BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 01 



appears to be quite certain that the forms called B. olmstedi and B. 

 maeulatwm belong to the same species, the older name, given above, must 

 take precedence. 



8. Pcecilichthys butlerianus,* sp. nov. 



Bodj' elongated, compressed; back somewhat arched. 



Head rather large, contained in the length 4 times. Snout gradually 

 decurved. Mouth of medium size, very slightly oblique. Lower jaw 

 equal to the upper. Maxillary reachiug back to a vertical from the 

 anterior edge of the pupil. Upper jaw not projectile. Eye in the head 

 3£ times. Length of the snout three-fourths the diameter of the eye. 

 Depth of the body in the whole length to the caudal 5| times ; caudal 

 peduncle in the length 3 J times; its depth one-third its leugth. 



There are 44 transverse rows of scales, 3 longitudinal rows above the 

 lateral line and about 12 below it, counting to the middle line of the 

 belly. The lateral line is incomplete, there being pores in about 18 

 scales. It extends back to the last ray of the spinous dorsal. As in- 

 dicated by the small number of rows of scales above it, it runs high up 

 on the body. 



The structure of the fins is shown by the formula D. IX, 11 ; A. II, C. 

 The spinous dorsal is as long as the head; its longest spine is contained 

 1§ times in the length of the head. The soft is in length four-sevenths 

 and in height three-fifths the length of the head. Anal in length five- 

 sevenths and in height one-third the head. Pectorals and ventrals 

 reaching back nearly to the vent. Both these fins are narrow and 

 pointed. The caudal is rounded. The spinous dorsal begins at a point 

 one-third of the distance from the snout to the base of the caudal. The 

 anal begins at a point one-half the distance from the posterior edge of 

 the preopercle and the base of the caudal. 



The opereles have a row of enlarged scales along their lower edge. 

 The cheeks are densely covered with small scales. Chest naked. Oper- 

 cular spine well developed. 



As regards color, this fish is pale below, almost white, from the snout 

 to the caudal fin. On the chest and abdomen this white area extends up- 

 wards on each side as high as the upper edge of the base of the pecto- 

 rals. On the caudal peduncle it is very narrow. The sides are orna- 

 mented with irregular blotches of olive. On the caudal peduncle these 

 blotches are confluent into somewhat indistinct zigzag markings. Along 

 the back are about ten square blotches of the same olive color. The 

 center of the operculum has a triangular blotch. The occipital region 

 is dusky. There is a dark spot behind the eye, a dark streak across 

 the snout from eye to eye, a spot just above each eye, and a streak be- 

 low each eye. The eye, therefore, seems to be in the center of a dark 

 cross. There is also a small black spot at the insertion of the caudal 

 fin. 



*An abridgement of this description will be found in Jordan & Gilbert's Synopsil 

 Fisbes N. A., p. 519. 



