318 



PROCEEDINGS OE THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



VOL. XXVII. 



(at base) in front of that of dorsal a distance equal to diameter of eye. 

 Caudal rounded, its length If in head. 



Color.— Back and sides mottled dusky or brown, growing- lighter 

 below; white on belly and under parts; 6 quadrate, clear-cut black 

 blotches on back; the anterior 4 reach little over halfway from dorsal 

 to lateral line; 2. under soft (the first obscure); 3 under soft dorsal, 

 and one on caudal peduncle; below lateral line these markings are 

 repeated, though they are usually out of line with those above; spin- 

 ous dorsal slightly and irregularly mottled; soft dorsal with 6 or 7 

 very irregular crossbars running back and down obliquely across the 

 rays to body; anal with 7 or 8 similarly placed bars, but more con- 

 spicuous and regular in outline and position; pectoral with irregular 

 dusky bars, following somewhat the contour of the fin; caudal dusky 

 and crossed' with -i or 5 irregular white bars; across tips of rays is a 

 more regular white bar, bordered on each side with black. 



Fig. 37.— Bero eleg.^ns. 



The following color note is taken from a fresh specimen: Light 

 brownish cherry red; highl}^ mottled with dusky shades and round 

 spots of whitish; the spots smaller on head; fins with blackish and 

 paler orange and whitish cross bands; pectoral and caudal brighter 

 than other fins; ventrals pale. 



Numerous specimens were taken at Tokyo, Aomori, Kitami, and 

 Hakodate, the longest 15 cm. in length. In life it is one of the hand- 

 somest of the Cottida?. It is especially ii])undant about Aomori, in 

 the straits of Tsugaru. 



{elegann., neat.) 



34. VELLITOR Jordan and Starks. 



Podabrus Kichardson, Voyage of tlie Samarang, Fishes, 1850, p. 11 (centropomus); 



name preoccupied by Podabrus Fischer, a genus of beetles. 

 Vellitor Jord,\n and Starks, new genus {centropomus). 



This genus is characterized by the long pike-like head, suggesting 

 the genus Ce^itropomus., the profile sloping straight or slightly con- 

 cave above to the tip of the long, sharp snout; the deep compressed 



