NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 155 



Head constitutes one-fourth of total length, exclusive of the caudal. Cheeks 

 and opercula flattened as far forwards as the angle of the jaws. Snout 

 bluntly rounded. Facial and dorsal outlines continuous, the former des- 

 cribing a more decided curve from a point opposite the anterior nostril. Mouth 

 medium ; cleft of jaws oblique. Maxillary bone extending to the anterior 

 margin of the eye. Angle of lips somewhat nearer the termination of the 

 maxillary bone than extremity of snout. Eye large, circular, prominent ; the 

 diameter of the orbit contained six (6) times in the length of the side of the 

 head. The lower margin of the orbit is on a line drawn from the edge of the 

 upper lip, when not protracted. Nostrils adjoining ; tlie anterior superior in 

 position, inferior in size ; both situated in an elongated oval depression, ex- 

 tending from the orbit to midway between orbit and extremity of snout. 



Body compressed, tapering to the tail, with the dorsal and ventral outlines 

 describing gentle and similar curves. Greatest depth of body is at a point 

 midway between occiput and anterior insertion of the dorsal, and is one-tenth 

 greater than the length of the head. Longitudinally and transversely the 

 diameters of the scales are nearly equal ; but the free portion of the scales 

 upon the sides exhibits a depth double the length ; upon the back the dispro- 

 portion is less, and still more so on the occipital region. Forty-five scales 

 compose the lateral line, which line describes a profound curve from its origin 

 to a point opposite the extremity of the pectoral fin ; during the continuation 

 of its extent it is perfectly straight, and midway between the dorsal and ven- 

 tral outlines. 



Dorsal fin small, quadrangular, the height one-third greater than the 

 width at the base ; the insertion of the anterior ray exactly midway between 

 the extremity of snout and insertion of caudal. Ventrals small at their in- 

 sertions ; the free margin of triple width. Pectorals large ; when closed slen- 

 der, falciform and pointed; the third and longest ray nearly four times the 

 length of the basic extent of the fin ; when -expanded, the fin describes an 

 uninterrupted curvature five times greater in extent than the base. Anal 

 quadrangular, with the anterior ray one-third longer than the base. Cau- 

 dal furco-lunate, with the distance between the tips equal to the length of the 

 head. 2 



D, 18. P, 16. V, 8. A, 8. C, 20 - 



2 



Coloration. Occiput, forehead and upper jaw, deep olive green. Cheeks 

 and opercula bright vermillion, with metallic lustre. Eye lemon yellow, the 

 pupil being immediately surrounded with a narrow line of glistening golden. 

 Lower jaw white, the lip margined with vermillion. At the commencement 

 of squamation, from the insertion of one pectoral to the other, is a band of 

 olive-green, nearly the width of the scales. 



Back light, lustrous, steel-blue, with the base of the free margin of each 

 scal^ with a narrow line of olive green. Three rows of scales above and two 

 below the lateral line, blight lustrous pink, with the lines of olive on the 

 scales decreasing in width on the two rows beneath the lateral line, and want- 

 ing on the scales of the belly, which are bright silvery. 



Dorsal fin vermillion on the basal half, the terminal half crossed by three 

 bands of green and vermillion, the centre being of the latter color. Pectorals 

 vermillion, with a bread terminal band of dusky green. Ventrals and anal 

 dusky. Caudal yellowish, with a terminal dusky band. 



Total length of largest specimen procured, 15^ inches. 



No variation in the coloration of the sex, except a more subdued tinting in 

 the female. 



With the exception of the formula of fin-rays, the description is in full ac- 

 cordance with the above, and as it cannot be applied to any other than the 

 above described fish, it may safely be assumed the fish in question and the 

 species described by Dr. Mitchell are one and the same. 



1861.] 



