316 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.58, 



tip; eye, 7; maxillary, 2^; interorbital, 5f. Head width, 2^^ in total 

 head length. Snout convex, width f its length. Maxillary extends 

 little beyond eye, expansion If in same. Lower jaw projects. 

 Narrow bands of small teeth in jaws, some enlarged short conic 

 teeth along sides of mandible and on palatines. Interorbital level. 

 Rakers 111+ VI short low tubercles, rather irregular, largest little 

 less than filaments, which IJ in eye. Scales with 10 to 18 basal 

 radiating striae, and circuli moderate; 13 scales on cheek behind 

 eye to preopercle edge; scales but ver}^ little larger on top of head 

 medially than on occiput and cheeks. Least depth of caudal pedun- 

 cle, 3| in total head length; caudal. If; pectoral, 2f ; ventral, 3J. 



In alcohol deep neutral gray generally on back and upper sur- 

 faces, sides tinged with snuff -brown; under surface of head and body 

 white, marked with small irregular spots of sepia; dozen pairs of 

 large blotches, mostly vertical in disposition, irregular, along each 

 side of trunk and three more on top of head; below some of dark 

 blotches may fork or extend down into white of under surface, in 

 which region is rich sepia; 2 dark longitudinal bands extend back from 

 eye to gill-opening, well separated and slightly divergent to gill 

 opening; dorsal and caudal deep neutral tint and anal pale basally, 

 neutral to dusky marghially; pectoral pale b^o^\'nisll, round black- 

 ish spot size of pupil at base medially; ventral pale buff. Length 

 168 nmi. 



Family ANABANTIDAE. 



POLYACANTHUS OPERCULAKIS (Linnaeus). 



Head, 3^; depth, 24; D. XTI, 6; A. XXI, 10; P. r, 0; v. I, 5; 

 scales 28 in median lateral series from shoulder to caudal base medi- 

 ally; 14 scales transversely between spinous dorsal and anal origins; 

 8 scales transversely across caudal peduncle; 21 predorsal scales; 

 head width 1^ its length; twelfth dorsal spine 2; least depth of 

 caudal peduncle, 2; pectoral, U; ventral, 1|; snout, 4\; in head, 

 measured from upper jaw tip; eye, 4; maxillary, 3h; interorbital, 3 J. 



Body strongly compressed, rather evenly ellipsoid, deepest about 

 midway in length. Flattened sides of head evenly converge above 

 and below. Snout conic, length 31- its width. Eye little advanced. 

 Mouth oblique, mandible protruding. Maxillary not quite to eye, 

 about I in snout, expansion If in eye. Teeth fine, in bands in jaws. 

 Interorbital moderately convex. Hind preopercle edge mostly entire, 

 few weak serrae at lower hind angle. Gill opening to hind eye edge. 

 Rakers rudimentary. Filaments about two-fifths of eje. Head, 

 except lips, preorbital and mandible closely scaled; 4 rows of scales on 

 cheek to preopercle angle; smaller scales crowded on bases of un- 

 paired fins, especially caudal; scales with 12 basal radiating striae, 

 and apical denticles 50; circuli moderate; brauchiostegal membrane 

 pomt extenduig backward nearly far as caudal; spinous anal, about 



