NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 209 



filifer has been referred to under tbe name of Scorpsena scrqf 'a in the text, where 

 it is said that the name of Seb. kuhlii was on the former given " par erreur." 

 The figure in question, however, reminds one rather of the Sebastes dactyloptera 

 (S. imperialis C. etV.,) rather than either of the two cited, and exhibits none of 

 the distinctive generic characters mentioned in the diagnosis of Scorpxna given 

 by Valenciennes, neither the ci corpus lobulis cutaneis jimbriatum," nor the 

 " geniK el maxillse nudsa alepidotx." 



Description of a new generic type of OPHIDIOIDS 

 BY THEODORE GILL. 



Tn introducing a hitherto unknown type of Ophidiinae to the notice of natur- 

 alist-*, it becomes requisite to give a description of the genus Ophidion which 

 shall contrast with that of the new type. 



The so-called "barbels" of the Ophidioids are not the homologues of the 

 barbels of the Mulloids and the Polymyxioids, although so similar in external, 

 appearance, but as their connection and articulation indicate, modified ventral 

 fins recognized as such by Poey, and, although under erroneous impressions, 

 by Philippi. 



Genus OPHIDION Artedi. 

 Synonymy. 



Ophidion Artedi, Genera Piscium, p. 25. 



Ophidium Linnssui, Systema Naturae, vol. i. p. 431. 



Ophidium Ci/vier, Regne Animal, ed. 2, tome ii. p. 359. 



Ophidion Girard, Report on the Survey and Explorations, &c, for a Pacific 



Railroad Route, vol. x. Fishes, p. 138. 

 Ophidium Gii'ither, Catalogue of the Fishes in the British Museum, vol. iv. 

 p. 376, 1862. 



Body much compressed, moderately elongated, with the height nearly uni- 

 form as far as anus and thence decreasing backwards to the end, which is more 

 or less obtusely angulated. 



Anus in the second-third of the total length. 



Scales small conspicuous, oblong, not imbricated, but obliquely arranged in 

 opposite directions. 



Lateral line concurrent with and near the back, not continued to caudal 

 fin. 



Head n iked, much compressed, oblong-ovoid laterally, with the profile de- 

 scending in a nearly straight line to the snout ; snout rather low and abruptly 

 decurved or subtruncated. Eye inodsrate, with the pupils comparatively well 

 developed. Opercula unarmed. 



Nostrils simple ; the first near the front of the snout ; the posterior a short 

 distance in front of the eye. 



Mouth narrow, with the cleft oblique, and rather large, the supramaxillars 

 extending under the whole or nearly the entire eye ; they are rather broad 

 and only retractile near the upper margin under the suborbital chain. 



Teeth on the jaws villiform with an outer row of immoveable and blunt 

 ones. Vomer prominent, and, as well as the palatine bones, armed with blunt 

 teeth. 



Branchial apertures very ample, arched above b\ r the membrane which is 

 attached above the axilla of the pectoral fins. 



Branchiostegal rays seven. 



Dorsal fin commencing more or less behind the vertical from the base of the 

 pectoral fins, low and with the rays simply articulated, blending behind, as 

 well as the anal, with the caudal, which is very short and terminates in an ob- 

 tuse point. 



Pectoral fins moderate, obliquely rounded behind. 



1863.] 



