^°lh:M!''] I'KOCKKDINfJS OF TIIK NATInNAL MISKIM. J.'ji) 



It is much l(>n;xrr tliaii in arcnicolu.s, ami is contaiiKMl 1^ times in tlio 

 posrnior nu'diaii portion. 'I'licic aiv three scales lietNVt*en the posterior 

 part of hiteral line ami liasc of tin- dorsal. 



< 'olor similar to tiiat i)i' (innicolus ix\n\ sonicinctus, Li;4ht olivaciMHis, 

 unmarked l>eh>\v middle i>f the sides, the iiark and upper half of ^ides 

 with ei;,dit l>r<»\vu bars which »'\teinl downwards tt) lati'ral line, Tlio 

 upper i»ait of each bar lias a li;j:hter central arra. The lij,dit areas 

 between the bars are marked moreor less with brown, which sometimes 

 forms indistinct secoiulary bars. A blackish bar at base of caudal, 

 and a taint streak lulow eye. A 1 ii-^^e juarly blotch on opercle. 



A sinjjle specinuMi, about - inches lonj;, frouj Station 28li8 in the 

 Gulf of California. 



26. Prionotus gynuioslethiis sj>. nov. 



Closely related to I'rionotn.s .vcnisitut, dilfeiin;;" conspi<-n(insly in the 

 wholly naked breast and belly. 



The largest specimen is 3A inches long. Head (t. 1.) of length to 

 base of caudal; deptlH)..'U); eye (».ll; interorhital width o.oi.') ; snout 

 O.IS; niiMitli (•.](;; length of pectorals O.'M); length of venlials O.L'o; 

 length (»f second dorsal spine O.L'l. 



Hotly heavy anteriorly, tapering ra[)idly to the slender tail. Head 

 large; stiiu' tine, numerous, scai'cely to be «listinguished on to]) (jf 

 lu-ad. which is tinely granular. Snout long; profile concave; the 

 orbital region al)ru|>tly elevated. Preorbital on each side projecting 

 beyond the mouth in a nain)w lobe, which is usually sharply triangu- 

 lar, the two lobes strongly divergent. Free edge of preorbital with a 

 row of very tine serra-. Anterior nostril with a long tlap. Moutli 

 small, the maxillary one third length of head, a naked area behind it. 

 Eyes very promiiu'ut, the preo(Mdar ri«lge high, bearing oiu' strong 

 s))ine, Interorbital s|)ace very narrow, concave, one-l«'nth length of 

 head. A deep transverse groove on top of head beliin«l eyes. 



Supraocular spine short an«l blunt, Occijiital and nuchal spines 

 flat, bluntish. Temporal ridge with two sjiiuous projections. Oper- 

 cidar. i»reopercular, and humeral spines, long ami shaip. rreopercii- 

 hir spine with a very strong a(U'essory sjiineat base, from which a hnv 

 ridge extends forwards to middle of cheeks, where it ends in a weak 

 spine, (idl rakers 14-7, slender, of moderate length. 



D. .\ or Xl-lOor ll:A, 11. 



Secoiul dorsal spiiu' the highest, the tirst two spines minutely serru- 

 latt'd in front. Pectorals \ery short, one third the length, ri'aching 

 but little past front of anal. Caudal slightly lunate. 



Scales very small, noiui on breast or l>elly, the naked area extending 

 upwards behind pectoral tin to humeral spim', and narrowing back- 

 wards to front of anal. Itegion in front of spinous dorsal naked. 



Color in spirits, brownish above, light i)elow, the dorsal region and 

 top of head often with small dark s[)ots. One, or rarely two, small 



