DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 253 



PONTINUS KUHLII, (Bowdich), Goode andBEAN. 



Scorpoena Kuhlii, Bowdich, Excursions in Madeira, 1-':!. 



Sebastet Kuhlii, Lowe, Trans. Zool. Soc. London, n. 176; Synopsis Pishes of Madeira, 176; Folios of 



Madeira, 115, pi. xvii. — GWnther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., u. 102. — Capello, ■ I urn. Arc ad. Sci. Lisboa, 1; 



Cat. Peix. Port ugal, 1880, 11. — Vaillant, Exp. Sri. Travailleur <•( Talisman. 370. 

 Scbastoplua Kuhlii. Gill. I'm, . Acad. Nat. s<'i. Phila., 1863, 208. 



A Pontinus, having an oblong, somewhat compressed body, the height of which at the 

 origin of the ventral is contained about 3 times in its total Length (caudal excluded) ; the 

 length of its head 2 A times. The space between tin- eyes slightly concave, with two Ion 

 ridges, its width about one-eleventh the length of the head. Snout as long as the diameter of 

 the orbit; lower jaw projecting considerably; tin- vertex is much depressed and has several 

 prominent spines, ami there are long, lanceolate laciniae upon the margin of the orbil and 

 in front of it. The upper maxillary reaches about to the vertical from the middle of the 

 eye. There arc 3 prominent spines upon the suborbital carina, and a long, sharp spine in 

 continuation of them upon the preoperculum, with .'! or 4 less conspicuous spines below it 

 and one above. The dorsal is continuous and comparatively slightly notched, the twelfth 

 and ninth dorsal spines being nearly as long as any except the first, second, and third, 

 while the first, tenth, and eleventh are also about equal. The anterior dorsal ray is about 

 equal in height to the fourth spine, and the tin from that point curves sharply in a sub- 

 vertical, fan-shaped outline to the caudal peduncle; the second and third dorsal spines are 

 much longer than the others. Anal inserted under the second dorsal ray, with ."> stout 

 spines, of which the third is the longest, being longer than the fourth dorsal ray, and 

 with o rays, closely set together, and as long as the longest dorsal rays. Pectoral with 

 broad, cresceutic base, fan-shaped, when expanded reaching from the ventral line to the 

 lateral line. Ventrals as long as the longest dorsal spine, and inserted directly under the 

 pectoral base, the antecedent spine as long as the second spine of the anal. Color red, 

 irregularly blotched with brown. 



Radial formula: D. XII, 9-10; A. Ill, o; V. I, 5; about 25 tubes in the lateral line. 



This species, the Requieme, was first found in Madeira, and was named by Bowdich, 

 and described by Lowe. The fishermen take it about Madeira with lines of loo to 250 

 fathoms in length. It grows to be from 12 to 15 inches long, and to weigh from a pound to 

 a pound and a quarter. The British Museum has specimens from the Canaries, and Capello 

 records it from Lisbon. It has not as yet been found in the Western Atlantic or in the 

 Mediterranean though St bastt s Bibroni of Sauvage may prove to be the same. The French 

 expedition obtained it off the coast of Soudan in 670-1139 metres in the Banc d'Arguin, 

 17.~)-2330 metres, anil others, 520 millimeters long off Palinas. It may be readily dis- 

 tinguished from any other species of Pontinus by the great prominence of the second and 

 third dorsal spines. Vaillant has printed an elaborate description of its scales. 



PONTINUS BIBRONII, (Sauvage), Goode and Bean. 



Sebaste8 (Sebaatichlhyn) Bibroni, Sauvage, Nouvelles Archives du Museum, Paris, 1,1878, 116, pi. i.fig. 3 (scales). 



A Pontinus, with the posterior extremity of the maxillary not passing beyond the ver- 

 tical from the center of the eye. Teeth in the middle of the upper jaw longer than the 

 others. Pharynx colorless. Four spines on the preoperculum, the upper one the longest; 

 2 spines, pointing backward, on the anterior suborbital. Eye small. Second anal spine 

 longer than the third. Anal extending to the base of the caudal. Pectorals a little longer 

 than the ventrals, which do not extend to the vent. Second and third spines of the dorsal 

 longer than the others. Scales rounded, the anterior limb Dearly entire, the posterior 

 Limb armed with numerous rows of little spines, of which those on the edge are long. 

 Color red, with numerous black blotches, arranged in three series, one along the back, and 

 two others above and below the lateral line. 



Radial formula: I>. XII, 10; A.m.5; scales in lateral line 42; above l.'t, below 28. 



This species is described from a specimen 20 centimeters long, collected itr Sicily by 

 M. Bibron. Though similar in appearance to Helicolenus doctylopterus, this species, as 



