422 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



large as the nostril. The jaws dusky, marbled with whitish; ^ides of 

 back with diifuse blackish blotches. Entire body sparsely covered with 

 round dusky spots smaller than the pnpil; these spots are most numer- 

 ous and distinct in the axillary region, which is otherwise whitish. 

 Skin of shoulder-girdle above marbled with black. Spinous doi'sal with 

 a broad, median, dusky band ; tips of its membranes dusky, its base 

 whitish, with black spots. Soft dorsal and anal irregularly marbled 

 with blackish. Caudal with a broad median, and a terminal band of 

 blackish. Pectorals blackish above, with dark spots ; lower edge whitish ; 

 three obscure, broad, dusky cross-bands. Ventrals dusky towards the 

 tips. 



The type of this species is numbered 30,1G9; it is G^^,- inches long, and 

 was obtained at Peusacola, Florida, by Mr. Silas Stearns, to whom the 

 species is dedicated in appreciation of his services in adding to our 

 knowledge of the fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. 



A smaller ScorpKna ^-^^ inches long (No. 30,185), from the same local- 

 ity, agrees with the type of S. stearnsii in all respects, except that the 

 preorbital and supraorbital fla])S are very much longer, the latter reach- 

 ing the front of dorsal, its length half that of head. The preorbital 

 flap is as long as the pupil. The margins of both these flaps are with- 

 out fringes. In the type of >S^. Stearnsii the supraorbital flap is nearly 

 as broad as long, not so long as the pupil, and is distinctly trilobate; 

 the preorbital is minute. Without additional material it is impossible 

 to decide whether these difi'erences are sexual or of specific value. 



10. Scorpaena calcarata, u. sp. 



The type of this species is numbered 2356G ; it is 2^ inches long, and 

 was taken in Clear Water Harbor, Florida, by Dr. J. W. Velie. The 

 specimen is in poor condition. 



Body moderately robust, the greatest depth slightly less than a third 

 of length to caudal base, the lower jaw slightly projecting, with a small 

 symphysial knob. The maxillary reaches to past the pupil; its length 

 equal to half that of head. 



The preorbital has three diverging spines ; the suborbital without pit, 

 the bony stay moderate, armed with two small spines. Nasal spines 

 small. Interorbital space narrow, with two longitudinal ridges, its 

 width two-fifths length of eye. The cranial ridges are rather low, with 

 sharp spines, the following pairs present: preocular, supraocular, post- 

 ocular, coronal, occipital, nuchal, besides three or four on the temporal 

 region. Occipital cavity almost obsolete, represented by a slight de- 

 pression. 



Preopercular spines five, the lowermost stout, directed downward and 

 forward, the uppermost rather long — more than half as long as the eye. 

 Opercular and scapular spines moderate. Eye large, nearly one-third 

 as long as the head. Supraocular flaps minute; a few other small flaps 

 on the head. 



Cheeks with rather large imbricated scales; opercle with some 



