NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 277 



SOLENOIDS (Cuv.)Gthr. 



ISOPISTHINiE Gill. 

 Seriphus politus Ayres. 

 Seriphus politus Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sc. , pt. ii. p. 80. 



I refer to this species a fish sent by Mr. Hubbard. It, however, disagrees 

 in many important respects with Dr. Ayres' description, but, as the dif- 

 ferences which the diagnosis of that gentleman offer in comparison with the 

 present species are equally at variance with the attributes of all Bcisenoid fishes, I 

 am compelled to believe that Ayres has quite seriously erred in his description. 



The present fish agrees with other Scisenoids in having seven branchiostegal 

 rays, scales on the head and not more than two anal spines and five branched 

 ventral rays. The second dorsal, anal and caudal fins are naked, and do not 

 appear to have been scaly, except the interval between the median rays of 

 the latter through which the lateral line runs as usual. The outer teeth of 

 the upper jaw are erect and the interior bent back. The pectoral is more 

 than half as long as the head, equalling the space between the orbit and its 

 axilla, while the ventrals are rather less than half as long as the head. 



D. VII. II. 1. 18. A. II. 1. 20. C. 4. 1. 8, 7. 1. 3. P. 2. 1. 4. V. I. 5. 

 9 



Scales 65 . 



Pseudobranchiae are developed. 



Family CHIROID^E (Sw.) Gill. 

 Subfamily CHIRIN^ Gill. 



Chirus guttatps Girard. 

 Two specimens. 



Scales (1) ; lat. line 105 ; transverse line from dorsal to ventral fin. 114 1 

 8 | 35 = 51. 



Chirus constellatus Girard. 



One specimen was forwarded. 



The two species here enumerated are excessively nearly allied, but appear 

 to constantly differ in the color of the pectoral fin, Chirus gattatus having 

 them plain, while Chirus constellatus has white dotted pectorals. The former 

 species has the same form as Chirus constellatus, and I am quite unable to 

 appreciate the justness of Girard's remark that "the body in its general out- 

 line is intermediate in form between C. constellatus and C. pictus, though more 

 like the latter in its general bearing, the dorsal and ventral outlines being 

 more arched." Girard has confined his comparisons to the C. pictus, from 

 which it is totally different in proportions, squamation, color, &c, but has not 

 assigned the characters which really distinguish it from C. constellatus. The 

 color of neither species is accurately described. 



Subfamily OXYLEBIINJE. 



Genus Oxylebius Gill. 



This genus is allied to Zaniolepis (Girard), but the form is shorter and com- 

 pressed, the ctenoid scales are similar to those of Chirus (Steller), the profile 

 from the depressed nape rectilinear and the snout pointed, the first dorsal fin 

 convex, increasing rapidly from the first to the fifth spines, and with the 

 membrane behind the anterior as well as others not notched. The anal fin is 

 shorter, coterminal with the second dorsal, and with the anal spines stronger, 

 the second being longest as in Zaniolepis. The lower rays of the pectorals are 

 1862.] 



