2310 Bulletin ^7, United States National Museum. 



eyes. (Gilbert.) A second largo specimen was sent from Mazatlan by 

 Dr. George W. Rogers, having been taken by Ygnacio Moreno in .January, 

 1896. (Qe^vpioi, western; Ce'ihvpo?, the west wind.) 



Astroscopus zephyreus, Gilbert & Stakks, Proc. V. S. Kat. Mus. 1896, 453, pi. 53, flg. 2, aud 

 p]. 5i, Magdalena Bay, Lower California (Type No. 47743. Coll. Albatross). 



2(U6. ASTROSCOPUS firXTATl S (Abbott). 



Depth 4 in length in young and 3^ in adult. D. IV or V-13 or 14 ; A. 13 ; 

 V. I, .5. Eye 5^ in iuterorbital space. Naked space between forks of Y on 

 top of head short and broad, but longer tlian the vertical limb of the Y, 

 which is very short ; 2 distinct spinules directed forward before eye ; white 

 spots on body very small and irregular without dark rings ; base of dorsals 

 equaling in length the distance from front of first dorsal to tip of snout ; 

 base of first dorsal twice length of its longest spine; first spine equaling 

 second in length, and 3 times length of last; length of middle caudal rays 

 a little less than that of ventrals; pectorals slightly longer than ventrals, 

 3^ in total length, and extending to fifth anal ray. Color of upper parts 

 of body and lower jaw bright chocolate; belly and throat white; darker 

 portions covered with numerous circular spots much lighter than ground 

 color; membrane of first dorsal black; second dorsal white with 3 irregular 

 bands of dull black obli(]uely across it; the caudal with 3 parallel bands 

 of blackish brown, the middle of which appears to be the continuation of 

 a variable longitudinal baud on the center of each side; the anal having a 

 variable band of dull brown, darker upon the posterior termination. 

 Length 12 inches. Atlantic coast of the United States, from Long Island 

 to Virginia; apparently scarce. Recorded from Cape May ; Tompkinsville, 

 New York; Norfolk, Virginia; Somers Point, New Jersey, etc ; not known 

 south of Cape Hatteras. In Astroscopus (juttatus the pale spots are much 

 smaller, less sharply defined, and occupy a smaller area than in A . y-gravum; 

 the lower part of the head has 2 black blotches in each species; the second 

 dorsal, anal, and ventrals are nearly or quite plain. The naked area behind 

 each eye is (in A. gnttatus) lunate, its length barely twice that of the 

 snout; the bony Y-shaped plate is short and lu'oad, concave on the median 

 line, and forked for about I its length, the posterior undivided portion 

 broader than long ; the bony bridge across tlie occiput but little shorter 

 than the part of the head which precedes it. In A. y-gracitm the naked 

 area is trapezoidal, longer than broad, and about 4 times the length of the 

 snout; the Y is forked for more than i its length, its undivided part more 

 than twice as long as broad, and not concave; the occipital plate is not 

 i as long as the part of the head which precedes it. (guttatus, spotted, as 

 with rain drops.) 



Astroscopus (/uttatus, Abbott, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Pliila. 1860, 365, Cape May, New Jersey. 

 Cpsilunphorus [nUtatus, Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1879, 60 ; Kirsch, I. c, 264, 1889. 



