1734 Bulletin //, United States National Museum. 



equal to base of pectoral, 1)ut higher. Length of caudal peduncle from 

 anal 2 in head. Length of head equal to ^ of distance in front of 

 dorsal. Posterior rays of dorsal 1^ in longest, wliich are 2i in head. 

 Pectoral very broad, folding fan-like, the margins scalloped, broadly 

 rounded, lowest ray 1* in u])per, which is 2f in head. Caudal iin slightly 

 longer than the distance of its base from dorsal, its rays all of equal 

 length, 1^ in head. Prickles on ventral surface between chin and vent, 

 extending on side of head in front of pectoral fin, on side behind jiectoral 

 fin to vertical from dorsal, above from nostrils to dorsal; only the snout, 

 axil of pectoral, and caudal peduncle naked. Lateral line xevy faint, 

 extending obliquely upward from side of snout under eye, then backward, 

 curving slightly downward under dorsal, most distinct on side of tail. 

 Color in alcohol, above very dark brown, with black blotches, the sides 

 lighter, with very pale reticulations, a series of about a dozen irregular 

 black spots along lower side ; below white ; caudal slightly dusky, with 

 no indications of bars; other fins colorless. This species differs from 

 Spheroides spengleri in the high and prominent eye, the very narrow inter- 

 orbital, the strongly concave outline of snout, the extensive distribution 

 of prickles, and in color. West Indies to Brazil; our specimens collected 

 at Kingston, Jamaica, by Eev. Joseph S. Eoberts. (marmoratus, marbled.) 



Tetrodon marmoratus, Kanzani, Nov. Comm. Ac. Sci. Inst., Bonon., iv, 1840, 72, pi. 10, 



fig. 1, Brazil. 

 tSpheroides marmoratus, Jordan & Ruttee, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Pliila. 1897, 129. 



Subgenus CHEILICHTHYS, Miiller. 



21.50. SPHEROIDES TESTIDINEIS (Linuaus). 



(Tambor; Globe Fish.) 



Head 3; snout moderately long, 2 in head; eye small, about 7+ in head, 

 nearer gill opening than end of snout ; interorbital width 4 in head. D. 8 ; 

 A. 6; skin of back from nape to before dorsal fin covered with small, 

 sparsely set prickles; belly from throat to anal Avith prickles which are 

 rather large and closely set; axil usually prickly ; these prickles rarely 

 wanting or obscured; sides sometimes witli cirri. Back dark olivaceous, 

 with whitish curved lines and streaks paler than tlie ground color, these 

 streaks usually arranged as follows : a circle or rhomb on the middle of 

 back, in front of dorsal tin, this surrounded by an ellipse, the ellipse 

 sometimes broken up by cross streaks; before this 3 or 4 cross streaks 

 extending downward and backward, the one at the nape and the one 

 behind the eyes connected on the median line; back and sides with many 

 irregular, round, blackish spots of different sizes; a dark bar at 1)ase of 

 pectoral ; caudal dusky at base, then pale, the posterior I blackish ; skull 

 not very broad, the interorbital area somewhat concave, the prefrontal 

 grooves narrow. West Indies; very common; occasionally ascending 

 rivers; ranging occasionally northward in the Gulf Stream as far as New- 

 port, (testtulineiis, like a turtle, Testudo, from the form of the jaws ; " orbis 

 oilongus testudinis capite" of Clusius.) 



