MALTIIOPSIS ERINACEA. 103 



Malthopsis erinacea sp. n. 

 Flute XIX. 



Br. r. 6 ; D. 5-6 ; A. 4 ; P. 12-13 ; C. 9. 



Compared with Malthojisis sparsa, Plate XVIII., this species has the 

 disk broader and more roiiiided oi)posite the eyes, the snout overhangs 

 the moutli more, is more pointed and extends forward instead of up, and 

 there is a Lack of the small slender spines amongst the broad striate- 

 based tubercles. Body and head broad, much depressed, together forming 

 a disk in which the opercles extend back along the sides of the body so 

 that the vent is only about one length of the orbit farther back than 

 the sides of the head, and in which, as viewed from above, the anterior 

 and lateral outlines form more than half of an ellipse. Depth of disk 

 three and one half times in its length, or three times in that of the head. 

 Snout moderate, little longer than the lower jaws, the tip having the 

 appearance of a single multispinous tubercle directed forward and but 

 slightly upward, with a pair of strong tubercles at each side above the 

 space between the eye and the nostril, deeply excavated below the ros- 

 trum for the large trilobed protractile illicium. Behind the top the upper 

 lobe of the esca has the appearance of being folded from each side to form 

 a chamber from which a small fleshy point protrudes above the top of the 

 lobe. The illicial esca in the species is one of the largest in the genus. 

 Nasal sacs small, anterior ; no.>trils close together, in front of the eye, poste- 

 rior larger, anterior with a short tube. Mouth rather small, oblique, not 

 as wide as the distance across the orbits and the space between them. 

 Teeth numerous, in villiform bands on jaws, vomer, palatines, tongue, and 

 pharyngeals ; vomerine and palatine groups somewhat separated, the former 

 broader and shorter. Cheeks concave and grooved below the eyes. Crown 

 fiat, a concavity above the snout. Orbits little longer than the snout, 

 length equal to the width of the interorbital space, convergent forward, 

 Subopercular process comparatively small, with four to six spines. Gills 

 two, none on the first and fourth arches; rakers small, blunt, rounded, six 

 on each of first and second arches; gill openings small, placed superiorly 

 in the axilla, on a line joining the ends of the subopercular tubercles. 

 Spines of the disk and tail harsh, tubercular, the larger with swollen bases, 

 numerous striaa and many spinules ; some of those along the sides of the 



