490 THE FUE SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



Scales on colored side strougly ctenoid except in a strip along middle of sides 

 anteriorly. Elsewhere each scale is provided with two to four long spines. On blind 

 side they are smooth except in nape and caudal peduncle. Cheeks, opercles, and 

 interorbital space covered with larger rougher scales than those on sides. Mandible 

 and snout naked. A single seuies surrounds each eye anteriorly, a series on maxil- 

 lary of colored side. Blind side of head with maxillary naked, cheeks covered with 

 minute smooth thin scales, the opercles with a few scattered spinous scales, the preo- 

 percle naked. 



Color nearly uniform brownish, without distinctive markings on body or fins. 



The species is named for Mr. Gerald E. H. Barrett-Hamilton, of the British Fur- 

 Seal Commission. 



VERASPER Jordan and G-ilbert, new genus. 



■ This genus is most nearly allied to Xystrurys and ITippoglossina, having few short 

 gill rakers, like the former, and strongly ctenoid scales, like the latter. It differs 

 strongly from all its congeners in having j)remaxillary teeth in two series. The single 

 type is dextral. The teeth are uniformly small, without canines. The dorsal originates 

 above the front of pupil. The lateral line is strongly arched above the root of the 

 pectoral, without recurrent dorsal branch. The scales are extremely spinous. The 

 gill rakers are short, thick, and triangular, few in number. None of the fin rays are 

 notably produced or exserted. 



Besides the typical species, Verasper moseri, a second species, Verasper variegatus 

 (Schlegel), is a common food-fish in the waters of the more southern islands of Japan. 



220. Verasper tnoseri, Jordan and Gilbert, new species. (Plate LXXXV.) 



One male specimen, 28 cm. long, from Shana Bay, Iturup Island, is the type of 

 the species; other specimens similar to this were taken in the harbor of Hakodate. 



Dorsal' 82; anal, 68; pectoral, 12; pores in lateral line, 84. Head 3^ in length to 

 base of caudal; depth 2; depth of caudal peduncle 4 in greatest depth of body; 

 length of caudal peduncle, measured axially, 1§ in its depth. Head much depressed, 

 with rather wide flat interorbital space, resembling in appearance Psettichthys melano- 

 stictus; its thickness at interorbital sijace equaling distance between pupils of upper 

 and lower eyes. 



Mouth small, very oblique, the gape strongly arched, the broad maxillary reach- 

 ing a vertical behind middle of pupil, 2| in head. Mandible narrowing toward tip, 

 with very rudimentary symphysial knob. Teeth in the upper jaw in two distinct 

 series throughout, those of the outer series increasing slightly in size toward front of 

 jaw, but none of them canine-like. Mandibular teeth in one row, except at symphysis, 

 where a few teeth form a short outer series. Kasal openings of eyed side approximated 

 in front of middle of interorbital space. The anterior has a short tube, the posterior 

 with a raised rim. Eyes small, their anterior margins opposite, the diameter of lower 

 eye equaling distance from tip of snout to posterior nostril, 6;^ in head. Interorbital 

 Space rather broad and flat, not ridge-like, its total width equaling half the diameter 

 of orbit. Gill rakers short, broad, triangular, minutely toothed on inner margin, 

 one-third diameter of eye; 7 present on horizontal limb of outer arch. 



Lateral line with a short, high anterior arch, the chord of which is one fifth the 

 straight portion. The height of the arch is one-third its length. Behind the arch, 



