PEOCEEDIKGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 91 



ceding- species are similar, the anterior having a sliort tube or fuuiiel, 

 produced posteriorly into a Hap ; but the flap is shorter in this species 

 than hi the other. 



PLATICHTHYS Girard. 



Form broad; mouth small; maxillary short, not reaching to the pupil 

 of the lo\Yer eye ; teeth blunt, in a single row, most developed on the 

 blind side of both jaws. Eyes sometimes on the right, sometimes on 

 the left side. Anterior nostril of colored side tubular; that of blind side 

 Avith a posterior flap. Dorsal not in advance of the eye; anal with a 

 horizontal spine ; caudal with the central rays most produced poste- 

 riorly. Lateral line slightly arched anteriorly; no accessory dorsal 

 In-anch. Scales developed as scattered stellate tubercles, forming a reg- 

 ular series along the dorsal and abdominal outlines, and on each side of 

 the lateral line. Branchiostegals seven; gill-rakers short; i^haryugeal 

 teeth tubercular. 



Platiciitiiys stellatus (Pallas) Girard. 



{Platlcldhijs rugosus Girard.) 



D. 54-Gl. A. 42-44. C. 3-G-C-3. P. 11-12. V. G. 



Form broad and short ; outline, including dorsal and anal, broadly 

 rhombic ; dorsal and abdominal outlines of the body boldly and regu- 

 larly curved ; snout less declivous than the dorsal outline, which it joins 

 over the centre of the eye ; caudal i)eduncle long, the sides straight for 

 some distance behind the end of the dorsal and anal fins. Greatest 

 height of the body contained 2^2 J times, head rather more than 4 times 

 in the greatest length ; eye about C times, snout (measured horizontally 

 from the lower eye) about. G times in the length of the head ; caudal 

 peduncle about o times in the greatest depth of the body. Nostrils of 

 colored side in a depression in a line with the centre of the interocular 

 space, the anterior tubular ; anterior nostril of blind side with a poste- 

 rior flap and a raised margin, posterior without flap. Eyes equal in 

 front, or nearly so, the lower sometimes very slightlj^ in advance, the 

 upper eye looking obliquely upwards. Interocular space less than half 

 the longitudinal diameter of the eye ; a low prominence running upwards 

 aud backwards from the anterior upper margin of the lower eye to the 

 posterior lower border of the upper eye, and thence backwards to the 

 origin of the lateral line ; above the operculum this rises into a prominent 

 tubercle. Mouth small; mandible projecting somewhat in the closed 

 mouth, its tip level with the upper margin of the lower eye, and its 

 lower margin forming a very slight angle with that of the head; pos- 

 terior end of the maxillary reaching a vertical slightly in advance of the 

 lower eye. Teeth short, broad, forming an irregular cutthig edge, in a 

 single row in both jaws, most developed on the blind side, but extending 

 more than half-way along the colored side. Upper pharyngeal bones 

 each with an irregular series of tubercular teeth, sometimes more or 



