88 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



cupreous in the opercula. The spinous dorsal is dark green in front of each 

 spine, but light behind as well as above and below ; the margin is also very 

 dark. The ventral fins have each a broad blackish terminal band. The base 

 of the caudal fin is punctulated with dark spots. 

 The specimens If 2J inches long. 



Rhamphoberyx leccopcs Gill. 



This species is very closely related to the preceding and has almost pre- 

 cisely the same proportions, but the snout is perceptibly less produced, and 

 the spinous dorsal and ventral fins almost immaculate, the former having only 

 a linear darker border, and the ventrals sometimes tipped with darker. 

 D. X. I. 14. A. IV. 12. 



3 

 Scales 3435 

 7 

 Cape St. Lucas, (2 specimens.) 



Family ECEENEIDOID^E. 

 Genus REMORA (A. Dum.) Gill. 

 The Echencis osleochir of Cuvier and the E. brachypterus of Lowe should both 

 be removed from this genus and accepted as the types of as many distinct 

 ones. The E. osteochir is distinguished by the rhombic form of the pectoral 

 fins and the ossification of the rays. I have therefore named the specimens 

 in the Smithsonian Institution Rhombochirus osteochir. The E. brachyptervs is 

 distinguished by the shorter anal fin and angular upper jaw. It may be 

 called Jiemoropsis brachypterus. 



Remora Jacobcsa Gill. 

 Echeneis remora Giinther, Catalogue of the Acanthopterygian Fishes, &c, 

 Vol. ii. p. 378. 

 A specimen of Remora obtained by Mr. Xantus at Cape St. Lucas is pro- 

 visionally referred, as by Dr. Giinther, to the old Echeneis remora of Linna?us. 



Descriptions of some new species of PEDICTJLATI, and on the classification of 



the group. 



BY THEODORE GILL. 



The group called by Cuvier Acanthopte'ryrjiens a pcctorales pediadees and 

 estimated as a family, is a very natural one, distinguished by the incom- 

 plete ossification of the skeleton, the prolongation of the carpal bones tc 

 form " pedicles" for the pectoral fins, and, finally, by the abnormal position of 

 the very small branchial apertures. "While these characters are not sufficient 

 to entitle the group to ordinal distinction, they seem to be of much more than 

 family value ; it may be called a suborder, for which the name Pediculatim&j 

 be retained. The genus Batrachus, referred to the Pediculati by Cuvier, has 

 really little affinity to the true representatives of the group, and has been, by 

 general consent, separated from them by all the more modern systematists. 



In the suborder, four very distinct types distinguished by difference of form 

 and structure are comprised. Those types must therefore be regarded as rep- 

 resentative of as many families. Dr. Bleeker has attempted to distribute the 

 several genera among families, which have not been characterized, but which 

 were evidently separated on account of superficial differences of form. This 

 is apparent on an examination of his system. 



Phalanx 1, Herpetoichthyes seu Pediculati, Cuv. 

 Ordo 15, Antennarii. 



[Mar. 



