1686.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 329 



width about f the diameter of the eye; bones of 

 head very smooth, the striatious very weak ; spines 

 on top of head (preocular, supraocular, occipital 

 and nuchal) short and sharp, not depressed ; tem- 

 poral ridge blunt, without spine. Dorsal spines very 

 high, the second If in head, the first moderately ser- 

 rate ; soit dorsal high, its base about i longer than 

 head ; caudal truncate ; pectoral fin truncate ; its 

 third ray longest, the others, to the tenth little 

 shorter ; free rays of pectoral a little expanded at 

 tip; scales rather small, about .52 pores. Body covered 

 with roundish bronze spots of various sizes; smaller 

 bronze spots on the head ; both dorsals, caudal and 

 pectoral fins with similar bronze spots, these espe- 

 cially numerous and distinct on soft dorsal. 



SCITULUS, 4. 

 hb. Month comparatively large, the maxillary two to two and three-fourths in the 



length of head, the mandible extending backward 

 to opposite of eye, or nearly so ; no distinct cross- 

 groove on top of head ; free rays of pectoral taper- 

 ing, not expanded at tip ; black blotch on spin- 

 ous dorsal diffuse, not ocellated, involving the mem- 

 branes of more than two spines. 

 /. Preopercular spine without a distinct smaller spine at its base in front. 

 g. Pectoral fins very long, reaching at least to beyond the second third 

 of the dorsal; serraj on preorbital, each ending in a 

 conspicuous point or spine. 

 h. Gill-rakers long and slender, the longest nearly half the eye ; body 

 rather stout, the depth 4 in length ; head large, 

 nearly plane above, the interorbital space not con- 

 cave, its width equal to eye ; snout very short, 2-J 

 in head ; maxillary 2^ in head, reaching past front 

 of orbit ; bands of palatine teeth, very narrow ; bones 

 of head smoothish, little striate. First dorsal spine 

 serrate in front, the third spine nearly half the length 

 of the head ; caudal slightly concave ; pectoral reach- 

 ing ninth anal ray, its outline rounded ; ventrals 

 not reaching vent. Scales about 55. Color pale 

 olivaceous, back and sides with a few dark spots ; 

 second dorsal with three rows of black spots ; caudal 

 with three rows of dark blotches ; pectorals with 

 dark clouds. D. x-12, A. 11... Stephanophrys, 5. 

 hh. Gill-rakers very short, tubercle-like, 9 or 10 developed, little if any 

 • longer than the interspaces ; first dorsal spine nearly 

 smooth ; mouth not very large, the maxillary 2^ to 

 2f in head. 

 t. Interorbital space moderately concave ; its width about four-tifths 

 length of eye ; no cirrus above the eye; distance 

 from supraocular spine to nuchal scales about equal 

 to eye ; supraocular and nuchal spines low ; occipital 

 spines wanting; temporal ridge sharp, endiug in a 

 blunt spine ; preorbital projecting, strongly serrate ; 

 a blunt spine on each side of snout, behind seine of 

 preorbital ; a blunt spine behind this above angle of 

 mouth ; no spine on cheek-bone, in adult ; upper 



