise unmarked. An indistinct, dusky blotch below the eye, and 
ia dusky streak along under side of suborbital stay, extending forward along the 
margin of the preorbital, to tip of snout. A blotch on middle of maxillary and 
‘upper lip. Front of lower lip dusky. <A dark blotch on opercle, and a dusky bar on 
‘branchiostegal membranes. 
In the females the general pattern of coloration is the same, but the darker mark- 
ings are less distinct, and the black lateral streak of the males is represented by a 
\disconnected series of irregular dark blotches and vermiculations. In both sexes 
the dorsals and pectorals are crossed by narrow, dusky bars, formed by series of dark 
streaks on the rays. Mouth whitish. Gill-cavity silvery white, except the lining of 
‘opercle and outer half of branchiostegal membrane, which is dusky. 
Taken very abundantly at the following stations, located both north and south of 
the Aleutian Islands and in Bristol Bay: 3214, 3217, 3220, 3231, 3232, 3233, 3235, 3237, 
$238, 3241, 3248, 3250, 3264, 3265, 3275, 3281, 3284, 3287, 3289, 3290, 3291, 3294, 3296, 3298, 
3300, 3302. The depths range from 7} to 42 fathoms. Specimens 82 to 140 mm. in 
length. 
