314 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



teeth a little larger tlian the others. Chin with 4 distiuct pores, the 

 outer pair round. Interorbital space moderate, slightly convex, a little 

 broader than leugth of snout, 4 in head. Eye very large, considerably 

 longer than snout, 3f in head. Preopercle with strong teeth, which 

 grow stronger towards the angle, the lowest tooth very strong and 

 directed downwards and forwards. Opercular spines blunt and tlattish. 

 Gill-rakers numerous, long and slender, half length of eye. 



Scales roughish, extending up on soft portions of vertical fins, cover- 

 ing about one-third of the soft dorsal and more of the anal. Lateral line 

 not strongly curved, becoming straight in front of anal. First dorsal 

 high, its siiines sleuderer than in 8. armata, stouter than in S. icistia; 

 the second spine short, slender, very stout, half the length of the third, 

 which is 1% in length of head. Soft dorsal rather high, its longest rays 

 a little less than half head. Caudal subtruucate, the middle and upper 

 rays slightly produced, its length 1^^ in head. Distance from front of 

 anal to caudal 3:^ in leugth of body. Abdomen extremely long, its 

 length one-third greater than length of head. Posterior outline of anal 

 fin concave; its second spine very long and strong, scarcely shorter 

 than soft rays, its length 1^ in head, its distance from the vent two- 

 thirds its leugth. Ventrals long, If in length of head, reaching beyond 

 tips of pectorals, but not quite to vent. Pectorals rather short. If in 

 h^ad. 



Head U in length ; depth 3i. D. XI-22 ; A. II, 8 ; Lat. 1. 59if . 



Color bluish-gray above and on sides, silvery below ; a dark ill defined 

 bluish-gray blotch on upper anterior angle of opercle ; mouih yellow 

 within, blackish towards tip of lower jaw. Sjunous dorsal translucent, 

 with dark jmnctulations and a narrow black margin, or sometimes 

 largely blackish ; soft dorsal dusky yellow ; caudal, and anterior 3 rays 

 of anal brighter yellow ; caudal, and membrane between spine and first 

 soft ray of anal with black punctulations ; posterior anal rays white ; 

 ventrals immaculate; pectorals with upper half of axil and membrane 

 of upper rays internally brownish ; the upper rays with a slight yel- 

 lowish tint externally. 



This si>ecies is abundant at Panama and Punta Arenas, No. 29500 

 being from the latter locality. It is apparently the species noticed by 

 Steindachner (Ichth. Beitriige, iii, 1875, 31) under the name of " Cor- 

 vina armatay The Bairdiella armata of Gill is, however, a ditterent 

 species, identical with Corvina acutirostris Steind., as we have ascer- 

 tained by the examination of the typical specimen. 



The species of Sckvna known from the Pacific coast of tropical America 



may be distinguished as follows : 



a. Lower jaw without canines. 

 b. Head very broad and depressed, the interorbital space being more than two- 

 sevenths of its length ; mouth oblique ; teeth small, in narrow 

 bands ; preopercle and preorbit al usually more or less distinctly 

 cavernous; middle rays of caudal longest; soft parts of vertical 

 fins densely scaly ; dorsal spines weak, usually 12 in number; 

 gill-rakers slender, rather long. {Stelliferus Stark.) 



