1870 



Btdletin ^7, United States National Museum. 



ish mottlings and more or less distinct traces of radiating streaks around 

 the eye, and a round, dnsky, Immeral spot. Yonnger individuals are 

 often lighter, resembling 11, stelleri, with small silvery spots on sides, and 

 reddish fins, often showing very conspicuously the 7 V-shaped or ijuad- 

 rate blackish blotches at base of dorsal fin, and 5 black radii diverging 

 from eye. The anal fin is usually black in adults,'*but often shows oblifjue 

 cross bauds in the young. This species as now understood is found among 

 the Aleutian Islands and westward to Kamchatka. It is abundant about 

 Unalaska and was obtained by Dr. Stejneger at Petropaulski. The com- 

 monest shore form * of the genus in Bering Sea. Specimens were takeu 

 at Unalaska, Petropaulski, Robben Island, and Iturup Island, {ohtoj, 

 eight; ;^pa/</<7), line.) 



Lahrnx octogrammus, Pai.las, Zoagr. Kosso-Aaiat., in, 283, 1811, Kamchatka, Petro- 

 paulski and Avatcha Bay. (CoU.Merk.) 



Chirus ordinatus,] Cope, Proc. Anier. Philos.Soc.Pliila.187.'), 28, Unalaska. (Coll. Prof. 

 Geo. Davidson). 



Octogrammus pallasi, Bleekee, Versl. Ak. Amst., vi, 1370; after Pallas. 



Chirus octogrammus, Gunther, Cat., n, 92, 1860. 



Hexagrammus ordinatus, Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 642, 1883. 



* This species has been currently known as H. ordinatus. We make the identification with 

 octogrammus for the following reasons : («) It occurs abundantly at the type locality for 

 octogrammus, and so closely resembles JJ. asper as to often re(juire close scrutiny to oepa- 

 rate the two species. According to Pallas, octogrammus and asper are not considered 

 distinct by the natives, and weie even confounded by Steller. (6) Octogrammus is said 

 to be abundant tliroughoiit the Karacliatkan region and the Aleutian Islands. Yet if not 

 ordinatvs it is not to be identified with niiy kiiown sporiis, and must have escaped the 

 notice of all ;-<riiil enllciicirs. (ci Oc^);/;7Myi ;/(»,< i.s dcsciibcd as having 19 dorsal spines 

 and •J4 iniiil i^iys. I'liiv is Die ii>ual roniiiilii Uiv ontiiKitiis, while no other species is 

 known to lui\e;is U'w a.s 111 sjiiiics. Tlic only iiiiixirtaiit (lenient in the description of 

 octogrammua SYXncXi fails to apply to oriliniitnn is the sciii.aniation of the cheeks. Octo- 

 grammus is said to h.ave the subocnlai- lamella minutely scaled, while in .all species 

 except-BT. dec«(/ra»i Hi »s the suborbital ring, as well as the suborbital stay, is scaleless. 

 The present species shows some variation in the sijuamation of the opercles. The lower 

 portion of subopercle is usually naked in our specimens, but is in some of them com- 

 pletely scaled. There may be exceptionally i ' 



We append fin counts in 14 specimens: 



■a few scales on adjacent edge of interopercle. 



t The following is the substance of Cope's description of O. ordinatus : 

 Head4i; depth 4: eye 5 in head, If in snout, IJ in iuterorbital space; D. XIX, 24; A. 

 26, C. 17; P. 18; .scales 13-94-34; branchio-stegals 6. Dorsal fins not very elevated, con- 

 tinuous, but well notched at point of union of the two: a dentate flap above each eye; 

 lateral lines of pores 5, only 3 of which extend to the basis of the caudal fin, viz, "the 



