HALIEUTOPSIS TUMIFRONS. 91 



rounded groove in front of the illicial niche to favor motion forward 

 and downward and protrusion directly in front of the mouth. Illicium of 

 medium size, possessed of greater freedom of movement than in most 

 alHed species, bearing two large lateral spherical bulbs between which rises 

 an erect narrow thin leaflike third one that is notched at t-lie top in a 

 couple of wormlike prolongations, Plate XXV., Fig. 4. The arrange- 

 ment of the spines around the cavity is such as to compel the attention 

 of the prey to the escal bulbs from the front, rather than the sides; the 

 bulbs themselves, as in other species, are capable of movement forward 

 and down so as to expose the hinder surfaces. Nasal sacs prominent, 

 facing obliquely upward ; nostrils small, anterior minute. Month com- 

 paratively small, width one third of that of the disk ; lower jaws longer. 

 Teeth in villiform bands on jaws and tongue, absent from vomer and 

 palatines. Eyes small, orbit little more than the length of the snout. 

 Interorbital space wide, width twice the length of the orbit, eqnal to 

 the depth of the swollen margins of the disk opposite the eyes. Gills 

 two, none on the first and fourth arches ; rakers, somewhat pointed 

 small fleshy tubercles, five on the first arch, four on the second ; gill open- 

 ings small, placed superiorly, well forward and toward the side of the 

 tail, in the axillaB. Scales harsh, strong, firmly set, radiate-based tubercles, 

 acicular to bicuspid on the central portions of the back, bicuspid to tri- 

 cuspid or multicuspid around the outer margins of the head, absent from the 

 ventral surfaces except around the edges. At the borders the tubercles 

 are joined together and to the marginal bones, thus contributing materi- 

 ally to the tumid condition of those localities; the s^sines at the sides 

 and the front of the rostrum are strong ; those at the sides of the tail 

 are commonly bicuspid ; the concave space of the top of the snout is 

 naked or covered only by the spreading bases of the spines at the 

 edges. Subopercular process short and thick, in the specimen described 

 having four spines, in others five or six. Lateral line distinct along the 

 sides of the tail, deeply channeled around the edges of the disk; of the 

 five sensory papillae below each mandible the second is placed immedi- 

 ately in front of the space between the first and the third. The fleshy 

 lobes and their fringes over each papilla, between the protecting spines, 

 are feebly developed. Tail distinct, rovmd, moderately strong at the disk, 

 tapering little in the anterior two thirds of the length, thence becoming 

 small more rapidly to the caudal fin. Carpals almost entirely included 



