NO. 2133. FISHES TAKEN BY "ALBATROSS," ISSS— THOMPSON. 417 



7. SYMPHURUS WILLIAMSI Jordan and Culver. 



Albatross station 2926, Southern California. Teeth in both jaws on 

 eyed side; corneal flap well developed; giU rakers comparatively 

 large; no cilia on opercle of blind side; lower jaw not unusually wide. 



The remarkable corneal modification mentioned above is present in 

 S. leei, atricaudus, williamsi, and atrimentatus, but not as markedly so 

 in the first mentioned. Similar formations are present in other genera 

 of the Pleuronectidae, Triglidae, many of the sharks, and a great 

 many bottom dwellers. What its significance may be is problematical, 

 but it is apparently present or absent in closely related species and 

 bears no obvious relation to other characteristics, even the depth 

 inhabited. The presence of teeth on the eyed side of the lower jaw 

 seems correlated with a greater development of the gill rakers, but 

 this is not striking enough to warrant a generic or subgeneric division. 



22. PLATEA INSIGNIS Steindaclmer. 



A single specimen 14 cm. long from station 2764. This is a much 

 smaller specimen than Steindachner's type, yet it corresponds closely 

 to the description given by him.^ The ventrals are, however, con- 

 tamed but thrice in the head, the gape of the mouth reaches only to 

 the center of the eye, and the dorsal and anal fin counts are 110 and 

 100, respectively. 



23. MERLUCCIUS GAYI Guichenot. 



Numerous specimens from stations 2766, 2769,, and 2771, between 

 Rio de la Plata and Cape Virgins. This little-known species differs 

 from the European hake, Merluccius merluccius (Linnaeus) in the 

 longer pectoral, 5 in length without caudal, the more numerous 

 gill rakers (3+12, mstead of 3 + 7), and the weaker teeth. From 

 M. productus (Ayi'es) of the Cahfornia coast it seems to differ in the 

 longer ventrals, which are nearly as long as the pectorals, the fewer 

 scales, and the stronger dentition. 



24. PERCOPHIS BRAZILIENSIS Quoy and Gaimard. 



A number of specimens from Albatross stations 2764, 2765, and 

 2766, off Cape San Antonio, just to the south of the Rio de la Plata. 

 The largest is 278 mm m total length, the smallest 40. There is 

 remarkably little variation among them, even with age. They corre- 

 spond well with the brief type description of Quoy and Gaimard and 

 that of Jenyns (Voyage of the Beagle). 



D. IX, 31 or 32; A. 40 or 41; scales in lateral line 112 to 114, in 

 tj-ansverse series between msertions of anal and of first dorsal 9 or 

 10/19 to 22; number of vertical series between end of m'axillary and 

 preopercular margin 24 ; between preopercular and opercular margins 

 16; head 3§ in length to base of caudal; depth 12f ; eye 5§ in head; 



1 Fauna Chilensis, p. 323, pi. 20, figs. 12r-12B. 

 10600°— Proc.N.M.vol.50— 16 27 



