PKOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 479 



gill- membranes. It is probably ornamented in life with blue and red, 

 but no trace of these colors now remains. 



3. Pcscilichthys s-waiiii. sp. uov. 



Head, 3r' in length ; depth, 4^. D. XI, IL*; A. 11, (i. Scales, 3 or 4-41- 

 7 or 8. Length (35308, JMonticello, Mississippi), 2 inches. 



Appearance of Bolcichthys. Body fusiform, rather elongate, the back 

 rather elevated anteriorly, the caudal peduncle moderate, somewhat 

 compressed. Ilead rather slender and small, the anterior prodle rather 

 steep and gently curved, becoming more obtuse at the lip of the snout. 

 Snont short, a little bluntish, its length 5 in head. Eye rather large, 

 3^ in head. Mouth not very small, obli(jue, the lower Jaw included, the 

 maxillary reaching very nearly to opposite middle of pupil, its length 

 3^ in head. Teeth rather strong, present on vomer. Preopercle en- 

 tire. Gill-membranes vei'y nearly separate. Opercular spine strong. 



Opercles and cheeks Avell scaled. Scales of body rather large, ctenoid. 

 Belly covered with ordinary scales. Nuchal region nearly naked. Breast 

 naked. Lateral line wanting posteriorly on about two scales, anteriorly 

 somewhat arched and concurrent with the back. 



Dorsal finscoutignous but separate, both high, the soft dorsal shorter 

 aud higher than the spinons dorsal and much longer and higher than 

 the anal. Longest ray of soft dorsal 1^ in head. Caudal truncate, 1| \\\ 

 head. Pectorals moderate, 1-^ in head, not quite reaching vent. Ycn- 

 trals coterminous with them, 1=^ in head. 



Color in spirits, olivaceous, marbled with darker, the dark markings 

 rather obscure and taking the form of dark quadrate spots about as 

 large as the eye, and alternating so as to give a checkered appearance. 

 The pale interspa(;es may perhaps have been of some bright color in 

 life. Head with four dark stripes which radiate from the eye. A dark 

 streak on anterior ]>art of opercle. Spinous dorsal with a basal band 

 of pale (crimson in life ?) ; above this a dark band (probably deep blue) ; 

 the outer edge of the tin broadly pale (scarlet ?), Soft dorsal and caudal 

 checkered with light and dark spots. Anal aud ventrals plain, ai>par- 

 ently bluish, the latter darkest. Pectorals plain. No black humeral 

 spot. 



A single specimen, in very good condition, except that the coloration 

 lias faded is in the National Museum, from a tributary of Pearl Kiver 

 at Monticello, Miss. The species is a Pa'cilichthys, with the developed 

 lateral line oi Kothonotus. 



4. Pcecilichthys beani, yji. iiov. 



Head, 4 (4^) ; depth, Sf (G-g). D. VIII, 13; A. II, 7. Scales, 3-15- 

 G. Length (35754, Lafixyette County, Missouri), 1| inches. 



Ai)pcarance of the species of Boleichthys, and e^■idently closely allied 

 to roccHichtJiys ex His. 



Body more elongate than in most species of Jjolcivhihys, subfusifoi-m, 

 compressed behind, the back a little elevated ; head slender, rather 

 acute, the snout compressed, anterior profile little decurved j snout a 



