420 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



the longest ray is three eighths as long as the head; the last ray 

 two thirds as long as the eye; the fin is followed by two finlets, 

 the longer as long as the eye. The ventral reaches a little be- 

 yond the origin of the soft dorsal; the length of the fin is equal 

 to snout and eye combined. The pectoral is as long as the ven- 

 tral; it reaches to below the last spine of the dorsal; the fin 

 originates slightly in advance of the ventral insertion. Body 

 ■covered with small, cycloid scales; head naked except on sub- 

 orbital and postorbital regions; scales extending somewhat on 

 bases of soft dorsal and anal fins. D. VI-I, 26 to 27, 2; A. II, I, 

 16 to 17, 2; V. I, 5; P. I, 20. Scales 16-110-20. 



Color of upper parts bluish; lower parts pale yellowish; 

 caudal fin yellowish, the margin dusky; ventrala and pectorals 

 yellowish tinged with blue; a blue band as wide as the eye from 

 orbit to upper margin of caudal peduncle; another from snout 

 along lower margin of orbit and continuing to the caudal, pass- 

 ing above the pectoral. 



The runner is recorded from the East Indian archipelago, 

 Polynesia, and tropical parts of the Atlantic, straying north- 

 ward in summer, rarely to Long Island, where specimens have 

 been taken by Dr Seth E. Meek and John B. De Nyse. The fish 

 attains to the length of 30 inches. The example captured by 

 Mr De Nyse was taken in his pound at Gravesend bay Aug. 2, 

 1895; it is now preserved in the U. S. National Museum. The 

 length of the specimen is about 15 inches. Young fish, about 

 4 to 6 inches long, are before me from Florida and Cuba. 



Genus decapterus Bleeker 

 Body elongate, little compressed, almost perfectly fusiform; 

 head short, pointed; mouth rather small; jaws about equal, the 

 dentition feeble; maxillary rather broad, with a supplementary 

 bone; premaxillaries protractile; scales moderate, enlarged for 

 the whole length of the lateral line, but spinous and bony pos- 

 teriorly only; second dorsal and anal each with a single detached 

 finlet; free anal spines very strong; first dorsal well developed, 

 persistent; pectorals comparatively short; abdomen rather 

 shorter than anal fin; gill rakers long and slender. Species 

 numerous. 



