304 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



jaw ; lateral teetli minute ; an inconspicuous blunt tubercle on snout, 

 in front of upper eye ; interorbital space a narrow scaleless bony ridge, 

 slightly concave anteriorly ; interorbital width scarcely more than half 

 diameter of pupil; upper eye slightly in advance of lower, its diameter 

 about one-fifth head ; gill rakers f , comparatively slender, compressed, 

 the iuneredge with a few distinct strong teeth ; the longest raker nearly 

 half diameter of eye. 



Dorsals low, beginning over front of upper eye, the anterior rays not 

 produced nor filamentous, but with free tips ; the highest rays are at 

 beginning of posterior third of fin, their length 2}^ in head; length of 

 first ]'ays 4i in head. 



Anal spine weak; the fin similar to dorsal, but higher, the highest 

 ray 21 in head ; ventrals reaching front of anal, about one-third head ; 

 pectoral of colored side 24^, of right side 2J, in head, caudal about If 

 in head. 



Scales on head and body very small, cycloid, closely adherent, with- 

 out free posterior edge ; lateral line with a very short, high curve ante- 

 riorly, the width of which is contained 4^ times in length of straight 

 posterior part; snout, jaws, and preopercle scaleless, head otherwise 

 scaly. 



Head 3| in length ; depth 2. D. 78 ; A. 59. Lat. 1. 123 (pores). 



Color (in spirits) : very light grayish, with traces of several irregu- 

 larly arranged, faintly ocellated, darker spots ; lips dusky ; fins all 

 mottled with colors of body. 



Two specimens, each about 5 inches long (Xo. 308G2, U. S. iSTat. Mus ), 

 were collected at Pensacola. 



120. Hemirhombus paetiilus Beau MSS. P. 



Body elliptic-ovate, strongly compressed, not very deep; the anterior 

 profile regularly decurved until just above the snout, where it forms an 

 angle, the rather short snout thus abruptly projecting; mouth rather 

 large, considerably arched; maxillary extending to below middle of 

 lower eye, 2§ in head ; teeth in lower jaw in a single series; upper jaw 

 with tAvo distinct rows, those of outer series in front, enlarged, 2 to 4 of 

 them forming small canines. Eyes large, the lower slightly longer than 

 snout, about 4 in head, its front in advance of the upper eye, especially 

 in adults, where half of it is thus in advance ; interorbital space broad, 

 concave, in old specimens as broad or broader than least diameter of 

 orbit ; the concavity caused by the prominent ocular ridges which con- 

 verge backwards, the lower turning upward at an angle to join the other. 

 Gill-rakers short, flatfish, and stout, the longest about one-fourth diam- 

 eter of orbit; the rakers are similar on all the arches, growing gradu- 

 ally shorter on the posterior ones. 



Dorsal beginning over angle of snout, its first rays slightly turned to 

 blind side, the longest rays 2;^ in head. Caudal short, rounded, l.J in 

 head. Anal without spine, a little lower than dorsal. Left ventral 3i 



