DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 253 



PONTINUS KUHLII, (Bdwdicii), Goode aud Bean. 



Scui-paiia Kiihlii, Bowdich, Excursions iu Madeira. VS.j. 



Sebantcs Kuhlii, Lowe, Traus. Zool. Soc. Loudou, ii, 17(5; Syuopsis Fishes of Madeira, 176; Irishes of 



Madeira, 115, pi. xvii. — Gunt£1ER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., ii, lOL'. — C.vi-eli.k, Jorii. Accad. .Sci. Lisboa, 1; 



Cat. Peix. Portugal, 1880, 11. — Vaill.^xt, Exp. Sti. Travailleur et Talisman, 370. 

 Scbml„iilii^ Kithlii. Gli-L. Proe. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1863, 208. 



A Pontinus, haviug' au oblong, somewhat compressed body, the height of which at the 

 origin of the ventral is contained about 3 times iu its total length (caudal e.Ycluded); the 

 length of its head 2.J times. The space between the eyes slightly concave, with two low 

 ridges, its widtli about one-eleventh the length of the head. Snout as long as the diameter of 

 the orbit; lower jaw projecting considerably; the vertex is much depressed and has several 

 prominent sjiines, and there are long, lanceolate laciniaj upon the margin of the orbit and 

 in front of it. The upper maxillary reaches about to the vertical from the middle of the 

 eye. There are 3 ijrominent spines upon the suborbital carina, and a long, sharp S2)ine in 

 continuation of them upon the preoperculuni, with 3 or 4 less conspicuous spines below it 

 and one above. The dorsal is continuous and comparatively slightly notched, the twelfth 

 and ninth dorsal spines being nearly as long as any except the flrst, second, and third, 

 while the first, tenth, and eleventh are also about equal. The anterior dorsal ray is about 

 equal in height to the fourth spine, and the fin from that point curves sharply in a sub- 

 vertical, fan-shaped outline to the cainlal i>eduncle; the second and third dorsal spines are 

 much longer than the others. Anal inserted under the second dorsal ray, with 3 stout 

 spines, of which the third is the longest, being longer than the foiu-th dorsal ray, and 

 with o rays, closely set together, and as long as the longest dorsal rays. Pectoral with 

 broad, crescentic base, fan-shaped, when expanded reaching from the ventral line to the 

 lateral line. Ventrals as long as the longest dorsal spine, and inserted directly under the 

 pectoral base, the antecedent spine as long as the second spine of the anal. Color red, 

 irregularly blotched with brown. 



Radial formula: D. xii, 9-10; A. ill, 5; V. I, 5; about 25 tubes in the lateral line. 



This species, the h'equieme, was flrst found in Madeira, and was named by Bowdich, 

 and described by Lowe. The fishermen take it about Madeira with lines of 100 to 250 

 fathoms in length. It grows to be from 12 to 15 inches long, and to weigh from a pound to 

 a pound and a quarter. The British Museum has specimens from the Canaries, and Capello 

 records it from Lisbon. It has not as yet been tV)nnd in the Western Atlantic or in the 

 Mediterranean though Scbastes Bibroiti of Sauvage maj- prove to be the same. The French 

 expedition obtained it oif the coast of Soudan in 670-1139 metres iu the Banc d' Arguin, 

 175-2330 metres, and others, 520 millimeters long off Palmas. It may be readily dis- 

 tinguished from any other species of Pontinus by the great prominence of the second and 

 third dorsal spines. Vaillant has printed an elaborate description of its scales. 



PONIINUS BIBRONII, (Sauvage), Goode and Bean. 

 Sehastes (Sebastichthys) Bibroni, SAUVArxE, Nouvelles Archives du Museum, Paris, i, 1878, 116, pi. i, fig. 3 (scales). 



A Pontiniiit, with the posterior extremity of the maxillary not passing beyond the ver- 

 tical from the center of the eye. Teeth iu the middle of the upper jaw longer than the 

 others. Pharynx colorless. Four spines on the preoperculuni, the upper one the longest; 

 2 spines, pointing bac^kward, on the anterior suborbital. Eye small. Second anal spine 

 longer than the third. Anal extending to the base of the caudal. Pectorals a little longer 

 than the ventrals, which do not extend to the vent. Second and third spines of the dorsal 

 longer than the others. Scales rounded, the anterior limb nearly entire, the posterior 

 limb armed with numerous rows of little spines, of which those on the edge are long. 

 Color red, with numerous black blotches, arranged in three series, one along the back, and 

 two others above and below the lateral line. 



Kadial formula: 1). xii, 10; A. Ill, 5; scales in lateral line 42; above 13, below 28. 



This species is described from a specimen 20 centimeters long, collected in Sicily by 

 M. Bibron. Though similar in appearance to Helicolenus dactylojytenis, this species, as 



