226 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



ridge of the frontal bone. Eyes moderate, nearly in the middle of the head. 

 Operculum oblong, striated and fringed behind, extending above the bases of 

 the pectoral fins. Nostrils vertical, in front of eyes. 



Mouth rather large, the supramaxillars extending partially under the eyes ; 

 intermaxillars and supramaxillars united ; supramaxillars convex above at 

 the middle, behind with a projection downwards truncated in front. Lower 

 jaw narrow and produced at its chin. 



Teeth, one or two on each side of the intermaxillars elongated and barbed ; 

 behind smaller, compressed and triangular ; smaller in the lower jaw and 

 minute on the palatine bones. 



Dorsal fin continuous from the nape and nearly above the preoperculum to 

 the filamentous tail, nearly uniform or higher towards the middle. Anal 

 spines very minute. 



Ventral fins entirely absent. 



D. CXIL CXL. 



Vertebra; 39 | 112 pm. 



Ca;ca pylorica 24 pm. 



This genus is represented in all the tropical seas, except perhaps the African 

 ones, and some of its members wander into the temperate ones, species occur- 

 ing along the Eastern American coast, as well as the Japanese and Chinese 

 seas. The following five species are well determined : 



1. Lepturus argexteus =Trichiurus lepturus C. et V. viii. p. 237. 

 Western Atlantic. 



2. Lepturus japonicus = Trichiurus japonicus Blkr. 

 Japan. 



3. Lepturus savala = Trichurus savala C. et V. viii. p. 251, pi. 224. 

 East Indian and Chinese seas. 



4. Lepturus hau.mela = Trichiurus haumela C. et V. viii. p. 249. 

 East Indian seas. 



5. Lepturus lajor = Trichiurus lajor Blkr. 

 Manado. 



Genus EUPLEUROGRAMMUS Gill. 



Synonymy. 



Eupleurogrammus Gill, Proc. Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila., 1S62. 

 Trichiurus sp. Gray, Giinther. 



Body naked, very long and thin, rather rapidly decreasing at its posterior 

 half and terminating in the slender, compressed, finless caudal filament. 



Lateral line simple, scarcely decurved, and continued along the middle of 

 the side to its termination. 



Head much compressed, oblong conic, with the profile nearly straight, the 

 forehead transversely convex, the snout acute and scarcely gibbous near 

 its end. Eyes rather large, situated nearly in the middle of the head. Oper- 

 culum oblong and fringed behind, extending above the base of the pectoral 

 fins. Nostrils vertical, in front of the eyes. 



Mouth as in Lepturus. 



Teeth as in Lejiturus. 



Dorsal fin continuous from the nape nearly above the preoperculum to the 

 extremity of the tail, where the spines are very minute. Anal spines very 

 minute. 



Pectoral fins longest at the upper rays, obliquely subtruncated below. 



Ventral fins replaced by a pair of minute scale-like spines. 



D. CL. pm. 



Type. Eupleurogrammus muticus Gill ex Gray. 



This genus differs from Lepturus chiefly by the course of the lateral line 

 along the middle of the body, the feature indicated by the generic name, and 



[Sept. 



