824 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



12CO. P. obloiigus* (Mitch.) J. & G. 



Grayish, thickly mottled with darker and somewhat translucent j 

 four large, horizontally-oblong, black ocelli, each surrounded by a 

 pinkish area ; one just behind middle of the body below the dorsal, 

 one opposite this above anal; two similar smaller spots below last 

 rays of dorsal and above last of anal. Body comparatively elongate, 

 strongly compressed. Eyes large, nearly 4 in head, separated by a prom- 

 inent narrow, sharp ridge. Upper jaw with very numerous small, close- 

 set teeth laterally, and 4 or 5 canines in front; the lateral teeth abruptly 

 smaller than the anterior; each side of lower jaw with 7 to 10 teeth. 

 Chin prominent. Maxillary narrow, reaching past middle of pupil, 2 

 in length of head. Gape curved. Scales weakly ctenoid or cycloid. 

 Gill-rakers thick, rather long, few, about 8 below angle. Dorsal low, 

 beginning over front of eye, some of the anterior rays exserted, but not 

 elongate; the longest rays behind middle of fin, not quite half head. 

 Caudal 1^ in head ; pectoral If. Anal spine obsolete. Head 4; depth 2. 

 D. 72; A. GO; Lat. 1. 93. (D. 79; A. 59, according to Mitchill; D. 86; 

 A. 7G, according to Storer). Atlantic coast, northward ; not abundant. 



(Pleuronectes oblonr/n* Mitchill, Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. i, 391, 1815 : Plafessa qnad- 

 roccUata Storer, Proc. Boat. Soc. Nat. Hist. 1847, 242, and in Hist. Fish. Mass. 397, pi. 

 xxxi, f. 3.) 



152 TO. P. ODiiiiiatiis Jor. & Gilb. nora. sp. nor. 



Brownish olive, with four large, oblong, ocellated spots, the first above 

 the arch of the lateral line ; the three posterior forming an isosceles 

 triangle, the hindmost being on the lateral line. Body oval, com- 

 pressed, very deep; an abrupt angle above eye. Mouth very small, 

 the maxillary reaching to below middle of orbit, 2i in length of head; 

 teeth comparatively small, about 14 on each side of lower jaw; no 



*A specimen in our collection from Wood's Holl, Mass., provisionally referred to 



tliis species, shows flic following characters: 



Ilrownisli, somewhat mottled, wit IK ml traces of ocelli (possil)ly faded) : fins similar. 



Iiody rather elongate, slenderer than in other species >md more compressed; mouth 



rather large, oblique, the lower .jaw not projecting, the maxillary '-", in head, reaching 

 to opposite posterior border of pupil ; a In ml I'.' leet h <m each side of lower jaw, the aii- 

 terioi rather long. ,-ilmut equal to anterior teeth of upper jaw; lateral teeth of upper 

 jaw becoming gradually smaller posteriorly, much larger, less numerous, and nioro 

 widely set than in ot her species of this genus. Eyes large, longer than snout, 4 to 4 in 

 head, separated by a narrow, elevated, bony ridge, narrower than pupil; anteriorly 

 scalelcss. and curved behind the upper eye posteriorly. Scales moderate, cycloid, 

 rather thin: curve of lateral line -I',' in straight part. (Jill-rakers 2-f-8in number, 

 rather long and slender, about ji in maxillary. J)or>al beginning above middle of 

 e\e. its anterior rays not longer than others; the middle rays a little longer than 

 longest of anal, which an- about half head; caudal as long as head; anal spine ob- 

 solete; ventrals small : pectoral I Jin head. Head 4^-; depth 2J. D.77; A. 63; Lat. 

 1. 90. L. about 14 inches. 



