1018 Bulletin ^j, United States National Rhtseiim. 



pectoral fin, often -wanting or disappearing in spirits ; scales below this area 

 with pearly vertical streaks; color rose red or brownish, with a blue verti- 

 cal streak on each scale; vertical blue streaks on the head, as in other 

 species; males (in life, always) with a dark red cross shade behind pec- 

 torals, this disappearing In spirits; dorsal immaculate; anal with oblique 

 violaceous streaks; caudal with 6 or 8 dark cross streaks. Head 3i in 

 length ; depth Z\ ; eye small, 5J in head ; scales 2-26-8. psittacus, 2029. 



lb. Scales of sides of body without blue spots ; head with but 5 vertical streaks 

 of blue. Color red, the flns nearly plain ; a red axillar band, disappearing 

 inspirits; iris red; caudal truncate; otherwise as in X.^*-i»«cMS, of which 

 it is probably a coU;r variety. MODESTUS, 2030. 



2028. XYRHHTHYS MII\DICEPS, Gill. 



Head 3^; depth, about 3^, the males deeper than females. D. IX, 12; A. 

 Ill, 11; scales 2-24-9. Anterior profile of head parabolic ; preorbital very 

 deep, its depth ^ the head; eye near top of head, its diameter not ^ 

 depth of preorbital; anterior profile of the head more or less trenchant; 

 usually a blue vertical bar on each scale. Head in male with blue vertical 

 stripes ; a black ocellus larger than eye at base of caudal, just below lateral 

 line, none on dorsal fiu; 3 concentric, blue, ciirved lines on flaj) of oi>ercle; 

 3 narrow blue lines across cheek; a violet vertical line on base of each 

 scale; lower jaw with numerous lines; fins pale, unmarked; female plain 

 light brown, without markings on head or body. A very handsome species 

 known from numerous specimens, the original types and others, collected 

 by Mr. John Xantus at Cape San Lucas ; not yet .seen elsewhere, {muiidus, 

 neat; ceps, head.) 



Xyrichthysmundiceps, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Mus. Sci. Phila. 1862, 143. Cape San Lucas (Coll. 



Xantus) ; Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1882, 367 : Jordai^, Review Labroid 



Fishes, 660, 1890. 

 Novacula mundiceps. Gunther, Cat., iv, 172, 1862. 



2029. XYRK HTHYS PSITTACUS (Linnffius). 



(Razor-fish.) 



Head 3+ ; depth 3i. D. TX, 12 ; A. Ill, 11 ; scales 3-26 or 27-8 ; eye 5^ in 

 head, very small and close to the profile; depth of preorbital, from eye to 

 angle of head, 2i\; in head; length of cheek much less than i its height. 

 Body oblong, very strongly compressed ; profile very steep ; the jaws ecjual, 

 the canines j ; pectorals reaching past tips of veiitrals ; caudal rounded ; a 

 few embedded scales under eye ; lateral line with the tubes simple. Color 

 rose red or brownish, with a blue vertical streak ou each scale; A^ertical 

 blue streaks ou the head; side of body with a diftuse silvery area below 

 and behind the pectoral fin, often wanting or disappearing in spirits; scales 

 below this area with pearly vertical streaks; males (in life, always) with 

 a dark-red cross shade behind pectorals, this disajipearing in spirits; dor- 

 sal immaculate; anal with oblique violaceous streaks; caudal with 6 or 8 

 dark cross streaks. West Indies, rather common, north to Pensacola and 

 Charleston, south to Bahia. Length 15 inches; a handsome si)ecies, per- 



