310 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 48. 



than half the ocular diameter. Posterior nostril in front of upper 

 part of eye, its distance from eye less than its length, provided ante- 

 riorly with a wide valvular fold. There are 12 pores in a series 

 above the maxillary, the posterior under front of eye; a series of 4 

 around posterior border of eye; 12 along the course of the mandible, 

 this series continued backwards in a row of 7 following the curve of 

 the preopercle, and a minute pair on each side of median line above; 

 upper line of snout with 7 pairs, the posterior pair just within and 

 behind the nostrils; an eighth pair lies over the posterior border of 

 eye, above the preopercular series. Lateral line with 53 large pores 

 from vent to head, thence continued forward above branchial region 

 in a series of 9 pores, the posterior of which is less than half the size 

 of the others. 



Measurements, in hundredths, of length from tip of snout (exclusive 

 of tentacle) to vent (233 mm.). (Lengths are given exclusive of 

 tentacle, unless otherwise stated.) 



Length of head 27 



Length of tentacle 6 



Length of snout (without tentacle) 12. 5 



Distance from tip of snout to angle of mouth 15 



Diameter of eye 2 



Postocular length of head 12. 8 



Depth at vent 5. 8 



Greatest depth of tail 6. 3 



Depth at gill opening 3. 6 



Internarial width 9 



The terminal portion of the tail is mutilated. 



The species is apparently close to V. procera from the Atlantic, but 

 the position of the posterior nostrils in the latter has not been de- 

 scribed. The gape in V. procera is longer, and the dorsal rays less 

 numerous, the first anal ray being under the seventy-third of the 

 dorsal. 



ALEPOCEPHALUS TENEBROSUS Gilbert. 



Several specimens from the following stations: 



4307.. 

 4317.. 



Near San Diego 



Fathoms. 

 169^96 

 161-510 

 423-510 

 506-680 

 198-495 



do 



4351.. 



do 



4429.. 



do 



4515. . 



do 







The description by Jordan and Evermann 1 is inadequate and con- 

 tains erroneous statements, which were not found in the original 

 description. 2 Thus the maxillary is contained 2-f or 3 times in the 

 length of the head, not 2£ times. 



i Fishes of North America, vol. 1, p. 453. 

 2Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 14, 1891, p. 545. 



