472 THE FUR SEAT.S OP THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



median series in front of ventrals containing three plates, not two as in PnUashia air. 

 The mandibular barbel is subject to considerable variation in length, and can probably 

 not be relied lapon to distinguish the two species. 



123. Podothecus hamlini, Jordan and Gilbert, new species. (Plate LXXI.) 



D., IX to XI, 8; A., or 10; P., 15. Head, 33 in length; depth, not including 

 spines of dor.sal plates, 8f ; width at base of pectorals, 1\; length of caudal peduncle, 

 from base of last anal ray, 2f ; snout long and slender, depressed, produced beyond 

 the mouth for a distance equaling a little less than half its length, the tip formed of 

 two spines, the space between which is covered with membrane; a pair of strong, 

 neai'ly erect spines at their base, between wliicli are two or three very small spines on 

 the median line; a second pair of strong spines at posterior end of premaxillary fossa, 

 the ridges bounding which may bear one or more pairs of small prickles; preopercle 

 with a wide, wing-like crest terminating in a bluntish spine; snout long and slender, 

 its lateral profile concave as seen from above or below; suborbital crest with three 

 very strong, backwardly hooked spines; interorbital space very narrow, deeply 

 concave; supraocular ridge strong and much elevated, the interorbital space deeper 

 and narrower than in any other species of this group, its least width li in orbit; post- 

 orbital spine small; ridges on sides of snout minutely serrate; an irregular group of 

 small spines above and behind anterior nostril; lateral ridges of head with three pairs 

 of very strong backwardly directed spines in line with the greatly ex])andod preoper- 

 cular ridge; the posterior portion of this ridge produced into a compressed, bluntish 

 process which overlaps the subopercle and reaches margin of gill opening; opercular 

 and temporal ridges low and sharp. Teeth ]»resent on jaws in the young, becoming 

 nearly or quite obsolete in adults; in the type, 17 cm. long, a few weak teeth on one 

 side of up])er jaw, but none elsewhere; vomer and i^alatines toothless. A cluster of 

 14 barbels on each side of lower surface of snout in front of mouth, and a cluster of 14 

 occupying end of maxillary and angle of mouth ; each side of lower lip with two barbels; 

 gill membranes widely joined to the isthmus, without distinct free fold posteriorly. 



Plates on body with very strong spines, those of the dorsal series the largest, but 

 decreasing rapidly backward, becoming much smaller than the lateral series under 

 the second dorsal fin; a median series of shoi t, sharp spines still i)ersists along entire 

 back of tail after the confiuence of the dorsal series; the lateral series lower ante- 

 riorly, the upper row persisting to gill opening, the lower row now becoming obso- 

 lete about four plates behind axil; the abdominal series bear short, sharp spines 

 (longer in the young), becoming obsolete along anterior portion of anal fin; of the 

 dorsal series, 4 aie in front of the first dorsal, 10 (or 9i) along base of first dorsal, 1 

 (or li) between dorsals, along base of second dorsal, 1.") along back of tail, the first 

 of the latter being the plate in which the dorsal series first become contluent; anterior 

 portioTi of lateral line running along upper lateral series, giadnally descending to 

 middle of sides, where it runs on a special row of plates which bear no spines; where 

 the lateral line begins to ascend, three of these plates become confluent witli cor- 

 responding plates of the upper lateral series; in advance of these, five members of the 

 series again ai)pear distinct, considerably enlarged and bearing spines; 40 i)ores in the 

 lateral line. 



Fins all comparatively short and low; pectorals reaching twelfth plate of upper 

 lateral series, the longest ray equaling length of snout and one-half eye; rays becoming 

 rapidly shortened below, the lower five or six slightly thickened with exserted tips; 



