1897.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 129 



in head, the fifth ray from bottom shortest. Upper and lower rays 

 of caudal slightly produced, middle rays even, upper lobe larger, as 

 long as caudal peduncle. Folds on lower part or side of tail extend- 

 ing forward and meeting on chin, a very slight fold on each side of 

 tail above. Small, imbedded, three-rooted spines on the belly be- 

 tween the lateral ridges, not extending on to chin nor to vent, skin 

 otherwise perfectly smooth. Lines of mucous pores as in Lagoce- 

 phalus Icttiijatus; four short lines enclosing a quadrangular area 

 behind the eye, from the anterior corners of which extends a line 

 surrounding the eye, the posterior inner corners connected by the 

 nuchal line, the lateral line extending from the posterior outer cor- 

 ner. Lateral line extending directly backward till nearly even 

 with the dorsal fins, then curving downward and extending along 

 middle of tail to base of caudal. 



Color, in alcohol : Silvery-olive above, clouded with dark olive, a 

 faint greenish-olive area along sides, lower part on side silvery, 

 below white. 



This species differs from L. Icevigatus in the robust body with 

 short caudal peduncle, the merely emarginate caudal fin, and the 

 shape of the pectoral. 



Two specimens, 9i inches long. 



174. Spheroides marmoratus (Ranzani). Spiny Back Blow Fish. 



TetroJon marmoratus Ranzani, Nov. Comni. Ac. Sci. Inst., Bonon., IV, ~'l, 

 pi. 10, fig. 1, 1840 (Brazil). 



Head 2! ; depth 4 ; eye 4} in head. D. 7 ; A. 6 ; F. 14. 



Outline of head concave in front of eye ; eye full and high, its 

 distance above a line drawn from corner of mouth to upper base of 

 pectoral equal to its longitudinal diameter. Interorbital space very 

 narrow, grooved, its width equal to that of pupil. Snout long, If 

 in head. Nostrils at end of a tube, situated about equally distant 

 from end of snout and posterior edge of eye. Gill-opening equal to 

 base of pectoral, but higher. Length of caudal peduncle from anal 

 2 in head. Length of head equal to half of distance in front of 

 dorsal. Posterior rays of dorsal H in longest, which are 2? in head. 

 Pectoral very broad, folding fan-like, the margins scalloped, broadly 

 rounded, lowest ray If in upper which is 2J in head. Caudal fin 

 slightly longer than the distance of its base from dorsal, its rays all 

 of equal length, If in head. Prickles on ventral surface between 

 chin and vent, extending on side of head in front of pectoral fin, on 

 side behind pectoral fin to vertical from dorsal, above from nostrils 



