PONTIXUS FURCIRHINUS. 51 



nidiment.'iry, the head is entirely covered with comparatively large scales, 

 and the excavations in the skull for the lateral system are broad and 

 sliallow. In all respects it is evident this form is adapted to life at a great 

 distance from the surface. 



SCORP^NID.E. 

 Pontinus furcirhinus sp. n. 



Plate VII. 



Br. r. 7; D. XII, 9 (10); A. Ill, 5 (6); V. I, 5; P. 17 ; LI. 54 scales, 24 

 pores ; Vert. 24. The figure given on Plate VII. will recall that of Sehasies 

 fiUfer Val., a species to which the present evidently is somewhat closely 

 related. The main outlines bear some resemblance to those of Sektstes 

 macrocliir Gunt. Body moderately elongate, much compressed, tapering 

 rapidly behind the pectorals, rising to the greatest height at the third or the 

 fourth dorsal spine, whence the outline descends steeply to the snout; 

 width two thirds of the depth, the latter less than two sevenths of the total 

 length. Head large, one third of the entire length, width equal to the 

 depth at the occiput, rough with keels .and spines; crown flattish, without 

 a transverse groove, but with a faint transverse ridge at the end of the 

 interorbital space ; with a moderately deep longitudinal groove between 

 the eyes, and a low prominence on the internarial space. On the cheeks 

 there are two strong divergent spines, behind the opercle, the lower of 

 which ends a keel across the operculum ; the preopercle bears a strong in 

 most cases doubled spine, a continuation of the infraorbital series of four 

 spines rising from a ridge, and below this spine, commonly, there is a wide 

 space in which the majority of the specimens have a very small spine close 

 to the upper edge, which also in the larger individuals ends a low ridge from 

 the mouth ; below the space mentioned there is a series of three short 

 spines of which the foremost is more or less completely hidden ; below the 

 infraorbital ridge, above the maxillary, there are two strong hooked spines. 

 At each side of the internarial space there is a small spine directed upward ; 

 between the e}es above each orbit there is a series of four sharp spines, and 

 behind each of these series there is a couple of stronger spines at the back 

 of the head, ^nout blunt, nearly as long as the eye, most prominent in 

 the rounded groups of teeth on the intermaxillary. Eye large, nearly one 

 fourth as long as the head, very prominent. Interorbital space a groove of 



