POROGADUS BREVICEPS. 155 



fifth of the liead. Intornariiil ridge moderately prominent; a prominence 

 above the tip of the snout. Bones of the skull cavernous; two series 

 of three to five short spines each on the edges of the preopercle ; a thin, 

 flattened, keelless, blunt spine on the upper edge of the opercle ; two 

 to four short spines apparent to the touch above each eye. Gills four, 

 a slit behind the fourth ; rakers elongate, one and one eighth times as 

 long as the eye, slender, two and several rudiments on tlie upper portion 

 of the first arch and fourteen besides a number of rudiments on the 

 lower part. Anterior nostril smaller than the posterior and half-way from 

 it to the end of the snout. The distance from the occiput to the first ray 

 of the dorsal equals that to the front edge of the orbit. Caudal united 

 to dorsal and anal, but extending beyond them. Pectorals small, about 

 two thirds as long as the head, prolonged in filaments. Ventrals thread- 

 like, of two rays partly bound together, inserted below the subopercle, 

 close together, in length four fifths the length of the head. A lateral line 

 of six or seven cavities aj^pears immediately behind the head about six 

 scales below the dorsal fin, below this six or seven scales, again, there 

 is a similar line continued farther back, and at the lower edge of the 

 base of the pectoral there is a line that is continued along the base of 

 the anal fin. 



Scales small, very thin and flexible, about twenty-six between the 

 anterior rays of dorsal and anal. 



Snout, lower portion of head, cheeks, chest, belly, and linings of mouth 

 and body cavity black ; top of skull from nostrils backward light, possibly 

 luminous in life ; body flesh color with indications of having been darker 

 and tinted with more or less brilliant red or purple when alive ; dorsal 

 and anal yellowish or whitish on the basal portions and black on the 

 outer edge. 



Total leno;th twelve and one-half inches. 



Porogadus breviceps sp. n. 



Br. r. 8; D. 174-178; A. 145-150; V. 2; P. 17; C. 5 (6). 

 In this species the head is shorter, wider, and more convex and the snout 

 broader and more blunt than in either P. longicejjs, or P. atripedus. The 



