NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 223 



were caught, with others, by C. A. Putnam, Esq., in the harbor of Salem, in 

 the month of January, 1858. To the able ichthyologist to whom we are in- 

 debted for our knowledge of the species, we dedicate it in token of friendly 

 and scientific appreciation. 



The next species appears to belong to a genus already established by Dr. P. 

 Von Bleeker, but differs very decidedly from the known species. 



CITHARICHTHYS Blkr., Gthr. 



ClTHARICHTHYS MICROSTOMUS, Gill. 



The height of the body enters about 2f times (-36 -37) in the extreme 

 length ; that of the caudal peduncle about eleven times. The head forms a 

 fifth of the length, is rather abbreviated, scarcely sinuous above the eyes, blunt 

 at the snout, which scarcely exceeds a seventh of the head's length, and the 

 rostral area is rhombic, and not higher than long. The eyes are even ; the 

 longitudinal diameter contained about 33 times (.05^ in the head's length. 

 The mouth is rather small, the length of the upper jaw only equalling a quar- 

 ter of the length, and that of the lower two-fiftbs of the head's length. The 

 teeth are very small, and close together ; larger in front. The dorsal com- 

 mences above the front of the orbit, and is highest, and convergent near the 

 fortieth ray, which equals about the tenth of the total length ; the anal is 

 highest at about the twenty-fifth ray, and is high or even higher than the dor- 

 sal. The caudal is rounded behind, and forms about a sixth of the length. 

 The pectoral fins are unequally developed, that of the dark side being pro- 

 longed, and contained only 6| times in the total length, while that of the white 

 side only equals a tenth of the same; the rays are all simple. The ventral fins 

 are also unequally developed, the right being on the abdominal ridge at its 

 origin, rather in advance of the opercular margin, and with its longest rays 

 contained about fourteen times in the total length ; stretched backwards, it ex- 

 tends to the second anal ray ; the fin on the white side is more advanced, 

 wider, and its rays longer, contained less than twelve times in the length, and 

 extends backward to nearly the third anal ray. 



D. 81. A. 58. C. 4. 6. 5. 3. P. 10. V. 6. 



The scales are large, angular behind, covered with smaller ones, especially 

 near the point of junction of contiguous ones, where alone they are developed 

 on the blind side; the scales of the eyed side are mostly minutely ciliated be- 

 hind, unarmed however near the lateral line, the scales of which last are quad- 

 rate and mostly covered ; the scales of the blind side are less angular behind 

 and unarmed. The lateral line runs through about forty-two scales, while of 

 longitudinal rows there are ten above and fourteen below the lateral line. 



The color is uniform reddish brown. 



A single specimen, little more than three inches long, was first obtained by 

 Prof. Baird at Beesley's Point. It is especially distinguished from its California 

 relative, 0. sordida, by the short snout, small mouth and large scales ; 0. sor- 

 dida having about fifty-eight scales pierced by the lateral line, and eighteen 

 rows above the lateral line. Notwithstanding this great disparity in the size 

 of the scales and mouth, C. microstomus appears to agree in most respects with 

 the Californian fish, as well as generically with Citharichthys spilopterus of Giin- 

 ther, aspecies inhabiting the Gulf of Mexico. As the name Citharichthys was 

 introduced a short time before that of Orthopsetta, proposed for the Psettichthys 

 sordidus, and was framed for a species related to that type, that name must be 

 adopted if the 0. sordida is not regarded as generically distinct. 



I may here remark that, although I have referred the Platessa quadrocularis of 

 Storer to the genus Chxnopsetta, (C. oblonga), it is possible that it may not 

 truly belong to that genus, as the dorsal and anal fins are represented as in- 



1864.] 



