— 97 — 



suprascapular. Elsewhere the bone is entirely suspended in dermal tissues. Between its anterior 

 edge and the adjoining edges of the pterotic and parieto-extrascapular, there is a large circular opening 

 which leads directly into the anterior end of the temporal fossa. 



The suprascapular has opisthotic and epiotic processes, the former process resting on and 

 being bound by tissues to an eminence on the hind end of the opisthotic, The epiotic process rests 

 on the dorsal surface of the suprascapular process of the epiotic, its anterior end apparently comint^ 

 into contact with, but not being completely overlapped dorsally by the hind end of the parieto- 

 extrascapular. The lateral edge of the bone is traversed by the main infraorbital canal, and gives 

 articulatic-1, on its ventral surface, to the dorso-anterior corner of the supraclavicular; there 

 here being, as in Scorpaena, two articular surfaces, an articular head, and a closely adjacent 

 articular facet. 



The supraclavicular resembles the bone of Scorpaena. Its dorsal edge is traversed by the main 

 infraorbital canal. Near its anterior edge, at or about its ventral third, it gives Insertion to the occip- 

 ito-supraclavicular ligament. 



The parieto-extrascapular, in the two specimens examined, did not meet, in the mid-dorsal 

 line, its fellow of the opposite side. In one of these two specimens the two bones were widely separated : 

 in the other, a much smaller specimen, they approached each other closely at their antero-mesial 

 Corners. A considerable, but varying portion of the dorsal surface of the supraoccipital thus here 

 comes to the dorsal surface of the skull, and on its hind edge the median portion of the supratemporal 

 commissure lies, enclosed in dermal tissues only. The hind edge of the parieto-extrascapular overhangs 

 but slightly the posterior surface of the skull, giving rise to a shallow supratemporal pocket. 



The supraoccipital has a spina occipitalis similar to that of Scorpaena, its ventral end being 

 held, as in Scorpaena, but to a less extent than in that fish, between thickened process-hke portions 

 of the exoccipitals. The posterior surface of the bone is crossed, as in Scorpaena, by what I there 

 described as the hind edge of the primär)^ skull, this edge being represented in its lateral portion 

 by a strong ledge, but in its median portion by a low and rounded ridge. 



The temporal fossa is large, and similar to that in Scorpaena; but a large circular opening 

 between the pterotic, lateral extrascapular and parieto-extrascapular leads from it onto the dorsal 

 surface of the skull. 



The epiotic, opisthotic, exoccipital, and basioccipital are similar to those bones in Scorpaena. 

 The exoccipital has a mesial process on its cerebral surface, as in Scorpaena. The proötic, in the 

 specimen used for Illustration, was perforated, on one side, by two small foramina lying immediately 

 beneath the trigemino-facialis chamber, due doubtless to wear or to defects in the bone. 



The bulla acustica is large, and in the angle that marks its dorsal boundary there are separate 

 glossopharyngeus and vagus foramina, the glossopharyngeus foramen lying in the exoccipital on 

 one side of the specimen examined in this connection, but in the sutural line between that bone and 

 the proötic on the other side of the specimen. Posterior to the vagus foramen, the exoccipital is 

 pierced by a foramen for the occipital nerves, as in Scorpaena. 



The infraorbital chain of bones includes a lachrymal, two suborbitals and two postorbitals. 

 The lachrymal and two suborbitals correspond to the sames bones of Scorpaena, but they are much 

 narrower and more delicate than in that fish. The two postorbitals are delicate semicylindrical bones 

 that extend from the dorsal edge of the second suborbital to the ventral edge of the postfrontal and 

 bound the hind edge of the orbit. They transmit the main infraorbital canal from the second süb- 



Zoologica. Heft 57. jo 



