no. 1836. NEW FISHES FROM JAPAN— SNYDER. 539 



parts of opercle with a bony ridge continuous with the short, blunt 

 spine; nasal spines short and very sharp; preopercle with three 

 spines, the upper of which is somewhat shorter than longitudinal 

 diameter of eye, the second not half so long, the third very short, 

 blunt, and projecting downward. Interorbital space concave; occipi- 

 tal region flat between the ridges; lower jaw included; maxillary 

 extending to posterior edge of orbit. 



Skin naked except along lateral line where each pore opens beneath 

 a small, concealed scale. Dorsal spines very slender, the longest 

 (fourth and fifth) contained about 3.2 times in length of head; tip 

 of each with a short villus; longest rays contained about 3.2 times in 

 length of head. Anal scarcely higher than spinous dorsal, the rays 

 of neither anal nor dorsal reaching base of caudal when depressed. 

 Pectoral 1.5 in head; ventrals 2 in head. 



Head clouded with dusky above; a poorly defined dark spot 

 extending from eye along snout; a second less evident spot between 

 eye and maxillary; lower lip with dusky spots, the chin and throat 

 immaculate; back with two indefinite, dark bands which, extend 

 upward on the spinous dorsal; similar bands below the soft dorsal, 

 the posterior part of the last one being definitely outlined, the fin 

 with oblique, dusky clouds; anal with three broad, oblique, dark 

 bands; posterior half of caudal peduncle and base of anal with a 

 sharply outlined cross-band with irregular edges; posterior half of 

 caudal with broad, blackish reticulations. 



Type.— Cat. No. 68238, U.S.N.M., measures 175 mm. in length. 

 Locality, Hakodate market. 



OCYNECTES MODESTUS, new species. 



This species differs from Ocynectes maschalis in the absence of 

 occipital tentacles and in its plain color. Also the snout is more 

 pointed, the maxillary shorter, the eye smaller, the body deeper^ 

 and there is one more ray in the dorsal fin. 



Head 3.4 in the length to base of caudal; depth 3.9; depth of caudal 

 peduncle 9; eye 5 in head; snout 3.5; maxillary 3.2; interorbital space 

 4.7; D. IX, 14; A. 11; P. 14; pores in lateral line 35. 



Head and body as in 0. maschalis, though slightly deeper, the 

 dorsal contour being a little more elevated and the snout more 

 pointed. Above each eye is a broad flap, the posterior edge of which 

 bears a row of seven or more tentacles, the whole resembling a 

 coarse-toothed comb. Nasal spines prominent, embedded in a 

 thick, fleshy covering, each with a slender tentacle at its tip ; anterior 

 nostrils with low rims ; posterior nostrils with large tubes located imme- 

 diately behind the nasal spines; a low, fleshy ridge extending from 

 between nostrils along interorbital area, growing lower and disappear- 

 ing at a point between orbital flaps ; head otherwise perfectly smooth 



