NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 275 



Subfamily EMBIOTOCINJE Gill. 



This subfamily embraces all the Embiotocoid fishes, with the exception of 

 Hysterocarpus, which is the type of a second one (Hysterocarpinse Gill.) The 

 group is thus limited to embrace those fishes whose dorsal fin has a longer 

 soft than spinous portion. In Hysterocarpus, on the contrary, the spinous 

 portion is considerably longer than soft, and has 16 to 18 spines ; that genus 

 is composed of a single fluviatile species. 



Damalichthys lateralis Gill. 



Five specimens are in the collection, all young and representing the stage 

 named by Girard Embiotoca ornata. 



Embiotoca jacksonii Agassiz. 

 Several fine specimens. 



Amphistichus argenteus Agassiz. 

 Two specimens. 



Hyperprosopon arcuatus Gibbons, (nee A. Ag.) 



This species is very closely related to the Hyperprosopon argenteus of Gib- 

 bons ; the description of the latter being essentially applicable, with the fol- 

 lowing exceptions : 



1st. The forehead is higher in the middle and the frontal outline little 

 incurved. 



2d. The snout is at the horizon of the centre of the pupil, or even lower, 

 and not as elevated as its upper border. 



3d. D. 27. A. III. 3233. 

 8 5 



4th. Scales 72 , -. 

 21 6 



In almost other respects it resembles Hyperprosopon argenteus, and has the 

 same terminal blackish ventral band. 



Two specimens, a male and female, equal in size to those of Hyperprosopon 

 argenteus, are in the collection of Mr. Hubbard. 



Hypocritichthys analis Gill. 



Hyperprosopon analis A. Agassiz. I refer to this species, which has 



(incl. Embiotoca lateralis Ag.), Rhacochilus Ag., Amphistichus Ag., Holconotus Ag., (nee 

 Grd), Cymatogasier Gib. (aggregatus,) Hypocritichthys Gill, Hyperprosopon Gib., 

 Brachyisiius Gill, {B. frenatus, new sp, with small mouth, uniserial acute teeth. 



5 



D. VIII. 1315. A. HI. 21,22. Scales 38, 39 . Purplish, with a longitudinal 



11+2, 

 band on head interrupted by eye. Abeona Grd. (minima). 



II. Hysterocarpinse, with one genus, Hysterocarpus Gib. These thirteen genera 

 contain at least eighteen species, Hyperprosopon having three, and Damalichthys. 

 Phanerodon and Holconotus each two. 



I have adopted the name of Cymaiogaster instead of Micrometrus, because the former 

 was first applied in publication to the species here retained under it, and its application 

 to another type and the substitution, for the present, of the name of Micrometrus, as 

 exhibited in publication, was an after thought. As it is generally acknowledged that an 

 author has no more right to modify the nomenclature introduced by himself than another, 

 such a change cannot be accepted. 



The genus Micrometrus of Gibbons included two lypes ; the first was considered by 

 Girard, from the slight description of Agassiz, to be identical with the Holconotus of 

 the latter. The second was regarded as a distinct generic type, and named Abeona. 

 The correctness of this differentiation being admitted, the name of Abeona must be 

 retained, and Metrogaeter of Agassiz be regarded as a synonym of Micrometrus, itself 

 as above considered, a synonym of Cyrnatogaster. 



1862.] 



