Jordan and Evcrmann.— Fishes of North America. 



2007 



into a compressed frond-like lamina, having the free edge more or less 

 laciniate or fringed. These expanded tips are bright white and very con- 

 spicuous. No trace of them is present in females, but they develop in 

 males at a very early age. These agree with the structures described by 

 Pallas, on which he based the name pistiUiger. They seem not to be 

 present in G. tricuspis. The upper preopercular spine is sharply bifurcate m 

 even our smallest specim.^ns (50 mm.), but in these no trace of a second 

 medial upwardly directed spine is present. The latter is evident m speci- 

 mens 70 mm. and more in length, and a small concealed prominence repre- 

 senting a third spine is exceptionally present. No trace of slit behind 

 last gill. The following measurements give the depth of body and length 

 of head in millimeters, as compared with total length, in 8 specimens: 



Very young examples show no groups of granulations on head or nape, 

 these being usually wanting in specimens less than 100 mm. long. In 

 older examples they are variously developed, the degree of armature 

 dependent neither on age nor sex. They are never armed on mterorbital 

 space, being unlike G. galeatus in this respect, the granulations being con- 

 fined to the occipital and nuchal regions, with an additional elongate 

 patch on the upper part of the opercle. In highly developed males, the 

 dorsal and ventral rays are accompanied with series ot tubercles. The 

 color is brown above, with very narrow vermiculating lines of lighter; a 

 black blotch on cheek, more conspicuous in males, and 4 inconspicuous 

 cross bars on back; the darker dorsal area is bounded below lateral hue 

 by an irregular series of dark streaks or blotches. In males, the lower 

 jaw and preopercle is cross-banded with black and light yellow; the 

 abdomen, lower half of sides in front of anus, and prepectoral region, with 

 laroe roundish white spots, separated by vermiculating areas, rendered 

 dus^ky^y aggregations ofcoaise black dots; ventrals dusky and silvery, 

 the latter frequently forming cross bands; spinous dorsal dusky or black, 

 with irregular series of white spots not confined to basal parts ol fin. 

 In both sexes the pectorals, second dorsal, and caudal are translucent or 

 yellowish, crossed bv narrow black bars. The females are more numer- 

 ous than the males in our collection, but the disparity in number is not 

 so great as has been found by other writers. In 45 specimens examined 



