THE SHORE FISHES. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The fishes which form the basis for the present report were collected from 

 the following localities: — Acapulco, Mexico; Perico, Naos, and Toboguilla 

 islands in Panama Bay; the shores and markets of Panama City; the Galapagos 

 Islands (principally at Wreck Bay, Chatham Island); in Cook and La Perouse 

 bays and along shores of Easter Island; Manga Reva (principally in Port 

 Rikitea and on the outer reef) ; and from dredge hauls taken along the coast of 

 southern California, Mexico, Central America, Peru, and the open seas en route 

 to the above mentioned island groups which yielded a few pelagic forms. 



As would be expected from places so widely separated the faunas are more 

 or less distinct. An examination of the list of species as represented by the 

 collection reveals the following points: — - 



1. The fauna of the Galapagos is quite similar to that of Mexico and 

 Central America. 



2. The fauna of Easter Island (represented by twenty-two species not 

 taken at any other point visited) seems to be different from that of its nearest 

 neighbor, Manga Reva (Paumotus) and appears closest to that of Norfolk 

 Island. 



3. With one exception (Mapo soporator) none of the forty-two species from 

 Manga Reva was taken at any other point visited. Its fauna is naturally 

 similar to that of the other islands of the Paumotu Archipelago. 



Unless otherwise stated, proportional measurements of length of head and 

 depth of body are expressed in terms of length without the caudal, and the 

 others in terms of length of head measured from tip of snout to posterior edge 

 of opercle. In the scale counts in longitudinal series, the total number of trans- 

 verse rows above the lateral line has been counted and only the fully developed 

 scales at the base of the caudal included. 



