2068 Bulletin ^7, United States National Museum. 



as long as snout, 3| in head, the orbital bones forming a ridge around it; 

 interorbital space concave, straight longitudinally, with a longitudinal 

 groove and 2 slight ridges. Spines on head highly developed ; 2 pairs rostral 

 spines, 1 pair directed horizontally forward and the other pair behind 

 these, recurved upward, backward, and outward; behind these a smaller 

 pair projecting upward (mesethmoid spines) ; orbital ridge serrated, with 

 a peculiar spine anteriorly and a supraocular spine posteriorly ; occipital 

 ridges with 2 pairs (or 4 pairs) of spines, space between them roughish, 

 somewhat concave, with traces of a median keel ; between these ridges, 

 at occiput, a conspicuous transverse pit, broader than long, longer than 

 deep ; temporal ridges more prominent, each with 4 spines, last one very 

 strong ; a median row of minute spines on back and top of head ; subor- 

 bital ridge extending from front of preorbital across cheek, with 2 or 3 

 irregular series of spines and tubercles, and ending in a strong preoper- 

 cular spine ; below this 011 preopercle 3 or 4 other bluntish spines ; opercle 

 with ridge and 1 or more spines ; between 70 and 80 more or less developed 

 spinous processes on head. Branchiostegal rays 6 ( ?) ; membranes united, 

 joined to isthmus. Plates between occiput and first dorsal 7; between 

 dorsals about 4 (number between the adjacent rays of the 2 fins not 

 recorded). Anal region beginning under end of first dorsal; pectorals 

 reaching eleventh plate, with minute spines at their base; ventrals short. 

 Color dark brown, with 7 to 9 darker cross bars, extending on fins ; one 

 bar across caudal, 1 across posterior part of second dorsal and anal, 1 

 across posterior part of first dorsal and front of anal, and 1 across front 

 of first dorsal; pectorals black with whitish edging and a pale blotch 

 near base; other fins chiefly black, anal with whitish edge; ventral 

 surface pale. Total length of known individuals reaches 4 1 1 inches. 

 (Jordan & Gilbert.) Deep water off San Francisco, California; known 

 only from the original type, taken in a parranzella or sweep net, near Point 

 Reyes, 1880. (vulsus, beardless.) 



Agonus vulsus, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus., in, 1880, 330, Point Reyes, near 



San Francisco. (Coll. Jordan & Gilbert.) 

 Podothecus vulsus JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 730, 1883; JORDAN, Cat. Fishes N. A., 114, 



1885. 

 Stelgis vulsus, JORDAN & STARRS, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 1895. 821, pi. 90. 



NOTE. Allied to Stelgis and Averruncus is the single Antarctic genus, 

 which may be thus defined : 



AGONOPSIS, Gill. 



Agonopsis, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., xm, 1861; 167, 259 (chiloensift) . 



Body 8-hedral, peduncle 6-hedral; head depressed, its length a little more than 4, its 

 width 5, and its depth in front of nape a little less than 7 in length of body. Jaws nearly 

 equal, teeth on jaws and vomer, and an imperfect row on palatines. Two pairs of spines 

 on snout, 1 pair preopercular, 1 pair supraocular, and 2 pairs occipital spines; a deep 

 transverse depression at nape. Plates in dorsal series about 37; 7 pairs between occiput 

 and first dorsal ; plates of body with curved spines. Barbels under tip of snout, and 

 scattered on chin ami lower jaw, and sparingly on branchiostegal membrane. Gill mem- 

 branes united, joined to isthmus. Antarctic. (Agonus; 6^t?, appearance.) 



