1172 Bulletin 47^ United States National Museum. 



moderate, compressed, its profile not steep, nearly straight, a depression 

 before eye. Upper canines moderate, scarcely differentiated, the lower 

 quite small. Teeth in 2 irregular rows laterally, a larger number m front. 

 Nostrils small, well separated, the anterior slightly larger. Lower jaw 

 very strongly projecting. Maxillary reachmg opposite posterior edge of 

 pupil, or a little farther. Preopercle slightly notched, the angle slightly 

 salient, with somewhat enlarged teeth, the serrations all Aveak. Dorsal 

 scarcely notched, the fourth spine not elevated, the spines all subequal 

 except the first. Second dorsal high and long, its median rays forming 

 a conspicuous angle, its posterior border somewhat concave, rounded. 

 Caudal scarcely lunate, the upper lobe slightly exserted, the lower trun- 

 cate. Anal very high, strongly falcate, its i^osterior border incised, the 

 anterior rounded. Pectoral and ventral moderate, almost coterminous. 

 Anal spines graduated. Scales smoothish, not very small. Color: Olive 

 gray, covered everywhere with oblong, irregular markings of black, 

 between which the ground color forms rivulations ; color of adults 

 fainter, with smaller spots ; gray lines radiating from the eye; a black- 

 ish blotch behind maxillary ; pectoral olive yellow ; other fins blackish, 

 clouded with pale; first dorsal with faint, small, black spots; caudal 

 with a very narrow, pale margin ; none on other fins. Length 15 inches. 

 A small species, rather common in the astillero or estuary at Mazatlan, 

 with ]\Iijctero})crca Jordan}, which it much resembles in color, differing in 

 form and in the short, high anal. This species has the coloration and 

 form of Mycteropcrca, with a short anal fin, scarcely longer than in 

 Epineplielus. The character of the skull is somewhat intermediate, but 

 on the whole nearest Mycteroperca. The supraoccipital and parietal crests 

 are high, the former extending forward to the posterior margin of the 

 orbit ; jiarietal crests parallel with each, and extending forward to pupil ; 

 interorbital space concave. (Named for Dr. George Albert Boulenger, 

 the accomi^lished ichthyologist of the British Museum, in recognition 

 of his admirable work on the Serranidce, in the Catalogue of Teleosteau 

 Fishes.) 



Mycteroperca hoiilengeri, .Jordan k Starrs, Fishes of Sinaloa, in Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci., 1895, 445, pi. 

 38, Mazatlan. (Type, No. 47481. Coll. Hopkins Expedition to Mazatlan.) 



Subgenus TRISOTROPIS, Gill. 

 1563. MYCTEROPERCA VENENOSA (Linnans). 

 (EocKFiSH ; Yellow-finned Grouper ; BoNAci i>e Piehka.) 



Head 23 (3*); depth 3 (3*); eye small, 7 in head (adult). D. XI, 16; 

 A. Ill, 11 ; scales 24-125-x. Body rather robust, not strongly com- 

 pressed ; head rather bluntish, its anterior profile a little uneven. 

 Mouth large, the maxillary reaching much beyond eye, 2 in head ; teeth 

 in rather narrow bands, each jaw with 2 strong canines, which are not 

 directed forward ; nostrils moderate, close together, the posterior largest. 

 Interorbital space flat, broad, 5 in head. Preopercle without salient 

 angle, its emargination slight. Scales rather small, chiefly cycloid. 

 Dorsal spines not very weak, the outline of the fin gently convex, the 



