GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 221 



possession of Professor Agassiz, of Harvard University, which 

 measured about two feet and a half in length, and weighed 

 eighteen pounds. 



The length of the head to that of the whole body was as two 

 to nine. 



The snout, from the orbit of the eye forward, singularly 

 elongated and acute. The anterior edge of the orbit, midway 

 between the tip of the snout and the posterior margin of the 

 free gill- cover. The border of the upper jaw is formed of the 

 maxillaries alone, the edges of which are furnished with several 

 rows of long, powerful, and exceedingly sharp, awl-shaped teeth, 

 the points curving slightly forward. The vomer and palatine 

 bones are covered with card-like clumps of spiny teeth, as are 

 the base of the tongue, and the pharyngeal bones. The tongue 

 itself is soft. 



The lower jaw is considerably longer than the upper ; it is 

 armed for something less than half its length with very powerful 

 recurved fangs, the two largest being in front, a little posterior 

 to the tip of the tongue. Beyond these the lower jaw is toothless, 

 curved upwards, with sharp, horny, beak-like edges; and in these 

 points, particularly, is it distinct from the following species. 



Of the gill-covers, the pre-operculum is nearly vertical, and 

 but slightly curved ; the operculum much higher than it is broad, 

 and nearly four times as high as the sub-operculum, which is 

 slightly rounded posteriorly. The branchiostegous rays are 

 eighteen in number. 



The body and head are quadrangular, flattened above, and 

 much compressed at the sides. The dorsal fin is directly above 

 the anal ; the caudal powerful and deeply forked. 



