GILBERT AND STAKES — FISHES OF PANAMA BAY 125 



orbital width 4|. A definite supraorbital ridge. Suborbitals narrow. Preopercular margin without 

 definite spines, with minute crenulations, which end in spinous points. Gill-rakers long and slender, 

 1 6 on horizontal limb of arch, the longest two-fifths diameter of orbit. 



Spinous dorsal very high, of weak flexible spines, none of which are thickened. The third 

 spine is the highest, as long as snout and eye; eleventh spine shortest. Second anal spine strong, 

 equaling length of snout and half eye. Pectorals short, not reaching tips of ventrals, i/^ in head. 

 Ventrals not reaching vent, extending half way from their base to front of anal. Caudal apparently 

 short and rounded; somewhat mutilated in the type, as are the soft dorsal and anal. 



Scales large, weakly ctenoid, except on head, where they are cycloid. Maxillary, tip of man- 

 dible, and extreme tip of snout naked; head otherwise completely invested. A definite sheath of scales 

 at base of soft dorsal. Soft portions of all the vertical fins with membranes scaled. 



Dark steel-gray, with olive tinge above, silvery below, the lower parts coarsely punctate with 

 brown. Blackish streaks follow the rows of scales, those below the lateral line broad, horizontal, 

 conspicuous; those above lateral line narrower, less intense, the anterior ones directed obliquely 

 upwards, those under soft dorsal nearly horizontal. Fins dusky, the anal, lower caudal lobe, and the 

 terminal portion of ventrals black. Iris bright yellow. Roof of mouth and sides of mandible within 

 orange-yellow, the membrane within mandibular teeth black. Tongue faintly yellow. A dusky 

 yellow bar above and one below pseudobranchiae, the gill-cavity otherwise silvery. 



A single specimen, 19 cm. long, from Panama Bay. 



232. Corvula macrops (Steindacfmer) . 



This species is frequent about the islands in Panama Bay. We collected five 

 specimens, which we have examined in connection with a specimen collected at 

 Mazatlan by the Hopkins Expedition. 



These all seem to be darker and have more pronounced stripes along the rows 

 of scales than Steindachner's figure (1876 a, PI. II) of the type would indicate. 



We may supplement the original description as follows: Head 3i to 3f in 

 length; depth 2|- to 3^. Eye 3f to 4 in head; snout 4 to 4|. Two specimens have 

 52 transverse series of scales; one has 53; three have 54. The anal is constantly II, 

 10; the dorsal as follows: three specimens, XI, I, 25; one specimen XI, I, 24; one 

 specimen XI, I, 26. 



233. Elattarchus archidium {Jordan d- Gilbert). 



Frequently taken on sandy shores. 



The dorsal formula has been incorrectly given. There are 11 (rarely 10) 

 dorsal spines, and 26 or 27 articulated rays. In eight specimens, the second dorsal 

 contained rays as follows: 26, 26, 26, 26, 26, 27, 27. The diameter of the eye is 

 constantly less than the interorbital width and is contained 4| to 5 times in the head; 

 interorbital width 34 to 4i. The caudal is strongly emarginate or shallowly lunate. 



Along the sides of the mandible, there is a series of minute teeth along the 

 outer edge of the row of canines (as in Cynoscion); as we approach the symphysis 

 these increase in size until they come to equal those of the inner series, which 

 decrease rapidly in size along this part of the jaw. Two irregular series are thus 

 formed, which turn backward on the symphyseal knob, the pair of large canines being 



( 17 ) December 8, 1903. 



