88 



Field Columbian Museum — Zoology, Vol. VII. 



Figure 14. Antennarius verrucosus Bean. 



256. Antennarius verrucosus Bean. Toad Fish. 



Bean, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., xix, Feb. 26, 1906, 31. 



4853 No. 928. The Reach, St. George's. L. Mowbray. 1904. 



D. Ill, 12; A. 7; P. 10; V. 6. First dorsal spine long and 

 slender, extending to base of third spine; "bait" not present, and 

 no doubt accidentally lost. Second spine free; third spine firmly 

 joined by its membrane to skin of back and held in a recumbent 

 position. What remains of the first spine is nearly as long as the 

 upper jaw. The second spine is y^ as long as the upper jaw. The 

 third spine is about twice as long as the second. The caudal fin is 

 as long as the intermaxilla. The longest dorsal ray is little more 

 than half as long as the caudal. 



The body and fins are everywhere rough, but the ])rickles are 

 small; on the sides, back, and belly in front of the ventrals are many 

 roundish raised clusters of spinules, forming distinct elevations. 



The mouth is almost vertical along the line of the intermaxilla ; 

 the upper jaw equals the distance from the {)ectoral to the vent. 

 live small, only about >^ length of upper jaw and X width of inter- 

 orbital space. 



Color in spirits: Pale yellowish ; inside of mouth whitish ; head and 

 body irregularly mottled with dots and lines of brownish ; soft dorsal 

 with al>out four small, roundish, ocellated dark spots, none of them 

 quite as large as the eye; a diffuse dusky blotch on rays of soft dorsal, 

 extending downward on the back, where it encloses a darker nucleus 

 almost cross-shafied on the right side, and resembling the upper p.irtof 

 a fu'urc 3 on the left side; caudal of left side with ten small irregular 



