31 



elevation as to seem not much more than fleshy ridges except at their 

 extreme posterior portions. The origin of the dorsal is at about the 

 commencement of the second third of the fish in length ; that of the 

 anal is directly behind the anus, very nearly at the median point in 

 length. The fin-rays cannot be enumerated. 



In color, this fish is almost throughout of a very dark greenish 

 black, with fine linear short mottlings of a lighter shade. 



M. mordax was brought from Cerros Island by Dr. Veatch, and is 

 stated by him to be not at all uncommon there. Its very savage 

 habits of biting and plunging at any object approaching it, have sug- 

 gested the specific name. It grows to the length of four and a half 

 feet. 



Orifiagoriscus analis, (Ayres). — Form much compressed, the 

 greatest depth equaling about five-ninths of the entire length. Dorsal 

 outline arching from the snout as far backward as the eye, and thence 

 nearly straight to the dorsal fin. Abdominal outline nearly similar to 

 the dorsal. Distance of the eye from the snout contained a little more 

 than three times in the greatest depth. 



The dorsal fin, situated at the posterior extremity of the body, has 

 a length equal to the distance from the eye to the snout; the anterior 

 and posterior borders of the fin are nearly parallel; its height a little 

 greater than its depth. 



The anal fin, opposite the dorsal, and with about an equal length of 

 base, has a height a little less than one-third the length of the fish. 



The caudal fin, continuous Avith both dorsal and anal, has its border 

 rounded very evenly; its height at the middle about equaling the 

 length of base of the dorsal. 



The distance across the body from the tip of the dorsal to that of 

 the anal, is a little greater than the length of the fish (thirty-two 

 inches in a fish of twenty-eight and a half). 



Color dark greenish brown above, Hghter beneath ; dorsal and anal 

 fins blackish brown. 



D. 19, A. 17, P. (?) C. 15. 



This fish is quite closely allied to its Atlantic congener, 0. mola; 

 its chief points of difference appear to be in the form and proportions 

 of the dorsal and anal fins, and in the numbers of fin-rays. The pec- 

 torals, in the only specimen which I have seen, are too imperfect for 

 comparison. 



The specimen, which is in the cabinet of the California Academy of 

 Natural Sciences, was taken in the Santa Barbara Channel ; it is 

 twenty-eight and a half inches in length. The species is said to be 

 not very uncommon from Point Conception southward along the coast 

 of Lower California. 



