104 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



convex. Pectorals pointed ; that of colored side with 11-12 rays, the 

 lon<;est ahont -^^ of the length of the head ; all the rays, except the first 

 two, once hifnrcate. Pectoral of blind side with 10-11 rays, the longest 

 abont § as long as those of the colored side ; the three or fonr lowest 

 rays once bifurcate. Ventrals more than half their length in advance 

 of the i)ectorals (reckoning from the front margins of both tins), con- 

 tained about 3\ times in the length of the head ; the three posterior rays 

 bifurcate. Gill-rakers short, very llexible, few, and widely sei)arated. 

 Scales of the anterior jiart of the body separate and almost circular, but 

 towards the central i)ortion they slightly overlap, and on the posterior 

 portion are strongly imbricated. By far the larger portion of the scales 

 on the anterior portion of the body and along the dorsal and abdominal 

 regions, almost all those on the sub- and inter-opercula, a large propor- 

 tion of those on operculum, and some of those on the suborbital region 

 smooth, subcircuhir. On the central portion of the length, especially 

 near the lateral line, scales with two or three spinules appear, and these 

 become more numerous and more decidedly ctenoid farther backwards, 

 extending quite across the body on its posterior third. Scales of cheeks 

 not imbricated, similar in shape to those of body ; the posterior portion 

 of their surface covered with numerous spinules (number variable) di- 

 rected upwards. Near the interorbital space these spinules cover the 

 greater portion of each scale. These spinulose scales extend upwards 

 level with tlie u])per m;irgin of the upper eye'; and there are numerous 

 scales of a similar character on the operculum, and sometimes a few upon 

 the sub- and inter-oi)ercula. A few isolated scales below the pectoral 

 resemble those on the cheeks. Each of the scales on the cheeks with a 

 distinct pit, producing a punctate appearance. In some specimens spin- 

 ulose scales are scattered over the anterior jiarts. Scales of blind side 

 smooth; preoperculum scaleless. Accessory lateral line of A^ariable 

 length, connected with the main lateral line by a branch and sometimes 

 with a short separate row of pores above ; accessory lateral line of blind 

 side shorter. Lateral line Avith a bold curve, six scales high (in an ob- 

 lique row) above pectoral, anteriorly decurrent to nearly its former direc- 

 tion. A row of pores round the lower eye. Kays of the caudal covered 

 with scales on both blind and (colored sides. A row of scales along the 

 greater portion of the length of the central rays of the dorsal on the col- 

 ored side and on a portion of the anal, but no scales upon the anterior or 

 l)Osterior rays of either fin on that side, nor on either dorsal or anal on the 

 blind side. The scales of the body are largest on the posterior portion 

 and on the caudal peduncle, where they are elongated, and measure 

 about ;jT,- in length. Color liglit grayish, yellowish, or reddish brown, 

 with irregularly placed blotches of whitish on the body; often with five 

 large light blotches along the dorsal and five along the abdominal mar- 

 gin. Blind side white. Dorsal tin sometimes with blotches on colored 

 side. 



