MisceUa neons. 119 



opening and consisting of a rudimentary spine and several rays ; 

 with a short and well-developed spinous dorsal, which is separated 

 bv a deep notch from the soft portion : the spines slender ; the 

 branchial apertures wide and the pll-membranc free from the i.stlunus; 

 gills ;H, apparently with no slit behind the last ; the pectoral tins 

 continuous around the breast, the rays supported all around by 

 actinosts ; the genital papilla of males capable of being received 

 into a pit in front of the anal fin. 



Sr>-CHiRrs, gen. nov. 



Body slender and moderately elongate, resembling that of Tri~ 

 ghps ; covered with thin, tough skin. Lateral line armed with 

 spiny tubercles. Spiny scales in a series along the dorsal base. 

 Head subconical, with moderately pointed snout. Mouth small, 

 very slightly oblique ; the rami of the mandible a little concavo 

 beneath, rremaxillaries protractile. Jaws with slender, villiform 

 teeth in bands. Teeth on vomer and palatines. Pseudo-branchiae 

 present. Gills 3J, no slit behind the last. Gill-openings wide, ex- 

 tending above the median line, the membrane free from the isthmus. 

 Suborbital connected by a bony stay with the preojiercle, which 

 bears a strong bifid spine at its angle. Pectorals completely united 

 around the breast, aU the rays supported by actinosts, the membrane 

 free at its margin. Ventrals distant from the gill-opening, the 

 pubic bones being remarkably long, the fins diverging widely and 

 consisting of a rudimentarj^ spine and three rays. Dorsal long, the 

 spinous portion low, with slender spines, and the soft portion twice 

 as long as the spinous. Anal long. Caudal moderately elongate, 

 its middle rays somewhat produced. 



S)/ncJiin(S GiUi, sp. nov. 



B. VI ; D. YIII-IX, 19-21 ; A. 20 ; V. 1, 3 ; P. 22. 



U. S. National Museum number 41820. 



The eye is about as long as the snout and | the length of the 

 head, which is 2. of the total length to caudal base. The depth is 

 contained 5^ times in the total length. The maxilla extends to 

 about below the middle of the eye. The interorbital space is not 

 quite equal to the length of the eye. There is a pair of strong 

 nasal spines. The preopercle has a short and very sharp bifid spine. 

 The lateral line contains about 41 spiny tubercles, and most of the 

 specimens have a single series of spiny scales along the dorsal base. 

 The pectorals are nearly as long as the head, and extend to about 

 below the fourth ray of the soft dorsal. The ventrals are nearly 

 under the middle of the pectorals and their length varies greatly. 

 In some specimens they are scarcely ^ as long as the head ; in others 

 they are as long as the postorbital part of the head. In some males 

 the anal papilla is ^ as long as the ventral fin of the same indi- 

 vidual. This papilla can be received into a pit in front of the anal 

 fin. 



The spinous dorsal begins over the axil of the pectoral ; the 



