PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 311 



6. Siphostcma bairdianum (Dnmeril) Svraiu. (:312;"3.) 



1 Siinfinatlius liairdlaniifi Dnmeril, Hist. Nat. Poiss. ii, 5/1, l~7n (coast of Mexico, 

 uear California). 



Body uiuisnally stout, with short head, short snout, and short tail, the 

 general appearance being much like S. caUforniense^ but all the parts 

 contracted. Snout short, compressed, just as long as the rest of the 

 head (9), its upper edge with a sharp, low keel, which is higher than 

 in 8. californiense. Top of head wiihout keel. Opercle striate, with 

 trace of a keel at base. 



Keels of body not very sharp, the interspaces between the angles 

 scarcely concave. Lateral line not continuous with the upper edge of 

 the tail. Belly with a slight median keel. Dorsal fin low. 



Eings 18+31. Dorsal rays 31, the tin inserted on 1 + 7 rings. Ten 

 rings on the tail behind the caudal pouch. Head 7| in length -, base of 

 dorsal equal to head. Distance from snout to dorsal 2^- in lengthy 

 caudal pouch 2f in length of body; tail behind caudal pouch 6 times. 



Color blackish, with fine pale vermiculations; top of head and neck 

 with wavy longitudinal streaks; caudal dusky; dorsal somewhat mot- 

 tled; a dusky blotch before eye. 



A single male example, 9 inches long, was obtained by Mr. Andrea 

 Larco at Santa Barbara, and is now in the National Museum. The 

 caudal pouch in this specimen is full of eggs. 



This species seems most nearly allied to S. californiense, diftering iu 

 the stouter form, much shorter tail and snout, and in the smaller num- 

 ber of rings and of dorsal rays. 



It agrees fairly with M. Dumeril's account of Sijnfjnatlius bairdianits, 

 the only discrepancy of importance being the statement that the dorsal 

 covers 3+6 rings. The numbers^ of rings (17+31) and of dorsal rays 

 (30), as given byM. Dumeril, agree very closely with the specimen from 

 Santa Barbara. 



Hahifat.—CoRiit of Southern California; Santa Barbara; Lower Cali- 

 fornia. 



7. Siphostoma leptorhynchum (Girard) J. ifc G. 



Sjimjnatlnis leptorlnjnchus Girard, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. vii, ISC, 1854; 



Girard, U. S. Pac. E. R. Surv. Fish. 345, 1858 (San Diego) ; Gill, Proc. Acad. 



Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 284 (San Diego). Dume'ril 1. c. 567. 

 Siphostoma hptorlxyndnis J. & G. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 23 and 453. 1880 



(San Diego) ; Rosa Smith. San Diego Free Press, Nov. 5, 1880 (San Diego); 



J. & G. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1-C9, 18^?l (Santa Barbara to San Diego). J. 



it G. Synopsis Fishes North America, 384. 

 Sijiitjnafhus breiirostris Girard, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. vii, 1.56, 1854; 



Girard, U. S. Pac. R. R. Surv. Fish. 345, 18.58 (San Diego). 

 Synynathus arumUnaceus Girard, U. S. Pac. R. R. Surv. Fish. 346, 1858 (coast 



of California); Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 284 ; J. «fe G. Proc. U. 



S. Nat. Mns. 23, 1880 (name only). Dnmeril 1. c. 567. 

 Syiignatlms dhnidiatus Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 284 (San Diego)j 



Gunrher, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. 165, 1870. Dumeril 1. c. 566. 



