PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 24 Se- 

 this most interesting point in the distribution of the species. Mr. Har- 

 rell obtained bis specimen from the Tangipahoa River, near Osyka. He 

 states, in a letter to Professor Baird, dated July 5, 1884, that some of 

 the fish caught there weighed from 2 to 3 pounds each. In a subse- 

 quent letter, July 16, 1884, he writes that the fish of the species sent 

 are becoming numerous in those waters ; that since he forwarded the 

 fish others of the same size have been caught and great schools of stills 

 smaller ones have been seen ; also, that specimens weighing from 4 to" 

 C pounds each have been taken. 



There is no doubt whatever in my mind that the striped bass, Roc- 

 cus striatiis^ occurs in the Lower Mississippi Valley; but it may be well 

 to record the following notes and measurements concerning two of the 

 individuals now in the Museum as a basis for future comparisons. 



The small specimen, number 35144, has the lingual teeth in 4 i^atches, 

 the two patches at the base of the tongue being separated by only a 

 very narrow interspace. In this example the last 4 gill-rakers below 

 the angle are rudimentary. 



In the large example from Montgomery the lingual teeth are in 4 

 patches, those at the base being very slightly separated. The length 

 of each patch at the base of the tongue is 13 millimeters, which is a little 

 less than one-third of the length of each palatine patch. The number 

 of gill-rakers above the angle is 10, below the angle 12. The longest 

 gill-raker is 26 millimeters in length, and its greatest width is 8 milli- 

 meters. The gill-rakers are blunt at the end, compressed, finely-toothed 

 on their inner surtace. The depth of the exposed portion of the largest 

 scale is 19 millimeters. There are about 7 black stripes on the body, 

 one of which incloses the lateral line. Between some of the stripes on 

 the back there are some much narrower accessory ones. 



Complete measurements of the specimens are appended : 



Measurements. 



