722 Bu/leiiii 4y, United States Natiofial Museum. 



gill opening than base of caudal. Scales rery easily detached, the dor-« 

 sal and anal iins apparently not scaly. Caudal moderately forked, the 

 middle rays being twice the length of the eye; pectorals shorter than 

 postorbital part of head ; ventrals a little shorter. Back broad. Green, 

 with a silvery lateral band, rather broader than a scale ; a triple verte- 

 bral streak ; lower jaw dark reddish brown ; fins plain. Southern 

 California and southward in sheltered bays, the young and half grown 

 frequently taken at San Diego ; the adult found in al>uudance in brackish 

 or fresh-water lagoons farther south. (Named for Rosa Smith, now Mrs. 

 Eigeumann, then of San Diego, the first woman to discover and describe 

 new species of fishes.) 



Hemirhamphvs rosx, Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mue., 1880, 335, San Diego, Cali- 

 fornia; (Coll. Jordan & Gilbert); Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 376, 1883. 



328. HEMIRAMPHUS, Cuvier. 

 (Balaos.) 



Hemirhamphis, Cuvier, Regne Animal, Ed. i. 11, T.S17, (hrasiUensis = broivni). 

 JIciiiiHKimjyIms, or Heiiiinhuniphus, corrected spelling. 



Body more robust than in HyporJiamphus and difi'erent in form, the sides 

 of body being compressed and nearly vertical and parallel. Head and 

 jaws as in Hypoyluimphns. Dorsal longer than anal fin and inserted 

 farther forward, its last ray more or less produced in American species. 

 Ventral fins small and inserted well backward, much nearer base of 

 caudal than gill opening. Air bladder cellular, with many partitions 

 (in H. hroicni). Species probably numerous, but most of f hem have not 

 been examined as to the characters which separate this genus from 

 HyporTiamplius. {ij/J-L, half; pan<poQ, beak.) 



a. Upper lobe of pectoral orange in life; length of pectoral siiircely greater than depth of 

 body. D. 14; A. 12; scales 53. brasiliensis, 1072. 



aa. Upper loba of caudal dull bluish in life; scales rather smaller; length of pectoral J greater 

 than depth of body balao, 1073. 



1072. HEMIRAMPHUS BRASILIENSIS (Linnaus). 

 (Balao ; EscRiBANO.) 



Head (with lower jaw) 2f; depth 6j. D. 14; A. 12; scales 53. Body 

 not very slender, compressed, "slab-sided," the sides of body vertical, 

 and parallel with each other. Lower jaw (from end of upper jaw) 4? in 

 length from its tip to base of caudal. Head, without mandible, 5 in 

 length from tip of upper jaw. Premaxillaries broader than long. Eye 

 large, equal to interorbital space, t postorbital ])art of head. Ventrals 

 inserted well backward, midway between base of caudal and middle of 

 pectoral ; vertical fins scaly ; anal much smaller than dorsal ; last ray of 

 dorsal produced in a short filament ; pectoral f length of head, its length 

 a little more than dei)th of body ; ventrals 2f in head; caudal deeply 

 forked, the lower lobe longest. Color in life clear deep blue green, much 

 darker than in Hyporliamphus iinifaacialus; sides silvery, without lateral 

 band; beak dark, its tip bright orange, its membrane edged with white; 



