NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 329 



was obtained at Cape St. Lucas by Mr. Xantus. The Dicrotus armatus of 

 Giinther was also founded on a young fish, of which it was remarked by its 

 describer, with a happy foresight, that "several of the characters mentioned 

 may be modified in a mature state." That species might, indeed, but for the 

 homogeneity of the dorsal and anal fins, be considered as the young of Pro- 

 metheus prometheoides. As Dr. Giinther has, however, positively denied 

 pinnules to the genus, and, as the pinnules appear to be developed in the 

 young as well as the old, the genus Dicrotus may, until further known, be 

 regarded as distinct. 



The subfamily of Orcyninae, as characterized in a former paper, might, 

 perhaps, be rather subdivided, if the number of pyloric appendages should 

 be found to be coincident with other characters. In that case the following 

 arrangement might be advisable : 



Scombkin-e. 



OKCTNiNiE. Caudal peduncle of adult with a median adipose carina, and two 

 converging backwards, one above and one below. Pyloric caeca dendri- 

 tical or very numerous. 



Thyrsitin.?e. Caudal peduncle not earinated. Pyloric caeca developed in 

 moderate or rather small numbers, (7 10.) 



GEMPYLIN-ffi. 



The genus Acanthocybium* having the spinous dorsal longer than the soft, 

 the proportions of those fins cannot be used in the present state of our know- 

 ledge to distinguish the two subfamilies. 



The name Orycnus has been, by an unfortunate misapprehension, applied 

 instead of Orcynus ; and it is hoped that the latter will in all cases be sub- 

 stituted as the correct orthography. 



Note on some Genera of FISHES of Western North America. 



BY THEODORE GILL. 



In the Proceedings of the Academy for July, 1861, a number of genera 

 have been established for species previously described from the western 

 waters of North America. In the present article, several aditional genera 

 are introduced ; and to formerly established ones, species described under 

 other generic names have been referred. 



SCORPiENOIDS. 



Sebastichthys Gill. 



This genus embraces all the species referred to the genus Sebastes, which 

 has eleven to twelve (XL -\- 1. XII. -f- I.) spines in the first dorsal fin, pala- 

 tine teeth and the physiognomy of Sebastes (Norvegicus. ) I believe that I may 

 be permitted to announce, that Dr. Ayres, in a letter of May 6th, has informed me 

 that he kncws eleven species belonging to the Cuvierian genus Sebastes to be 

 inhabitants of the Californian waters. Five of them have been referred to 

 the genus Sebastes and six to Sebastodes, the latter having been modified to 

 embrace the species of which the head is "nearly smooth," while the name 

 Sebastes is restricted to those of which "the summit of the head is strongly 

 ridged." Such a division appears to me to be inadmissible, and I believe 

 that Sebastodes must be retained with the characters I have assigned to it, 

 while all othei described species of California belong to one and the same 

 natural genus, for which the name Sebastichthys has been proposed. The 



* The Cybiumpetus of Poey and C. solandri C. V. are true species of this genus. 



1862.] 



