Miscellaneous . 
119 
opening and consisting of a rudimentary spine and several rays ; 
with a short and well-developed spinous dorsal, which is separated 
bv a deep notch from the soft portion ; the spines slender ; the 
branchial apertures wide and the gill-membrane free from the isthmus ; 
gills 3|, apparently with no slit behind the last ; the pectoral fins 
continuous around the breast, the rays supported all around by 
actinosts ; the genital papilla of males capable of being received 
into a pit in front of the anal fin. 
Syxchirtjs, gen. nov. 
Body slender and moderately elongate, resembling that of Tri- 
glops ; covered with thin, tough skin. Lateral line armed with 
spiny tubercles. Spiny scales in a series along the dorsal base. 
Head subconical, with moderately pointed snout. Mouth small, 
very slightly oblique ; the rami of the mandible a little concave 
beneath. Premaxillaries protractile. Jaws with slender, villiform 
teeth in bands. Teeth on vomer and palatines. Pseudo-branchiae 
present. Gills 3J, no slit behind the last. Gill-openings wide, ex- 
tending above the median line, the membrane free from the isthmus. 
Suborbital connected by a bony stay with the preopercle, which 
bears a strong bifid spine at its angle. Pectorals completely united 
around the breast, all the rays supported by actinosts, the membrane 
free at its margin. Yentrals distant from the gill-opening, the 
pubic bones being remarkably long, the fins diverging widely and 
consisting of a rudimentary spine and three rays. Dorsal long, the 
spinous portion low, with slender spines, and the soft portion twice 
as long as the spinous. Anal long. Caudal moderately elongate, 
its middle rays somewhat produced. 
Synchirus Gilli , sp. nov. 
B. VI ; D. VIII-IX, 19-21 ; A. 20 ; V. 1, 3 ; P. 22. 
U. S. National Museum number 41820. 
The eye is about as long as the snout and | the length of the 
head, which is of the total length to caudal base. The depth is 
contained 5| times in the total length. The maxilla extends to 
about below the middle of the eye. The interorbital space is not 
quite equal to the length of the eye. There is a pair of strong 
nasal spines. The preopercle has a short and very sharp bifid spine. 
The lateral line contains about 41 spiny tubercles, and most of the 
specimens have a single series of spiny scales along the dorsal base. 
The pectorals are nearly as long as the head, and extend to about 
below the fourth ray of the soft dorsal. The ventrals are nearly 
under the middle of the pectorals and their length varies greatly. 
In some specimens they are scarcely \ as long as the head ; in others 
they are as long as the postorbital part of the head. In some males 
the anal papilla is § as long as the ventral fin of the same indi- 
vidual. This papilla can be received into a pit in front of the anal 
fin. 
The spinous dorsal begins over the axil of the pectoral ; the 
