542 PR0CEJ]D1AGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Mouth rather wide, the inaxiHary reachiog to opposite frout of the 

 eye, the mandible about to center of eye; maxillary 2 iu head. Bauds 

 of palatine teeth narrow. 



Eye small, its diameter (in young specimen) 4§ in head. A very 

 small cirrus formed of two or three thickish filaments from a common 

 base on upper part of eye; its length little more than half the pupil. 

 Interorbital area of moderate width, ratlrer deeply concave, its least 

 width 6i in head. Orbital rim not at all elevated, its bones with en 

 tire or granulated edges. No trace of spine or groove behind eye. Or 

 cipital spines very weak, the outer i)air inconspicuous, not reaching 

 nearly to front of dorsal, the inner pair altogether wanting, no tra('e 

 of them being seen. No spines, ridges, or evident roughness on tem 

 poral region. Preopercle with a single small spine, without smaller 

 one at its base. Lower opercular spine small; upper opercular spine 

 reduced to a blunt point. Humeral spine inconspicuous, not extending 

 beyond opercular spine. The head is thus much less completely armed 

 than iu any other of our species of Prio),otits, the only spinous projec 

 tions present being the occipital, humeral, opercular, and preopercular 

 spines, 4 pairs. These spines may perhaps become more prominent 

 with age. Membranaceous flap of opercle scaly. 



Gill-rakerslongand very slender, about thirteen developed, the length 

 of the longest about half eye. 



Scales rather large, those on the nape and breast little reduced in 

 size ; about 10 between dorsal and occiput. 



Fins all low and small. First dorsal spine rather the highest, its 

 length 2^ in head, its anterior margin serrulate. Longest ray of soft dor- 

 sal, 2 in head. Caudal, It^ iu head. Lougefft anal ray, 2 in head. Pec- 

 torals very short (perhaps longer in the adult), reaching only to front 

 of second dorsal, 1:^ in head. Detached rays slender, the uppermost IJ 

 in head. Ventrals, 1^ iu head. 



Color iu spirits, brown, paler below ; scales everywhere with dark 

 punctulations, these forming a darker shade on the lateral line near the 

 middle of the body ; head plain brown. Spinous dorsal dusky poste- 

 riorly. Soft dorsal with two dusky longitudinal shades. Caudal black- 

 ish at tip. xVnal with a black stripe toward the margin. Pectorals black, 

 the detached rays and ventral tins plain whitish. 



The type of this species, 3| inches long, in good condition, was "spewed 

 up" by a red snapper {Lufjajins vivanus), at .Pensacola. 



Prionotus ophryaa, sp. iiov. (No. 36944.) 



Head 8 in length (3^ with caudal); depth 4^ (5f). D. VIII— 13; A. 

 11. Scales (transverse series, about), 75 ; pores iu lateral line (about), 

 50. Length 7J inches. 



Allied, but not closely, to Prionotus tribulns. Body rather slender, 

 narrower anteriorly and more compressed above than in other species, 



