582 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Fie. 231,—Chimsera purpurescens Gilbert, new species. Type. 
serrate along postero-lateral angles; the soft rays are attached nearly to its tip, as can be made out by 
the tom membrane adhering to it; anterior angle of soft portion of fin evenly rounded, protruding 
slightly beyond the spine; posterior rays short, the last joined to the back by a low membrane con- 
necting it with first ray of second dorsal; distance between base of last ray of first dorsal and origin of 
second dorsal equal to two-thirds the height of the first; first dorsal spine, when declined, reaches slightly 
beyond the origin of second dorsal; the soft portion of the first dorsal and the membrane joining it to 
the second are contained in a deep groove; length of spine contained 1.7 times in head; the second dorsal 
rises rapidly, reaching its greatest height opposite tips of pectorals, where it is about 0.2 the length of 
head, its margin entire, nonsinuate throughout; notch between second dorsal and “caudal” deep, but 
not to base of fin; no distinct anal fin, the fin on lower side of tail regularly diminishing in height 
anteriorly, and without notch; pectoral not falcate, extending well beyond base of ventrals, and longer 
than head; ventrals contained 1.6 times in length of head; tail broken at a distance of 18 cm. behind 
end of second dorsal, very slender at that point, and probably not produced to form a filament. 
Color uniform purplish or plum color throughout. 
Only the type is known from Hawaiian waters, but a large specimen from Japan has recently been 
identified with this species by Prof. J. O. Snyder. 
Family CHIM£RID£. 
Chimaera purpurescens, new species. ■ Fig. 231. 
Type, a female, 90 cm. long, from station 4183, vicinity of Kauai, depth 957 to 1,067 fathoms; 
type, No. 51592, U. S. Nat. Mus. 
Head and body very robust, deep and compressed, depth 4.4 in length measured to end of second 
dorsal fin; snout high and compressed, without appendages, protruding beyond nostrils for a distance 
about equaling diameter of orbit; eye large, nearly circular, the diameter of exposed portion very 
slightly exceeding the interorbital width, which is 0.2 the length of head; front of eye midway in- 
length of head; distance from nostrils to tip of snout contained 2.8 times in length of head; anterior 
dental laminae of upper jaw with 7 enamel rods on each side the median line; first and second enamel 
rods on each side of median line in lower jaw very widely spaced, ending in acute points with deeply 
concave border between them, the length of the points slightly exceeding anterior laminae of upper 
jaw; four sensory canals intersect at a point vertically below hinder margin of orbit; one canal runs 
upward and backward from point of intersection in direction of dorsal spine, meeting, almost at right 
angles on level of upper rim of orbit, a line descending from the nape; posteriorly to the point of 
union, the latter describes a sharp curve with the convexity directed downward, and then becomes 
the lateral line, the undulations of which are few and faint. 
Dorsal spine comparatively slender and nearly straight, containing no posterior groove, and not 
