510 REVIEW OF NORTH AMERICAN GOBIID^. 



This genus is distinguished not only by the prolongation of the 

 maxillary, as in Opisthognathus and NeocUnns, but also by the form of 

 the skull. Besides the single American species, the Asiatic Gobius 

 mystacinns C. & V., and JSaccostoma gulosum Guichenot, will probably 

 be found to belong to it. , 



The clumsy name selected for this genus by Dr. Cooper can hardly 

 be set aside on account of its barbarous construction, as Dr. Giiuther 

 has suggested. Besides, the more eu])honious substitute, Gillia, is pre- 

 occupied, as is also the still later Saccostoma. 



AXALYSIS OF THE SPECIES OF GILLICHTHYS. 



a. Body stout, somewhat compressed behiiul, liroad and depressed anteriorly, its 

 greatest depth 5 times in length. Head oA in length, broader than high, its width 

 li ; its depth 2 or more in its length. Eyes small, 6 to 7 in head ; snout longer 

 than eye, low, little decurved ; interorbital area greater than eye. Maxillary 

 variable, extending to base of pector.al in adults, broadened behind. Fold of 

 lower lip extending its full length. Mouth very large, its angle extending to 

 below posterior angle of orbit. Teeth all alike, small, fixed, in bands; the band 

 of the lower jaw broader than that of upper. Scales small, cycloid, irregularly 

 placed ; largest from front of second dorsal backwards ; decreasing in size for- 

 ward. Head, breast, belly, and half of nape naked. Dorsal spines not filamen- 

 tous, not as high as the soft rays, which are little more than half height of body. 

 Caudal broad, short, rounded. Pectorals broad and rounded ; their length half 

 head, longer than ventrals. Dull olive, very finely marbled with darker: sides 

 of head and maxillary finely punctate ; fins olive ; belly and ventrals yellowish. 

 Dorsal, VI-12; anal, 12 Mirabilis, 51. 



53. Gillichthys mirabilis. 



G-ilUchihijs miraiilis Cooper, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sci, 1863, 109 ; Steindach- 

 ner, Ichth. Beitriige v. 147, 1876 (Oakland, Cal.); Lockington, Am. Nat- 

 uralist, 1877,474 (San Francisco, "Gulf of California"); Jordan & Gil- 

 bert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1880, 455 ("Puget Sound," San Francisco; Santa 

 Barbara ; San Pedro ; San Diego) ; Rosa Smith, Fishes of San Diego Cal. , 

 1880 (San Diego, Cal.) ; Jordan & Jouy, Proc. U. S. Nat., Mus. 1881, 9 

 (San Diego) ; Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus, 1881, 53 (California, 

 south of San Francisco) ; Jordan & Gilbert, Syn. Fish. North America, 

 636, 1883; Jordan, Catalogue Fish. North America, 106, 1885 (name only) ; 

 Rosa Smith, West. American Scientist, 1885, 46 (San Diego, Cal.). 



Habitat. Coast of California from San Francisco to San Diego. 



This singular species is very abundant in the mud flats in shallow 

 water along the coast of California. It burrows holes in the mud like 

 a cray-lish, and it readily takes the hook baited with flesh or worm, 

 when it is dropped into the mouth of the burrow. The locality, " Pu- 

 get Sound," given in the above synonymy is based on error, and the 

 locality "Gulf of California," given by Mr. Lockington, needs verifica- 

 tion. 



18. TYPHLOGOBIUS. 



Typhlogobius Steiudachner, Ichth. Beitr., viii, 24, 1879 {californienaia). 

 Othonops Rosa Smith, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1881, 19 {eos^californiensia). 



Type, Typhlogobius ealiforniensis Steiudachner. 



