190 DEEP SEA FISHES. 



deep forward, narrowing toward the snout, crown broad and forming a low 

 arch, interorbital area flattened. Snout moderately broad, as long as the 

 eye, near one fourth of the length of the head, blunt and rounded at the 

 end. Barbel slender, shorter than the eye. A blunt angle at the mandi- 

 bular hinge. Mouth large ; cleft rising forward, reaching nearly or quite to 

 a vertical from the hind border of the orbit. Teeth on the jaws, in villiform 

 bands, outer not enlarged, absent from vomer and palatines. Nostrils small, 

 close together, immediately in front of the eye. Eye large, prominent, 

 lengtli equal that of the snout, hardly one fourth of that of the head, equal 

 the width of the interorbital space. Muscles from the nape extending very 

 little on the space between the eyes. Gills four, a slit behind the fourth ; 

 rakers one fourth as long as the eye, blunt, 8 -)- 20 on the outer edge of the 

 first arch. Gill openings wide, membranes imited for a distance equal to 

 three fourths of the diameter of the eye, free from the isthmus. Body cav- 

 ity reaching behind the vent, which is slightly backward of the dorsal 

 origin. Vent midway between bases of ventrals and anal. 



Anterior dorsal short, low, longest ray equal to the length of snout and 

 eye, origin above the axil of the pectoral. Second dorsal close to the ante- 

 rior, lower in the middle, longest rays near the caudal. Dorsal and anal 

 hardly reaching to the caudal. Anal origin below the hind portion of the 

 base of the first dorsal, median rays short, longest rays near the base of the 

 caudal. Caudal distinct from dorsal and anal, length equal to that of long- 

 est ray of the dorsal or two fifths of that of the head, pedicel slender, hind 

 border convex. Pectorals small, broad-based, more than half as long as the 

 head, reaching back above seven or eight of the anal rays, pointed. Ven- 

 trals small, two fifths as long as the head, far apart, below the ojDercle, pro- 

 longed in a short filament, reaching the anal. 



Scales thin and small, very small over head and snout ; in seven or eight 

 series above the lateral line and in about one hundred transverse rows be 

 tween head and caudal. Lateral line curving toward the dorsal anteriorly, 

 less distinct toward the tail. On the head the disks of the system are 

 small and protected by thick dermal coverings; their comparative sizes and 

 their arrangements are shown on Plate LXXXII. fig. 2. 



Cheeks top of head and flanks brownish, with a yellowish or greenisli 

 cast; belly black, with a bluish tint and a metallic lustre; snout blackish; 

 a small space of blackish behind the base of each pectoral; branchiostegals 

 and fins blackish ; inside of mouth and linings of abdomen silvery. 



