440 Bulletin 47, United States National Museufh, 



Dorsal inserted about midway of body, posterior to ventrals. Pectorals 

 and ventrals each with a large axillary scale. Adipose eyelid obsolete. 

 Vertebra' "^ about 40 (40 to 42) in species examined. Flesh rather pale 

 and dry, more or less translucent ; the bones iirm. Pseudobranchiic 

 present. Branchiostegals d to 14. Gill rakers long and slender. Gill 

 membranes separate, free from the narrow isthmus. Species about 50; 

 small, carnivorous shore fishes, swimming in large schools on sandy shores 

 of all warm seas, occasionally entering rivers. Most of them are marked 

 by a very broad, distinct, silvery band. ((TtoA?;, a stole, a white band 

 worn by priests ; ^6pof, bearing ; in allusion to the silvery lateral band.) 



a. Anal rayo 12 to 14 ; body very slender, the depth 6 in length ; no distinct lateral band. 



MIARCHUS, 717. 

 aa. Anal rays 15 to 17 ; body slender, compressed, the depth 5 to 6 iu length. 



b. Maxillary short, not quite reaching margin of preopercle ; lateral band well defined, 

 ■t^ eye. perfasciatus, 718. 



hh. Maxillary of moderate length, reaching beyond preopercle nearly to gill opening. 



c. Sides with a faint silvery streak ; gill rakers short, the longest J-^ eye ; belly 

 serrulate. exiguus, 719. 



cc. Sides with a well-defined lateral silvery band ; belly not serrulate. 



(/. Eye 4 in head, as long as snout ; scales caducous. cubanus, 720. 



dd. Eye 3)^ in head, longer than snout ; axillary sheaths very large. 



• PERTHECATUS, 721. 



ddd. Eye 3% in head, longer than snout ; scales not caducous. ischanus, 722. 

 aaa. Anal rays 19 to 24. 



e. Side with a distinct silvery lateral liand, with well-defined edges. 



/. Maxillary long, reaching past root of mandible, nearly or quite to gill opening ; 

 snout projecting considerably beyond lower jaw. 

 g. Body moderately elongate, the depth 4 to 4% in length of body. 



/(. Silvery lateral band very sharply defined, as broad as eye, not much nar- 

 rowed anteriorly ; eye large, 3J/^ in head ; belly serrulate ; A. 20 ; gill 

 rakers % eye. brownii, 723. 



hh. Silvery lateral band narrow anteriorly, becoming as broad as eye 

 opposite anal fin ; belly compressed, not serrulate ; anal rays 20. 



.. CULTEATUS, 724. 



hhh. Silvery lateral .band throughout narrower than eye; anal rays 23; 



gill rakers nearly as long as eye. delicatissimus, 725. 



gg. Body more elongate, the depth about 5):^ in length of body ; gill rakers 



as long as eye. A. 23 or 24 ; eye 4| in head. chcerostomus, 726. 



jr. Maxillary short, not reaching root of mandible; eye small, not longer than 



snout, 4 in head; silvery stripe rather diffuse, half broader than eyb; body 



little compressed, approaching Engraidis mordax in form, argyhophanus, 727. 



ee. Sid(>s without distinct silvery band, or with a faint diffuse streak. 



i. Opercles short, the distance from lower posterior angle of cheek to gill opening 

 much less than from the same point forward to middle of eye ; snout 

 bluntish, not produced. 

 j. Dorsal rays 11 ; depth 4% in length ; belly serrulate ; anal 22 or 23. 



CURTUS, 728. 

 jj. Dorsal rays 15 or 16 ; depth 4J^ in length, pectorals longer ; anal 23 or 24. 



POEYI, 729. 

 a. Opercle unusually long, the distance from lower posterior angle of cheek back- 

 ward to gill opening as great as distance from same point forward to center 

 of eye ; cheeks very broad ; snout projecting ; eye 4 in head ; anal 22. 



OPERCCLARIS, 730. 



* In hut few of the many species has the skeleton been examined. In general the bones are 

 firmer, the vertebrae larger and less numerous than iu Engraulis, but the value of this character 

 is yet to be proved. 



