2086 Bulletin 4.7 , United States National Museum. 



form of small spines, slightly overhanging premaxiliaries. Jaws equal, 

 maxillary reaching front of orbit. Dorsals well separated ; anal beginning 

 about 1 pair of plates behind front of second dorsal ; pectorals 5 to 5 in 

 length of body, the base about 3 in their length, with 14 rays, of which 

 the lower 5 to 7 are exserted, the depth of the notches in the membrane 

 variable, the 2 or 3 uppermost of these exserted rays nearly as long (some- 

 times as long) as the longest upper rays; ventral fins of female about 

 twice the interorbital space, about of the ventrals of male; width of 

 caudal at base 3 in the length. Lateral line 36. Color olivaceous, with 7 

 or 8 darker cross bars 1 in front of first dorsal, 1 under and extending 

 into middle of first dorsal, 1 under front, and 1 under hind end of second 

 dorsal, and 3 or 4 on caudal peduncle; a large bluish-black blotch on 

 preopercle and opercle ; first dorsal dark, the distal \ white ; second dorsal 

 with 2 minute indefinite cross bars of darker: caudal dark at base, a 

 broad dark band near its distal end, and the tip broadly white-edged ; 

 pectorals light, indistinctly cross-barred by series of dark streaks on the 

 rays ; ventrals pale in both sexes. Length about 3 inches. Coast of Cali- 

 fornia, from Puget Sound to Santa Barbara; rather common in 11 to 57 

 fathoms. Here described from specimens taken off Point Reyes, where it 

 is abundant. One specimen recorded by Lockington (loc. cit.) as having 

 come from Alaska, (/res, three; spinosus, spined.) 



Odontopyxis trispinous, LOCKINGTON, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus., n, 1879, 328, San Francisco, 

 California (Coll. W. N. Lockington) ; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 729, 1883; JORDAN, 

 Cat. Fishes N. A., 114, 1885. 



776. BOTHRAGONUS, Gill. 



Bothragonus, G-ILL MS., in JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 728, 1883 (swanii). 



Head and front of back rhombic as seen from above; body strongly 

 compressed behind; length of head 3, width of head 2, depth of body 

 about 4f in standard length. A deep pit at nape, several processes 

 extending into it from its posterior edge. Mouth sub inferior; posterior 

 edge of opercle serrated. Both dorsals and anal weak, with short rays; 

 anal under second dorsal ; first dorsal 3 ; second dorsal 5 ; anal 3 ; no spines 

 anywhere. Teeth on jaws and vomer (state of palatines not mentioned). 

 Gill membranes broadly united to isthmus. (/2o0po, a pit; Agonus.} 



2428. BOTHRAGONUS SWANII (Steindachner). 



B.5; D.III,5; A. 5; P. 12; Y. 3 (1,2); lateral line 32. Head widening 

 rapidly backward from the blunt snout, with 4 broad, low (occipital and 

 temporal) ridges, between which the surfaces are concave. Body narrow- 

 ing rapidly from head to beginning of first dorsal, from there to caudal 

 strongly compressed, A deep transverse oval pit on mid-dorsal surface 

 between occiput and nape; 3 delicate larger and several smaller proc- 

 esses extending into it from its posterior edge to about its middle. 

 Length of head 3, its greatest breadth (over opercles) about 2; depth of 

 body under first dorsal about 4f , from the occipital pit to base of ventrals 



