NO. 1308. HEMIBRANCHIATE FISHES— JORDAN AND STARKS. 67 



than posterior part of head, but grows abruptl}^ broader at the pos- 

 terior Olid of the upper lateral plates and tapers gradually to the 

 caudal. 



The jaws are armed with a row of fine teeth. The maxillary is con- 

 tained Si times in the snout, the mandible 5^ times. Eye nearly twice 

 as long as high; extreme length of orbit equal to length of maxillary. 

 Interorbital space somewhat concave, less so than in F. ■petimha, in 

 larger specimens it is flat at the sides with a channel along its middle; 

 the width is one-third of orbit. The median ridges on snout diverge 

 anteriorly; the distance between them is everywhere greater or as 

 great as the distance from them to the upper lateral ridge. 



The ventrals are inserted from the pectorals a distance equal to the 

 distance of the pectoral from the anterior margin of the ej^e. They 

 are separated at their liase by a space equal to the long diameter of 

 the eye. The dorsal and anal are directly opposite to each other and 

 similar in shape. The skin is everywhere smooth to the touch. 



All of our specimens from Japan are plain brown greenish above, 

 but as specimens from other localities may be either plain brown or 

 with longitudinal stripes and spots of blue, probably blue-spotted 

 examples occur. 



The following color description was taken from a fresh specimen 

 from Panama, 69 cm. in length: 



Olive ])rown on upper parts, white below, A pair of narrow blue 

 stripes, interrupted anteriorly and posteriorly, begin at the nape, 

 diverge backward, and cross the lateral line just in front of the point 

 where it becomes straight, then runs just above and parallel to the 

 lateral line as far as the tail. Another pair of streaks, made each of 

 blue spots, run close along each side of mid-dorsal line, from a point 

 above axil of pectorals to front of dorsal. Behind dorsal, a single 

 series of spots occupies the median line of back. 



We have compared specimens from Panama, La Paz, Mexico, and 

 from the Hawaiian Islands with our Japanese material and can appie- 

 ciate no difl'erence. The species occurs also in Samoa. 



Several specimens under 32 cm. in length were collected at Waka- 

 noura, Misaki, and Matsushima. 



{deprei^sus, depressed. ) 



7. FISTULARIA PETIMBA Lacepede. 

 YAGARA. 



Fistiduria Vivk, John White, Voyage New South Wales, pi. lxiv, fig. 2. 



FiKliiltirui tabacaria \ar. Block, Ichth., 1794, pi. ccclxxxvii, fig. 2, "Coll. Linke 

 at Leipzig;" wrongly figured as spotted with l)lue; snout serrate; 2 caudal 

 filaments. 



FiMrilaria petimba 'Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poisg., V, 1803, p. 349 (excl. syn. ); New 

 Britain, Isle of Reunion, ecpiatorial Pacific; based on specimens and manu- 

 scripts of Commerson; snout serrate; body inniiaculate. — Jordan and Eveb- 

 MANN, Fish N. and 31. Amer., I, 189S, p. 758. 



