PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 301 



nuiform height, all very sleuder and flexible, the tips almost filameut- 

 ous ; highest spine half length of head ; highest soft ray If in head ; 

 anal lower than dorsal, its longest ray very slightly less than one-half 

 length of head ; length of candal peduncle more than half its height, 

 about equaling diameter of orbit ; caudal about equal to pectoral, 1^ in 

 head ; ventrals long, the inner ray much the longest, 1-^ in head, not 

 quite reaching vent. 



Color, light greenish-olive, somewhat mottled ; sides with irregular 

 dark bars formed of spots, these extending on the tin; skin everywhere 

 finely punctate ; dorsal dark olive, the spinous part darker at tip ; anal 

 blackish, with paler edge; ventrals dusky; pectorals and caudal olive. 



Three specimens, the largest 3 inches long (Xo. 29G69, JJ. S. Nat. 

 Mus.), taken from the stomach of a Ked Snapper, at Pensacola. 



OPHIDIID.E. 



115. Ophidium graellsi Poey. P. (308()S.) 



Very light olive, somewhat punctate above, slightly silvery below; 

 fins without trace of dark edging (but being mutilated tbey may have 

 been dark-edged in life). 



Head 4';f in length, depth about 7. Head small, the profile not very 

 obtuse ; snout ig in head ; eye 3|, more than twice the narrow inter- 

 orbital space ; mouth oblique, the maxillary reaching to posterior border 

 of pupil, 2 in head ; lower jaw slightly included ; teeth small, in narrow 

 bands in the jaws, the outer series in upper jaw somewhat enlarged ; 

 vomerine and palatine teeth small, subequal ; head naked ; snout spine- 

 less; opercle without spine; no evident pseudobranchine ; gill-rakers 

 rather long and strong, 4 below angle of arch; occiput nearly midway 

 between origin of dorsal and front of eye. Air-bladder long and slen- 

 der, occupying nearly the whole length of abdominal cavity, tapering 

 backward. 



Two specimens, one of which is in good condition and about 4 inches 

 long, were taken from the stomach of a Eed Snapper, at Pensacola. The 

 type of (jraellsi differed from the specimens before us in having a shorter 

 head (more than 5 times in the length), and a larger maxillary (reach- 

 ing posterior border of eye). But as the typical specimen of (jnu'lhi was 

 8 inches long, the difference is prol)ably due to increased size. 



116. Genypteius omostigma sp. uov. P. (29G70.) 



Bo<ly comparatively short, highest at occiput ; thence tapering rapidly 

 to tip of tail; upper profile of head very convex ; snout blunt; mouth 

 horizontal, the lower jaw included ; maxillary not quite reaching i)osterior 

 border of orbit; teeth in jaws uniform, strongly incurved, in rather 

 broad bands ; a single series of small teeth in vomer ; those on palatines 

 minute; maxillary 1§ in head; eye large, 3 in head, much larger than 

 snout, equalling twice interorbital width ; opercle terminating in a strong, 

 compressed spine, the length of which is about two thirds diameter of 



