MACRURUS ORBITALIS. 207 



origin, close to the bases of the ventrals. Thirty-five pyloric appendages. 

 Scales of medium size, harsh with sharp spines which rise in longitudinal 

 series, in some cases of a dozen or nioi-e, the hindmost spines projectiu"- 

 backward from the edge of the scale like the teeth from a comb. On 

 some scales the median series is somewhat larger than the others, though 

 rarely producing the appearance of a keel. The head is covered with sharp 

 scales, except on the lower surface, around the mouth, chin and throat. jS'o 

 bare space between the ventrals on the chest. 



Described from a specimen ten and one half inches in length. 



Black to brown, more often reddish brown on the muscular portions. 

 The spines of the scales give the body a grayish tint in certain lights. 



Macrurus orbitalis sp. n. 

 Plate XL VII. fjs. 1-1 h. 



Br. r. 7; D. 11-12 + ?; A. 128 ; V. 9 ; P. 19-20. 



Form compressed, elongate, tapering to very slender in the caudal ex- 

 tremity, depth four fifths of the length of the head, outline rising from the 

 nape to the dorsal fin. Head one fifth of the total length ; crown nearly 

 straight from snout to nape ; interorbital width four fifths of the length of 

 the snout, space flattened or slightly concave ; rostral ridge low. Snout 

 four fifths as long as the eye, broader than the interorbital space, prominent 

 in front of the mouth, with strong median and prer.arial angles, from the 

 latter of which the suborbital ridges spread somewhat to below the front of 

 the eye, rarely to the ends at the preopercular border. E^-e large, one and 

 one fourth times the length of the snout, four thirteenths of the length of 

 the head, or nearly one and two thirds times the width of the space between 

 the orbits. Orbit appearing subcircular or deeper in the posterior half. 

 Mouth small, inferior, subtending three fifths of the eye and one third of the 

 snout. Barbel small, slender, two fifths as long as the eye. Teeth very 

 small, subequal, in villiform bands. Preopercular ridge bent slightly back- 

 ward in the lower third of its length. Origin of first dorsal above the base 

 of the pectoral ; second spine serrate ; base descending rapidly backward 

 from the first spine. Second dorsal low, feebl}' developed. Anal origin 



