210 BULLETIN OF THE 



TRIGLID^L 



26. Prionotus alatus, new species. 



A single specimen of a new species of Prionotus was obtained off Charleston, 

 S. C, in the same haul with the pleuroneetoid described above under the 

 name Notosema dilecta. This species belongs to the group referred by Jordan 

 to the subgenus Ornichthys of Swainson. 



Description. — A Prionotus with the body normal in form, rather robust : 

 its greatest height equal to one fourth its length without caudal, and nearly 

 equal to one fifth of the total length ; its greatest width one fifth of its greatest 

 length without caudal ; the least height of tail contained twelve times, or 

 nearly so, in the standard body length, and three times in the height of the 

 body. 



Scales small and much pectinate, there being in the lateral line about one 

 hundred vertical rows of scales, about fifty of w T hich are tube-bearing and 

 specialized. The number of rows, counting diagonally around the body from 

 the origin of the anal, is tw r enty-one below and seven above the lateral line. 

 The length of the head to the tip of the preopercular spine is contained two 

 and a half times in the standard body length, and very little more than three 

 times in the total length. The width of the head is equal to its height. The 

 upper limb of the orbit encroaches upon the upper profile of the head, and 

 the centre of the pupil is equidistant from the tip of the snout and the tip 

 of the prolonged preopercular spine. The length of the snout, measured ob- 

 liquely from the anterior margin of the orbit, is equal to that of the postorbital 

 portion of the head to the end of the opercular spine. At the lower angle of 

 the preoperculum is a robust spine, curving slightly upwards, the length of 

 which is equal to that of the first dorsal ray. This spine is serrated upon its 

 outer edge, and has a small spine at its base, which is also serrated. The tip 

 of the spine extends to the perpendicular from the centre of the interspace be- 

 tween the third and fourth dorsal spines ; while that of the humeral spine 

 extends to the perpendicular from the interspace between the fourth and fifth, 

 and that of the opercular, to the perpendicular from the centre of the base 

 of the third. There is a strong scapular spine, which extends back to the pos- 

 terior edge of the second dorsal spine. 



The length of the upper jaw is equal to one third that of the head. The 



palatine teeth are in short feeble bands, hardly perceptible even with a strong 



magnifying-glass. Gill rakers, six in number, besides Beveral rudimentary 



live being below the angle, and the longest equal in length to one third 



the diameter of the eye. 



The first dorsal fin is inserted above the tip of the upper opercular spine, 

 and at a distance from the snoul equal to twice the length of the fourth dorsal 

 spine. The height of the firsi dorsal spine, which is equal to that of the third, 

 and slightly less than that of the second, equals half the length of the head. 



