﻿190 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  vol. 
  o« 
  

  

  the 
  slight 
  median 
  ridge. 
  Although 
  the 
  scales 
  cross 
  this 
  low 
  ridge 
  pos- 
  

   teriorly 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  usually 
  do 
  so 
  anteriorly. 
  

  

  No 
  scales 
  were 
  observed 
  at 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  jaw, 
  but 
  these 
  may 
  

   have 
  dropped 
  off. 
  The 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  including 
  the 
  region 
  of 
  the 
  

   mandible 
  below 
  the 
  jaws, 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  deciduous 
  scales. 
  

  

  The 
  margins 
  of 
  the 
  prolonged 
  mandible 
  or 
  "beak" 
  are 
  nearly 
  par- 
  

   allel 
  throughout, 
  diverging 
  little 
  until 
  the 
  posterior 
  end 
  is 
  reached. 
  

   The 
  nasal 
  flap 
  is 
  small. 
  

  

  The 
  dorsal 
  and 
  anal 
  fins 
  are 
  low, 
  highest 
  anteriorly, 
  with 
  rays 
  3 
  to 
  

   5 
  longest 
  ; 
  these 
  rays 
  in 
  the 
  anal 
  fin 
  are 
  almost 
  three 
  times 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  

   the 
  last 
  ray, 
  whereas 
  in 
  the 
  dorsal 
  fin 
  the 
  anterior 
  rays 
  are 
  only 
  about 
  

   twice 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  last 
  ray, 
  which 
  is 
  slightly 
  prolonged 
  and 
  falls 
  

   some 
  distance 
  short 
  of 
  reaching 
  the 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  procurrent 
  caudal 
  

   rays. 
  The 
  asymmetrical 
  caudal 
  fin 
  is 
  very 
  weakly 
  forked, 
  less 
  so 
  

   tlian 
  in 
  any 
  other 
  American 
  species 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  except 
  H. 
  rosae. 
  As 
  

   in 
  many 
  halfbeaks, 
  the 
  lower 
  caudal 
  lobe 
  is 
  longer. 
  

  

  The 
  air 
  or 
  swim 
  bladder 
  as 
  noted 
  in 
  the 
  single 
  male 
  is 
  simple, 
  with- 
  

   out 
  any 
  cellular 
  structure. 
  

  

  Coloration. 
  — 
  The 
  general 
  coloration 
  was 
  noted 
  in 
  the 
  field 
  by 
  the 
  

   collector. 
  When 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  water 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  new 
  species 
  

   was 
  intense 
  blue 
  and 
  green 
  varying 
  in 
  brilliance 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  re- 
  

   flection 
  of 
  light 
  from 
  the 
  surface, 
  the 
  blue 
  and 
  green 
  grading 
  into 
  

   each 
  other. 
  The 
  fins 
  or 
  the 
  belly 
  are 
  believed 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  yellow 
  or 
  

   orange. 
  No 
  bright 
  color 
  was 
  seen 
  anywhere 
  on 
  the 
  beak. 
  This 
  ob- 
  

   servation 
  is 
  important, 
  for 
  most, 
  if 
  not 
  all, 
  of 
  the 
  American 
  halfbeaks 
  

   have 
  the 
  fleshy 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  mandible 
  red. 
  According 
  to 
  Herre 
  (1944, 
  

   p. 
  9) 
  the 
  Philippine 
  species 
  of 
  Hemiramphus 
  (including 
  Hyporham- 
  

   ■pJius) 
  have 
  this 
  tip 
  red, 
  green, 
  or 
  greenish 
  white, 
  depending 
  upon 
  the 
  

   species. 
  I 
  therefore 
  interpret 
  the 
  lack 
  of 
  red 
  color 
  on 
  this 
  structure 
  

   in 
  patris 
  as 
  a 
  character 
  of 
  specific 
  value. 
  

  

  The 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  preserved 
  specimens 
  (in 
  alcohol) 
  is 
  mostly 
  light 
  

   silvery 
  to 
  pale 
  brownish.^ 
  The 
  back, 
  above 
  the 
  lateral 
  band 
  on 
  each 
  

   side, 
  is 
  marked 
  with 
  brownish 
  punctulations. 
  which 
  are 
  usually 
  more 
  

   concentrated 
  on 
  the 
  posterior 
  borders 
  of 
  the 
  scales. 
  Along 
  the 
  middle 
  

   of 
  the 
  back 
  are 
  three 
  narrow 
  longitudinal 
  rows 
  of 
  dark 
  pigment, 
  

   broader 
  near 
  the 
  occiput 
  and 
  particularly 
  over 
  the 
  caudal 
  })eduncle 
  ; 
  

   the 
  outer 
  rows 
  are 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  continuous 
  past 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  dorsal 
  

   but 
  the 
  middle 
  row 
  is 
  disrupted 
  in 
  this 
  region 
  into 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  U- 
  oi- 
  

   V-shaped 
  markings 
  between 
  the 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  rays. 
  The 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  

   anal 
  fin 
  is 
  marked 
  similarly 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  dorsal 
  base, 
  but 
  the 
  longi- 
  

   tudinal 
  rows 
  of 
  pigment 
  are 
  far 
  less 
  conspicuous. 
  On 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  

   the 
  body 
  is 
  a 
  dark 
  band, 
  probably 
  silvery 
  in 
  life, 
  which 
  is 
  very 
  narrow 
  

   anteriorly 
  and 
  broadest 
  between 
  dorsal 
  and 
  anal 
  fins. 
  The 
  upper 
  

   surface 
  of 
  the 
  anterior 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  including 
  the 
  upper 
  jaw, 
  and 
  

   of 
  the 
  mandible 
  is 
  black; 
  the 
  lower 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  mandible 
  is 
  finely 
  

  

  