610 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Our alcoholic specimen shows about six narrow blue lines on the 

 snout, these augulated below and continued across the interopercle; 

 scales with very narrow vertical blue lines, with some interspersed blue 

 dots ; anal fin with very evident broad vertical blue streaks. 



Head 4 in length; depth 3^. D. IX, 12; A. II, 13. Pores in lateral 

 line 25. 



Last rays of dorsal and anal equal, reaching beyond base of caudal, 

 two-thirds head; caudal 1^ in head; pectoral IJ: ventral If. 



94. Chaetodipterus faber (Bronss.) J. & G. 



Less abundant than at other points along our South Atlantic coasts. 



95. Astroscopus y-graecum (Cuv. Val.) Gill. 



? Uranoscopus anojjlos C. & V. viii, 493. 



Astroscopus anoplus Jor. & Gilb. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1882, 289. 



Astroscopus guttatus Abbott, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil. 18uU, 473. 



Frequently taken in the harbor. The comparison made by us (Proc. 

 U. S. Nat. Mus. 1882, 289) between examples from the Gulf {''anoplus^') 

 and y-griGcum was with specimens of very unequal size, those of the 

 former being 3 J inches long, while those of the latter were nearly adult. 

 Specimens now in our possession froui Charleston, less than 5 inches 

 long, and evidently the same as an adult of y-grwcum from the same 

 localit}^, enable us to make a more satisfactory comparison, and show 

 that the characters supposed to distinguish our Gulf specimens are due 

 to their immature condition only. Thus the bones cuirassing the top of 

 the head become narrower with age; the Y-shaped process becomes 

 .much narrower, and has the fork proportionally shorter; the profuse 

 black-specking on body behind, still visible in specimens 5 inches long, en- 

 tirely disappears in adults ; and the white spots on body l)ecome much 

 larger in proportion to size of eye. We strongly doubt the existence of 

 a second species of Astroscopus in our waters. In case such should be 

 demonstrated, it would still be very probable that the anoplos of C. & V., 

 based on a specimen two inches long, was the young of ygr cecum, every- 

 where common on our southern coasts. 



96. Culms amblyopsis Cope. 



A single specimen, 4 inches long, was taken in the harbor. 



Color in spirits; brown, lighter above and below; each scale on mid- 

 dle of sides with a dusky streak, these forming obscure lengthwise 

 lines; back anteriorly with a few small, black spots; under parts, in- 

 <}luding sides of head, very thickly punctulate with black. Lips black; 

 a dark streak from snout through eye to upper angle of preopercle; 

 two duskj' streaks from eye downwards and backwards across cheeks; 

 a very couspicuous black blotch as large as eye in front of the upper 

 pectoral rays. Pectorals and ventrals transparent, dusky; vertical fins 

 >all barred with light and dark in fine pattern. 



Body slender, compressed, the head depressed, becoming very narrow 



