NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 119 



ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



AroGON americanus Apogonichthys Castelnau, Voyage Amer. Merid. Tab. 1. 

 Cope, Trans. Amer. Philos. Soe. 1866, 400. 



Priacanthus altus Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., 1862, 132. 



Hyportuodus flavicauda Gill, 1. c. 1861, 98 ; 1862, 133. 



Promicropterus decoratus Gill, Proc. A. N. Sci., 1863, 164. 



D. II. 26. A. 16 scales 11 98 46, counted from base of second dorsal Bpine. 

 Dorsal fins connected by membrane as elevated as that of the first dorsal. 

 Head (from premaxilla to end of spine) more than four times in length includ- 

 ing caudal fin. Pectorals not narrowed. Eye 5.33 times in length of head. 

 Otherwise as in P. maculatus Hoi. 



Color dark brown, covered with large round pale spots as large as the orbit, 

 each with a brown central spot. They extend on the dorsal and proximal 

 caudal fins. Second dorsal, anal, and caudal fin broadly blackish edged. 



Another character in which this species differs from P. maculalus is the 

 gentle and gradual rise of the lateral line from the suprascapula. In the 

 latter, it forms a weak sigmoid with abrupt upward curvature. From New- 

 port, Rhode Island ; discovered by my friend Samuel Powell of thai place, 

 among many other highly interesting fishes. As no one else has detected the 

 Promicropterus decoratus on any other part of the coast of the United States, it 

 must be a rare species. Prof. Gill originally described it as coming from 

 Panama. 



Vomer cortus Cope, sp. nov. 



This species is intermediate in form between Vomer setipinnis Mitch., and 

 Selene argentea Lac. It is, therefore, shorter and deeper than the former, and 

 with dorsal and ventral outline more convex. The pectoral fin is also longer, 

 and the eye larger. The prominence of the front is anterior in position to 

 that which it occupies in the latter, hence the fish has a less rhomboid, and 

 more regular form. The first anal ray is further in advance of the first of the 

 second dorsal than in V. brownii, and not so far as in S. argentea. 



Radii D. Ill with membrane, III without, 22. A 19. The pectoral reaches 

 the ventral outline at the tenth soft anal ray. The greatest depth of the head 

 measured along the anterior limb of the orbit enters the total to the caudal 

 emargination 1-8 times in V. setipinnis 2-5 times ; depth at first anal ray, in 

 the same, 1-66 times; in V. setipinnis nearly twice. Eye into length of head, 

 horizontally through orbit, 2-75 times ; into length along front, 4-6 times. 

 Muzzle projecting enclosing a strong concavity with front line much stronger 

 than in V. brownii or S. argentea. Total length 0m. 165. Length of head from 

 muzzle along lower margin of orbit 0m. 046. Color silvery, without spots. 



A second specimen from the North American Atlantic coast, the precise 

 locality not recorded. Bonaparte collection in Mus. Academy Natural 



Sciences. 



The structure of the fins in this species is precisely similar to that seen in 

 V. setipinnis, and in general it resembles that species very closely. The dif- 

 ferences are readily observed on comparison with specimens of the latter of 

 the same size. 

 Sarothrodus maculocixctcs Gill, Pr. A. N. Sci., 1861, 99. Only found at 



Newport. 

 Gltphidodon saxatilis Linn. 



An abundant West Indian species. 



MALACOPTERYG1I. 



Hemirhamphus uxifasciatus Ranzani. 

 A West Indian fish. 



1870.] 



