86 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



Genus Menticikehus Gill. 



Scisena sp. Linn., &c. 



Urnbrina sp. Cuv., Regne Animal, ed. i. vol. ii. p. 297. 



Body elongated, with the dorsal outline arched, very gradually descending 

 from the dorsal to the snout, and slowly descending to the end of the second 

 fin. Abdominal outline nearly straight. 



Head rather elongated, with the profile oblique, and before the eyes slightly 

 arched. Snout convex and considerably protuberant. Eyes of moderate size, 

 situated entirely in the anterior half of the head. Mouth horizontal and infe- 

 rior. Supram axillary bone ending nearly under the posterior border of the 

 eye's pupil, chiefly concealed under the suborbitals. Preopercular margin 

 finely denticulated. Lower jaw with a single barbel, with a pore in front, and 

 with two lateral pores on each side. 



Teeth in both jaws villiform ; in the upper one, the band of villiform ones 

 is surrounded by a row of larger curved ones. 



Anterior dorsal fin sustained by ten or twelve spines, the third of which is 

 frequently more or less prolonged. Anal fin generally with only one very 

 slender spine. Caudal unequally lobed, with the inferior lobe convex and 

 largest. Pectoral fins pointed and scaly at their bases. Ventral shorter and 

 inserted much behind the pectoral. 



The teeth of the pharyngeal bones are elongated and conical. The set of 

 the first pair of ceratohyals are generally obliquely compressed and short. 

 The dentiferous plates of the branchial arches are thick and ridge-like. 



The American Umbrinse form a very natural group, distinguished from the 

 typical species by their elongated and very gradually tapering head, the more 

 slender body, the more unequally emarginated caudal, the inferior insertion of 

 the pectorals and their scaly bases, and the posterior origin of the ventrals, as 

 well as the presence of only one very slender anal spine. 



Type. Menticirrhus alburnus Gill. 

 Syn. Umbrina alburnus Holbrook. 



Genus Umbrina Cuv. 



Umbrina Cuv., Regne Animal, ed. i. vol. i. p. 297. 1817. 



Body moderately elongated, with the ante-dorsal region moderately curved, 

 and the occipito-nasal profile declining quite rapidly. 



Head oblong, with the snout thick and protuberant. Eyes mostly anterior. 

 Mouth almost horizontal. Supramaxillars mostly retractile under the subor- 

 bital, ceasing near the vertical of the posterior border of the pupil. Preoper- 

 cular margin finely denticulated. 



Teeth villiform ; the band of the upper jaw encircled by a row of larger 

 ones. 



Anterior dorsal fin with about ten spines. Anal with two spines ; the second 

 of which is of moderate size. Ventral fins nearly under or little behind, the 

 bases of the pectorals. 



The variable teeth of the lower and median upper pharyngeal bones are 

 cylindro-conic. The setffi are of normal form but short ; the dentiferous plates 

 of the rest of the branchial arches x-idge-like. 



Type. Umbrina oirrhosa Cuv. 



Genus Micropogon Cuv. 

 Perca sp. Linn. 

 Umbrina sp. Desmarest. 

 Scisena sp. Quoy and Gaimard. 

 Micropogon Cuv. et Vol. Hist. Nat. des Poissons, vol. v. p. 213. 



[April, 



