TRACIIYRHYXCIIUS HELOLEPIS. « 219 



sliarp pointed at the snout, little less than one third of the total length, flat 

 on the crown, arched across the middle of the snout, nearly straight on the 

 top from the nape forward. SuborbiUil ridges thick, rounded, prominent, 

 extending from the snout to the base of the pectoral, descending a little 

 across the operculum. Snout nearly twice as long as the orbit, much wider 

 than deep, sharp. Eye large, about as long as the width of the interorbital 

 space, little more than half as long as the snout. Interorbital space flat, on 

 a level with the balance of the crown. Mouth large, distance of intermax- 

 illaries from the tip of the snout close npon one and one half times the 

 length of the orbit, maxillary extending below nearly the whole of the 

 orbit. Teeth equal, small, sharp, numerous, in villiform bands. Barbel 

 small, one fourth as long as the eye. Gill rakers 5 + 19-20; laminai 

 short. 



First dorsal originating above the base of the pectoral, base five sixths 

 of the orbital length. Second dorsal separated from the first by a space 

 as long as the barbel. Origin of the anal backward from the head less 

 than half the length of the latter, below the eleventh ray of the second 

 dorsal. Vent close to the anal. Ventral bases below the forward edges of 

 the operculum ; fins but a trifle longer than the orbit, midlength lying 

 below the origin of the pectorals, second ray longest, with a filamentary 

 prolongation. Body, head, and snout covered with very harsh spinose or 

 keeled scales ; each of those on the body is provided with a strong, erect, 

 more or less irregular and angled spine, while those of the head and of a 

 series at each side of the base of the dorsal and of the anal have a longitudi- 

 nally compressed serrated keel and are with or without additional and le.ss 

 developed spines. The number of spines on each scale varies considerably 

 on any part of the body. Excepting the fins, the only bare spaces on the 

 body are on the gill membranes and between the lower jaws. With age 

 the spine on the scales of the flank takes the appearance of a vertical 

 (transverse) keel, the spine proper forming a ridge on its forward side. 



Dingy brownish in the alcohol. In life having a reddish tint overcast 

 with more or less of blue. 



In some respects these specimens do not agree with Gilbert's description. 

 The differences, however, do not appear sufiiciently great to warrant the 

 establishment of a new species. The tj'pe of T. liclokjds was taken by the 

 '' Albatross " at " Station 2818, in deep water off the coast of Central 

 America." 



