140 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



Catalogue of the Fishes of Lower California in the Smithsonian Institution, 



collected by Mr. J, Xantus. 



BY THEODORE GILL. 



PART I. 



Mr. John Xantus, when stationed at Cape St. Lucas, Lower California, as a 

 tidal observer for tbe coast survey, brought together a very large collection of 

 objects of natural history, among which is a most excellent series of the fishes 

 of the coast. The collections were formed under the auspices and direction of 

 the Smithsonian Institution, to which the species were sent from time to time 

 and deposited in its museum. By permission of the Secretary of the Institu- 

 tion, 1 propose to give a preliminary synopsis of the species discovered on that 

 coast, embracing descriptions of the numerous new species. At a future time 

 I trust that I shall be enabled to publish a more complete monograph accom- 

 panied by figures of the various species. The following descripiions are, how- 

 ever, pertinent, and will enable naturalists, in most cases, to readily identify 

 the species. The Pomacentroids are the only ones, I believe, concerning which 

 there can be doubt, but I think ihat I have succeeded in giving them, also, their 

 distinctive characters after an examination of many species. 



In the final part of this catalogue, the peculiarities of the Fauna of Lower 

 California will be discussed, and its relations to that of other regions. Some 

 species are common to even the temperate seas of South America and the 

 West Indies, but a very large proportion of those discovered are new. 



Family LABROID^E (Cuv.) Bleeker. 



Subfamily Labrinae (Bon.) Gill. 



The representatives of the Labrinae found in the California waters belong to 

 the "group" of Julidina, characterized by Dr. Gunther in his excellent Synop- 

 sis of the Labroid Genera. The course of the lateral line appears to be more 

 important than the number of spines, and, consequently, we may associate 

 those Labroids with an interrupted or suddenly deflected line (except Gotn- 

 phosinae) in one subfamily, (Xirichthyinae) and provisionally refer the rest of 

 the Julidina, the Hypsigenina and Labrina of Dr. Gunther to one subfamily, 

 (Labrinae) as I know of no important characters coincident with the number of 

 dorsal spines. 



Only one species of the Labrinae inhabiting the California coast has been 

 hitherto described. It is the Semicottyphua pulcher Gthr. (Labrus pidcher Ayres.) 

 Two new species are now described, both of which belong to the genus Harpe 

 (Lac.) or Cossyphus Cuv., (not Fabricius.) 



Genus HARPE Lac. 



This may be retained as by Lacepede for those species whose median dorsal 

 and anal rays become much extended in the adult. The Cossyphus axillaris 

 Cuv. et Val*. &c, may be then referred to a new genus (Lepidaplois) distin- 

 guished by the nearly uniform anal. 



Harpe diplot^enia Gill. 

 The greatest height, inclusive of the scaly sheath of the dorsal fin, equals a 

 fourth of the length from the snout to the end of the median caudal rays. The 

 bead scarcely exceeds the height ; its profile is not or very little gibbous in 

 the adult. The preoperculum is entire or scarcely crenulated ; its posterior 

 margin is vertical, and its angle obliquely rounded. The eye is subcircular, 

 contained about six times in the head's length, and distant from the snout about 

 two diameters and-a-half. The height of the preorbital bone equals half the 

 length of tbe snout. The mouth is moderate, the supramaxillary bone ending 



[March, 



