1899.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 355 



67. Stellifer agassizii (Steindachner). 



Gorvina {Homoprion) agassizii Steindacliner, Ichtby. Beitriige, ii, 26 

 (Sitz. d. Ak. Wiss. Wien, Ixxi, 1875) [Caldera. Callao, Payta]. 



Corvina agassizii Cope, Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc, May, 1877, 26 [Pe- 

 casmayu and Chiinbote bays]. 



Range. — Coast of Peru. 



68. Sciaena gilberti Abbott. New .species. 



lu the Review of the Scireuidffi, Rep. U. S. F. C, 1889, p. 59, 

 Jordau and Eigenmaun place the Peruvian species S. deliciosa by 

 itself under a subgenus Callaus. The present species is very closely 

 related to deliciosa, and comes under the same subgeneric head. In 

 contrast to other related genera and species, S. gilberti and *S'. 

 deliciosa agree in having short and moderate second anal spine, 

 moderately long and numerous gill rakers, and weak preopercular 

 armature. They appear to be most nearly allied to the putative 

 genus Bola of Hamilton, differing in not having the upper teeth 

 greatly enlarged. Regarding the two forms as species of the genus 

 Sckena, they stand as a connecting link between those genera with 

 long and slender gill rakers and those with gill rakers short and 

 thick, in that respect approximating Bairdiella on the one hand, 

 and Scicenops on the other. S. gilberti differs from the other 

 Peruvian species S. wieneri in lacking a strongly toothed pre- 

 operele and in having a shorter maxillary, larger head and much 

 larger eye. 



Description.— Head 3i, depth U. D. IX-I, 22 (3). A. II, 

 9. Eye 5, interorbital 3f, preorbital 9 in head, 14 in eye, max- 

 illary 2^. Lateral line (pores) 55. 



Body elongate, elliptical, back not very elevated, profile almost 

 straight, rather low. Snout sharp, 3f in head. Mouth some- 

 what oblique, the maxillary extending beyond pupil. Second nasal 

 slit rather short, 3i in eye. Preopercular serrre weak, flexible, 

 flattened, yet still of a bony nature. No spinous development at 

 lower angle. Lower jaw scaled. Teeth small, in two or three 

 rows, outer row very slightly enlarged in lower jaw, somewhat more 

 so in upper jaw. Mucous slits present but not especially promi- 

 nent. Gill rakers 8 + 15, equal to, or slightly exceeding the 

 pupil, about 3i in the second anal spine. 



Lateral line following the curve of the back, dipping somewhat 

 under soft dorsal, sometimes sending up a branch at right angles, 

 at base of caudal, which may be continued along the upper mar- 



