Jordan and Evermann, Fishes of North America. 2583 



strong spines, this border continued as a strong ridge below eye, extend- 

 ing across opercle, this crest covered with coanse, spinous tubercles; 

 mouth rather small, the maxillary reaching middle of eye; teeth very 

 small, close set. Head with salient ridges above, covered with spinous 

 scales; 1 ridge above eye, toward upper angle of gill opening, another 

 ridge along the vertex, nearly parallel with this above it, besides a short 

 temporal ridge; vent far back, under seventh ray of second dorsal. First 

 dorsal not far behind eye, the long ray slightly serrulate; ventrals with a 

 short filament. Scales each with a median crest of 3 to 5 spinules, other- 

 wise almost unarmed. Five scales between lateral line and dorsal. (Col- 

 lett.) Depths of the Atlantic. Known from 2 specimens, the type 9 

 inches long, from the mouth of Rio de la Plata, in 600 fathoms ; the second, 

 above described, about a foot long, from the banks of Newfoundland, in 

 1,267 fathoms. (6A.o, wholly; rpaxut, rough.) 



Hacrurus holotrachys, GUNTHER, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist, n, 1878, 24 mouth of Rio de la 

 Plata in 600 fathoms ; GUNTHER, Challenger Report, xxn, pi. 28, fig. B, 1887 ; COLLETT, 

 Compagnes Scient. de 1'Hirondelle, 1896, 83, pi. 2, fig. 6 ; GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic Ich- 

 thyology, 396, 1896. 



2959. MACROURUS BAIRDII, Goode & Bean. 



(COMMON RAT- TAIL.) 



Head 6i in total length; depth 8; greatest width 13. D. II, 11-137; A. 

 120 ; P. 15 ; V. 7 ; scales 6-152-19 or 20. Body much compressed posteri- 

 orly, tapering from first dorsal to tip of tail; scales irregularly polygonal, 

 the free portions covered with transparent vitreous spines, arranged in 

 from 10 to 12 irregular longitudinal rows. On head and upper part of 

 body, in advance of the first dorsal, the median row of spines most promi- 

 nent, and presenting the appearance of a low median keel. Lateral line 

 nearly straight, formed by a smooth groove, which replaces 2 or 3 median 

 rows of spines of each scale ; greatest height at posterior margin of orbit 

 greater than width at same point, If times in length of head; width of 

 iuterorbital area equal to length of snout and length of maxillary; length 

 of pos+orbital region about equal to horizontal diameter of orbit; length 

 of operculum about i length of mandible. Snout sharp, a front view pre- 

 senting 4 ridges radiating from tip at right angles to each other, the lower 

 one being merely a fold in the skin of the under surface of the head, hori- 

 zontal ridges continued into the ridges upon the suborbitals ; ridge extend- 

 ing backward from tip of snout upon top of head lost in the interorbital 

 space ; branches of the horizontal ridges continued upon upper margins 

 of orbits, and there disappearing. Nostrils immediately in front of orbit, 

 the posterior pair much the longer. Mouth situated entirely on lower 

 side of head ; symphysis of lower jaw in vertical from anterior margin of 

 orbit, and articulations of mandibles in vertical from posterior margin of 

 orbit; width of cleft of mouth equal to distance between symphysis of 

 maxillaries and line connecting their articulations; upper jaw protractile 

 vertically. Teeth conical, somewhat recurved, of nearly uniform size, 

 arranged in villiform bands ; palate smooth. Distance of first dorsal from 

 snout about 4 times the length of its base, and from anterior margin of 



