ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 81 



from common. Following are the dimensions of a specimen recently pre- 

 sented to the Academy: 



Inches. 



Total length 5.3 



Length of head , 4.8 



Length of spinous dorsal 4.5 



Length of caudal 3 



Length of ventrals 3 



Length of lower jaw 3.5 



Girth in thickest part 3.7 



Diameter of eye 1 



S. melanops. Girard. In the month of June this species was abundant in 

 the markets. It is a sober-colored fish, attired in black and gray, the black 

 in varying proportions upon the lighter ground; and in size it is usually supe- 

 rior to-»S'. ruber and S. rosaoeus. 



S.flavidus. Ayres. This species is not so uncommon as Ayres believed it 

 to be when he described it. During June of this year it was nearly as abun- 

 dant as S. helvomaculatus, S. melanops, or S. auriculatus, and more so than 

 either species of Sebastes. It is readily distinguished by the greenish brown 

 and yellowish green tints of the back and sides, as well as by the third spine 

 of the anal fin, which is longer than the second, instead of about eqiial to it, 

 as in 8. melanops, which is a closely allied form. The largest specimen seen 

 by us measured as follows : 



Inches. 



Total length 15.5 



Length of head 4.2 



Length of spinous dorsal 4.2 



Length of caudal 3 



Girth in thickest part 10 



Diameter of eye 1 



S. auriculatus. Girard. This fish can always be distinguished by a black 

 mark upon each of the gill-covers, very obvious in the younger fish, and suf- 

 ficiently distinct, though less clearly outlined, in older specimens. The gen- 

 eral color is a dull reddish brown, with cloudings of a darker tint upon the 

 back and sides; these cloudings, like the black spot before mentioned, becom- 

 ing more diffused and indistinct with increasing size and age. This appears 

 to be the only species of Sebastes which frequents the Oakland side of the bay, 

 where it is very commonly taken with hook and line from the railway wharf. 

 The bay upon the Oakland side is less saline than at San Francisco, the in- 

 flux of the tide damming up the fresh waters of the Sacramento and other 

 smaller rivers and creeks, and throwing them toward the main-land. Many 

 of the marine fishes, therefore, do not visit this side, while salmon are fre- 

 quently taken there. A large S. auriculatus measured as follows: 



