340 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



[1899. 



spine of first dorsal to spine of second dorsal). Ventrals short, 

 2| to 3 in head. Pectorals 1^ in head, minutely dotted with color. 

 Lateral stripe obscure in outline, broad, covering -^ -\- '^ ■{■ 2 scale 

 rows, margined above with dark plumbeous, spreading to a large 

 blotch on opercle, narrowing to H scale rows on caudal peduncle, 

 and terminating in a round spot at root of caudal. Color dusky 

 above lateral stripe, pale below, scales above the stripe margined 

 with dark dots. Numerous narrow, dark branching lines running 

 along middle of back from occiput to caudal. 



Length 210 mm. No. 6,071 in Leland Stanford, Jr. Univ. 

 Mus. Six cotypes, No. 6,072, vary in length from 190 mm. to 

 245 mm. Head 4-4i. D. VI or YII-I, 10; A. I, 15 or 16. 



Some of the specimens have the scales smooth and closely adher- 

 ent, others rough and loose, a condition due probably to rough 

 handling in the markets. 



34. Basilichthys octavius Abbott. New species. 



Very close to B. regillus, differing in the number of dorsal 

 spines, insertion of first dorsal, greater iuterdorsal space and lesser 

 depth. 



Head -ih, depth 6i, eye 5i, snout 3. 



D. VIII-I, 9; A. I, 15. Body slender, depth less in proportion 

 to length than in regillus. Cheeks scaled to point of maxillary, 

 snout and preopercle smooth and bare. No teeth on vomer or 

 palatines. 15 scale rows at ventrals, 11 on tail, 86 in longitu- 

 dinal series. Gill rakers 7 + 24. 



First dorsal almost exactly midway between root of caudal and 

 tip of snout, inserted over middle of ventrals. Interdorsal space 

 4 1 in body length." Origin of second dorsal about even with 

 eighth anal ray. Pectoral If in head, ventrals 3. Color as in 



'*The difference in iuterdorsal space in the two species, octavius and re- 

 gillus. is due to the more posterior locatiou of the first dorsal in tlie former, 

 the position of the second dorsal being practically constant, as will he seen in 

 tlie following table (the numbers represent hundredths of the total length) : 



