NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 11<J 



II. Nematagnus Grill. 



Uranoscopus sp. Cuv. et Val. 



Head atove covered with bony plates, Preoperculurn armed beneath with 

 about five spines or less. Lower jaw entire beneath. Chin with a barbel. In- 

 tralabial filament also present. Body covered with scales. Two dorsal fins, 

 the first of which has four short spines, the second nearly coextensive with 

 the anal. 



This genus is distinguished by the presence of the mental barbel conjoined 

 with the characteristics of the typical Uranoscopi. 



A single species is known ; it is an inhabitant of the Indian Ocean. 



Nematagnus filibarbis Gill. 



Uranoscopus filibarbis Cuv. et Vol., Hist. Nat. des Poissons, vol. iii. p> 307. 



III. Upselonphorus Gill. 



Uranoscopus sp. Cuv. et Val., Giinther. 

 Astroscopus sp. Gill, Abbott. 



Head above with its crown only covered with a transverse plate, from the 

 front of which a bifurcated apophysis proceeds and sends a limb to each orbit. 

 The postocular region is consequently covered only with the skin. Cheeks 

 naked. Preoperculurn with a small angular and inferior projection, as in As- 

 troscopus. Lower jaw entire beneath. No intralabial filament. Body covered 

 with minute scales. Dorsal fins two ; the first with four short spines : the 

 second opposite the anal. 



Upsclonphorus is readily distinguished from all its relations by the skin- 

 covered postocular regions, separated from each other by the apophysis which 

 proceeds from the middle of the front of the transverse posterior plates. Thi.< 

 apophysis has nearly the form of the Greek letter T. In allusion to this cha- 

 racteristic feature the name has been proposed. 4 ' The genus is also distin- 

 guished from Uranoscopus by the absence of an intralabial filament, and by the 

 absence of inferior preopercular spines. The latter characteristics are found 

 in Astroscopus but the head of that genus is mailed above. Two species hav<- 

 been discovered. 



UPSELONPHORUS Y-GRiECUM Gill. 



Uranoscopus y-grsecum Cuv. et Val., Hist. Nat. des Poissons, torn. iii. p. 308. 

 Astroscopus v-graecum Gill, Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences 



of Philada., I860, p. 20. 

 Uranoscopus y-graecum Giinther, Catalogue of the Acanthopterygian Fishes, 



&c, vol. ii. p. 229. 

 Habitat. Caribbean Sea, (Dr. Giinther.) 



Upselonphorus gdttatus Gill. 

 Astroscopus guttatus Abbott, Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences 



of Philada., 1860, p. 365, pi. vii. Gill, Catalogue \ot the Fishes of the 



Eastern Coast of North America, p. 43. 

 Habitat. Eastern coast of North America, from New York to Georgia. 



IV. Astroscopus Brevoort. 



Uranoscopus sp. Cuv. et Val. 



Astroscopus Gill, Proceedings of Academv of Natural Sciences of Philada., p. 



20, Jan. 1860. 

 Agnus Giinther, Catalogue of Acanthopterygian Fishes, vol. ii. p. 229, 1860 1. 



Head above nearly completely covered with bony plates. Cheeks naked. 

 Preoperculurn with two blunt processes generally radiating from the angle of 

 its anterior limb, one of which is directed downwards and forwards. Lower 



* ^T-^lhov and 90/w, bearing. 



1861.] 8 



