258 DEEP SEA FISHES. 



rays of tlie latter are shorter. Elongate, slender, depth nearly one seventh 

 of the total length, moderately compressed. Head depressed, rather higher 

 than deep at the nape, length one fourth of that from snout to base of 

 caudal. Snout broad, as seen from above curving to a blunt point, wider 

 than deep, length one third of that of the head, about six times that of the 

 eye, or equalling the width of the interorbital space; lower jaws longer. 

 Eye small, one fifteenth as long as the head. Mouth wide, horizontal, ex- 

 tending less than one third of its length backward of the orbit; maxillary 

 reaching about five eighths of the head length, not entering the border of 

 the mouth, broadening downward behind the mandible then curving upward 

 to meet the nearly horizontal superior border in a blunted angle ; inter- 

 maxillary very long, slender, subtending the maxillary in the mouth cleft. 

 Teeth in villiform bands on mandibles and intermaxillaries, in a small group 

 at each lateral edge of the vomer and in a bunch of several near the front 

 end of each palatine, very small, subconical, slightly hooked, with strong 

 bases. The snout to the baok of the eyes is covered with soft, porous, easily 

 detached, light colored skin that may be luminous. A notch at the junction 

 of the intermaxillaries receives the blunt angle behind the mandibular 

 symphysis. Vent halfway from the bases of the ventrals to the caudal. 



Forward rays of the dorsal when applied to the back reaching as far as 

 the hindmost, seventh ray midway from tlie snout to the base of the 

 caudal and above the vent, end of the dorsal base above the middle of the 

 space between the vent and the anal. Adipose dorsal half way from 

 the seventh dorsal ray to the base of the caudal. Anal origin half way 

 from the maxillary to the caudal base, fin reaching a vertical from behind 

 the base of the adipose dorsal, anterior rays longest, posterior border con- 

 cave. Ventrals nearly halfway from the mouth to the anal ; outer pair of raj-s 

 elongate, broadened, compressed, second ray a little the longer, not bound 

 together for a short distance at their ends ; third ray more than half as long 

 as the second. No two individuals agi'ee in the lengths of these rays; on 

 the specimen described they extend some distance farther back than the 

 anal, but on others they are much shorter. On some the ventrals reach to 

 the middle of the anal ; on others they almost reach the base of the caudal 

 and the ends of the two long rays are thickened and fleshy, possibly in a 

 sexual growth similar to that obtaining on certain Cj'prinoids and Cyprino- 

 donts. Upper portion of the pectoral of three rays, two of them very long, 

 bound together iu the greater portion of their length, reaching a little 



