1899.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 488 



or twelfth D. ray or at least as far as the tip of the V. Origin of 

 the V. about midway between the origin of the P. and the first 

 rudimentary rays of the caudal. Rays of V. 6 , the third the 

 longest, tip of the fin extending beyond ihe origin of the A. 

 Origin of the D. inserted nearly equidistant to the origin of the 

 V. and A., and also etjuidistaut to the origins of the P. and the 

 tip of the upper lobe of the caudal. D. with 15 rays, the poste- 

 rior of which do not reach near the rudimentary caudal rays. 

 Base of the D. uol as long as the head and the bas^e of the A. not 

 as long as the base of the D, Caudal deeply forked, the lower 

 lobe greatly exceeding the upper in length and contained in it 

 li times. The lateral line runs very low along the lower part of 

 the rides of the body and passes near the origin of the V. Rudi- 

 mentary rays of the lower lobe of the caudal much more robust 

 than those of the upper lobe and about 7 in number. The caudal 

 is much compressed and flattened laterally, the rays being strong 

 and giving great solidity and power to this steering instrument. 

 Total length of the specimen 17^ inches. Xo. 28,275. 



HOLOCENTRID^. 

 2. Holocentrus spinifer (Forskal). 



Scicena spinifera Forskal, Descript. Animal., 1775, p. 49. 

 Body compressed, with the anterior dorsal region elevated. 

 Scales 48, about 43 pores. D. xi, 15. A. iv, 10. P. i, 14. V. 

 i, 7. Head about 8^ in length, with caudal which is not quite 5. 

 The greatest depth of the body about equal to the length of the 

 head. Interorbital space very narrow, not as wide as the maxilla 

 with its supplemental bone. The upper profile line of the head is 

 nearly straight from the tip of the snout to the occiput and from 

 this point t» the origin of the D. convex, at which latter point 

 the body assumes its greatest depth. There are five rows of scales 

 on the cheeks, the row bordering the eye being the largest. The 

 eye is contained more than 3f times in the head, and is equal to 

 the snout in length. The prpeopercular spine is more than one-half 

 the length of the posterior margin of the prseoperculum and a 

 trifle larger than the diameter of the eye. The serrations or 

 spines of the prteoperculum are much larger than those of the oper- 

 culum. There are 2 spines at the posterior angle of the oj^ercu- 

 lum, the upper of which is the largest, and the sharpest. The 



