612 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



body with small round brown spots, which form more or less regular 

 series, s-.;i't d;;rsal and caudal densely spotted. Body oblong, some- 

 what regularly elliptical. Head bhmt, short, and deep, the profile ab- 

 ruptly descending- to the snout. Lips thick, the lower without freuum. 

 'iYKh moderate, conical, in about two series, the inner very small. 

 Cheeks, opercles, and top of head scaly. Spines stiff and low. Cau- 

 dal forked; pectorals and ventrals long. Jleadi; depth 2.\. D. XII, 

 11; A. II, 10; scales 4-29-10; 18 in course of lateral line; L. 9 inches. 

 Pacific coast, north to Point Concepcion ; not rave. 



(Ayrcsia pitnctipinnis Cooper, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sci. 1833, 73.) 



961. C. iBisoiatus (Cuv. & Val.) .}. & G. 



Dark brownish, with metallic reflections ; each scale on the head and 

 anterior part of the body with a blue spot ; young with two blue lines 

 along the forehead convergent oil the snout, and with a black spot im- 

 mediately behind the dorsal fin. Caudal fin emargiuate, with rounded 

 lobes. Second anal spine more than half the length of the head ; dor- 

 sal spines high; ventrals long; pectorals moderate. Depth 2 5 D. Xlli, 

 12; A. II, 12; scales 2-28-9 ; coeca 2. West Indies, north to Southern 

 Florida. 



(Hellascs insolatux Cuv. & Val. v, 494 : 77<7ms/<.v inwltitiis Giiuthcr, iv, Gl.) 



FAMILY XCVII EPHIPPID.E. 



(The Angel- fishes.} 



Body compressed, usually greatly elevated, the anterior profile steep. 

 Scales moderate or small, ctenoid, densely covering the soft parts of the 

 vertical fins; lateral line present, following the curve of the back. Mouth 

 siaall, terminal, horizontal; prcmaxillaries protractile; maxillary short, 

 without supplemental bone, partly slipping under the preorlntul ; jaws 

 with bands of slender, pointed, movable, brush-like teeth; preoperele 

 usu.dly very finely serrated ; gill-membranes broadly attached to the 

 isthmus, the openings restricted to the sides; branchiostegals 6 or 7: 

 pyloriee:eca t'e\v; gill-rakers very short ; pseudobranchia' present. Dor- 

 sal tins 2, somewhat connected; the first of 8 to 11 spines, which are 

 depressible. in a groove; soft dorsal and anal tins anteriorly high, their 

 bases thickened Ity the scales; anal spines .". or 1.. short; caudal fii; 

 truncate or nearly so; pectorals shori : ventrals long, thoracic, I, 5; 

 air Madder lar-e, commonly bifurcate in front, and with two slend.. 

 horns behind. As here understood, a group of -4 genera and about 10 



