426 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 54 



and its coloration is less red than that of the Atlantic 

 species of the genus. 



Head 3; depth 2^; D. XI, 12; A. IV, 8; scales 

 3-36-7; longest dorsal spine \}% in head; longest dor- 

 sal ray 1% ; caudal lobes 1% ; third anal spine if ; 

 pectoral if; ventral rays 1,7. Seven scales on cheek. 

 Maxillary slipping under preorbital. Ventral with acces- 

 sory scale. Dorsal lying in a groove. 



Body short and deep, compressed, with slender caudal 

 peduncle; anterior profile rounded. Mouth small; upper 

 jaw protractile. Teeth in villiform bands on jaws, vomer 

 and palatines. Maxillary moderate, slipping under the 

 very narrow preorbital, which, like rest of suborbital ring, 

 is armed with close -set sharp teeth, turned backwards. 

 Preopercle, opercle, subopercle, interopercle and postem- 

 poral armed with similar teeth. Preopercular spine nearly 

 as long as pupil ; nearly as long as eye on large speci- 

 mens. Two spines on opercle. 



Steel gray, underlaid by bright coppery red, which be- 

 comes brighter after death. Everywhere much punctate 

 with black, the dots coarse. Sides, and especially back, 

 with purple reflections. Top and side of head coppery; 

 a curved bright silvery streak from tip of snout, below 

 eye and around it, ceasing opposite middle of pupil. A 

 vertical silver streak on edge of opercle and extend- 

 ing out on spine. Head yellowish, upper lip reddish; 

 lower with throat silvery. Dorsal brown, clouded with 

 reddish and dark; dark brown near edge, then a series 

 of grayish clouds; roundish, irregular, whitish spots at its 

 base. Second dorsal reddish, its rays pale, its first two 

 black; the caudal red, base pale; the upper and lower 

 rays dark yellowish, darkest in young, the dark extending 

 on peduncle above and below. Anal spines whitish, the 

 soft rays bright red, the last ones pale, the first soft rays 



