ART. 19. NEW SPECIES OF FISHES — FOWLER AND BEAN. 11 



united. Cheeks with about 19 scales to operele ridge. Dorsal with 

 only a very few small scales at basal front edge. Anal with similar 

 patch covering first simple ray and fin base narrowly to base of third 

 branched ray. Caudal base finely scaled. Lateral line extends ab- 

 ruptly up till midway along side of caudal peduncle close after end 

 of dorsal fin, Avhere furnished with very slight keel. Lateral line in 

 front with branch extending entirely to loAver pectoral axilla. Dorsal 

 inserted slightly behind last fourth between hind eye edge and 

 caudal base, first branch ray 1^ in postocular. Anal inserted at last 

 third between pectoral origin and caudal base, similar to dorsal, 

 first branched ray 1^ in postocular. Caudal (tips damaged) ap- 

 parently moderatelj^ forked, lower lobe longer and at least half an 

 eye-diameter longer than postocular. Pectoral long as postocu- 

 lar. Ventral If in postocular, and its origin slightly nearer caudal 

 base than preopercle ridge. Vent close before anal. 



Color in alcohol : Largely dull brownish, sides and below paler, 

 evidently silvery-white when fresh. Obscure silvery streak, not 

 wider than pupil, from shoulder till below dorsal, where expanded 

 about two-thirds vertical eye-diameter in width, though not distinct 

 beyond fin. Fins all brownish. Length 640 mm. (beak and caudal 

 tips damaged). 



Type.— Cut. No. 83424, U.S.N.M., Tahiti. Wilkes Exploring Ex- 

 pedition. 



Known from the above example, now in good condition after its 

 long preservation in alcohol. We first thought it identical with Be- 

 lone urvillii Valenciennes, unknown since its original description. 

 According to Valenciennes its head is 2| times in the entire body, 

 our example showing at least 3^ ; suborbital of B. vrviUii somewhat 

 fastooned, covered like whole surface of jaw and operele with scales. 

 a character not yet found in other species, our example showing a 

 rather smooth suborbital with traces of but very few scales; long 

 pointed operele of B. vrviUii 5 times from operele border to end of 

 caudal, which is rounded, and in our example eniarginate caudal 

 about 9 times to end of caudal; dorsal and anal elevated, height of 

 more elongated rays of last equals length of fin base in B. urvilllL 

 and in our example lobe of anal only slightly over half of anal fin 

 base; B. urvillii* apparently green on back and broad silvery longi- 

 tudinal band, also broad blue-black band along dorsal and anal bases, 

 though no traces of this on our example. 



Our species also approaches Belone a.ngusticcps Gunther.^ based 

 on an example 275 mm. long, in its fin-rays, though it is said to have 

 the eye 4 in postorbital. 



«Hist. Nat. Poise., vol. 18, 1846, p. 330, A'anlkoro. 

 BCat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vol. 6, 1866. p. 238, Ecuador. 



