NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 129 



lower jaw lias, first, in front, on each side, two small teeth, then behind a 

 larger, slender, conical and recurved one. Each species has three on the right 

 and four on the left,(normally ?); thirdly, about six small, slender, nearly straight 

 ones ; fourthly, three large, slender, compressed and curved trenchant ones, 

 and behind ten or twelve small, trenchant ones. The large dentary teeth are 

 slender and moderately curved ; the length is four times greater than the 

 height, and nearly equals a twelfth of the head's length. The posterior small 

 trenchant teeth are separated by considerable intervals. 



The dorsal fin has about thirty-four rays, the first of which is rather stout, 

 and anteriorly has a prominent compressed ridge, crenulated in front ; the 

 distance between the first and second equals about three-fourths of that be- 

 tween the second and third. 



The ventral fins are as long as the head, and each is composed of a slender 

 spine, crenulated on its external edge, and of twelve rays divided nearly to 

 the base ; the external branches of the last are also more or less deeply divided. 



Head Length (7| inches) 100 



Height at preoperculum 44 



Width at preoperculum 24 



Eye Distance from snout 40 



Diameter of eye 18 



Nostril Distance from snout 23 



Lower jaw Length 75 



Greatest height 13 



Intermaxillary bones Length of posterior processes 15 



Operculum Length of upper margin 25 



Greatest length 30 



Height 26 



Infraoperculum Length 29 



Length of shortest ray above the superior hori- 

 zontal ridge 10 



Teeth Length of posterior vomerine tooth 15 



Width " " " 3 



Length of large posterior dentary tooth 8 



Width " " " " 2 



This species is probably nearly allied to the Alepidosaurus ( Caulopus) altivelis 

 (Poey) of Cuba, but is distinguished by the length of the ventral fins, which 

 appear to be at least equal to the head, and from others by the form and 

 sculpture of the opercular pieces, as well as by the relative proportion and 

 dimensions of the other parts of the head. A single specimen was obtained 

 in Puget's Sound, by Dr. C. B. Kennedy, the Naturalist of the Northwestern 

 Boundary Survey, under the command of A. Campbell, Commissioner. The 

 head, dorsal, caudal and ventral fins were only preserved. The reflection will 

 naturally arise, whether the individual captured there was not a wanderer 

 from more southern waters. The discovery of a species of the family in such 

 northern waters is a discovery of no slight interest. 



A plate illustrative of the species will be published in the work on ih^ 

 Fishes of Western North America. 



Alepidosaurus (Caulopus) serka Gill. 



The head has the typical generic form, and constitutes about a sixth of the 

 total length. The upper surface is flat, and declines in nearly a straight line 

 to the snout. The height at the preopercular border equals two-fifths (40-100) 

 of the length. Its width at the same place, or above the preoperculum, ex- 

 ceeds a fifth (22-100) of the same, or half of the height ; thence, the width 

 regularly decreases towards the pointed snout. 



The eyes are of the usual size, the diameter entering about five and haH 



1862.] 9 



