80 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 



a perpendicular drawn from the first anal spine ; and the rays of both these 

 pairs of fins are slim and delicate. 



The second spine of the anal fin is stoutest, but is shorter than the third; 

 the first soft rays of the anal are very long, much exceeding the posterior rays, 

 and extending to the origin of the exterior rays of the caudal; and the caudal 

 fin is most distinctly sub-concave, with the line of the outer fin rays continued 

 forward as a ridge for some distance along the caudal peduncle. The two 

 lower spines of the pre-operculum are more developed than in Girard's plate, 

 and the spinous dorsal is more correctly shown in Ayres' outline figure. 

 Ayres has, however, omitted the characteristic broad short spine situated di- 

 rectly over the centre of the maxillary. 



Girard gives his S. rosaceus " two pairs of small and horizontal spines" 

 upon the upper surface of the head. The specimens we examined were pro- 

 vided with five pairs of spines, none of them very conspicuous. There are 

 two long, low, orcipital spines, between which and the eyes are three pairs of 

 very small spines; a fourth pair ( supra-orbital s) occurs on the extreme edge 

 of the upper margin of the orbit, above^he pupil; the space between the eyes 

 is unarmed, and the fifth pair is situated between the nostrils. 



Girard gives the color as " it uniform reddish or crimson tint, lighter be- 

 neath than above," characters which agree with S. ruber. S. rosaceus is far 

 from uniform in tint when fresh, the upper portion of the head and back be- 

 ing extensively blotched with a darker red than the ground tint, inclining to 

 brown. In view of all these differences, I think it uot improbable that Girard's 

 figure may be that of another species which I have not yet seen, in which case 

 Ayres' species would no longer be rosaceus, and might fitly be named S. 

 Ayresii. I may here mention that I have had a large specimen brought to me 

 from deep water, and presenting several differences from the typical 8. rosa- 

 ceus, but, as it is deformed about the jaws and dorsal fins, I think it best at 

 present to include it under that species. 



S. nebulosus, Ayres, is a tolerably common fish in our markets, and is per- 

 haps one of the most beautiful of this gorgeously colored genus of fishes, 

 adorned as it is with yellow bands and blotches upon a dark, almost black, 

 ground. The largest specimen in the collection of the Academy is eleven 

 inches long, but has a girt of nine inches and a half; this species being one 

 of the stoutest and deepest of the genus. I subjoin measurements of another 

 specimen which came into our hands : 



Inches. 



Length 11 



Length of head 3 



Girth in thickest part 10.2 



Length of spinous dorsal 4 



Length of caudal fin ; 2 



Length of pectorals 2.5 



S. paucispirus. Girard. This is one of the most singular fishes of the genus, 

 its lower jaw reaching forward and upward so much that the tip of the inau- 

 dible continues around the cone of the dorsal outline. This species is far 



