NO. 2294. FISHES FROM WEST AFRICA— FOWLER. 211 



scales. Spinous dorsal without scales, and edges of soft dorsal and 

 anal broadly naked. wScales with very fine circuli, mostly waved, 

 and basal radii 5 to 11. Lateral line complete, largely concurrent 

 with dorsal profile, and tubes simple. Spinous dorsal inserted about 

 opposite ventral origin, fifth spine longest or 2^ in head with others 

 graduated down, and edge entire. Soft dorsal origin httle nearer 

 spinous dorsal origin than caudal base, rays about equally high or 

 first ray a])out 3 in head. Anal spines with fine longitudinal striae, 

 second larger and little longer than third or 2 to 2| in head, fin 

 origin nearly midway between ventral origin and caudal base. 

 Soft anal rounded, first branched ray longest or If to 1| in head. 

 Caudal deeply emarginate, much less so as fully expanded, fin 1| 

 to l^^^ in head. Pectoral, IJ in head; ventral. If to Ih and spine, 

 1^ to If in fin. Vent about an eye-diameter before anal. 



Color in alcohol with general appearance uniform bro\vnish, each 

 scale with pale yellowish median small spot. Fins all pale brownish ; 

 edges of dorsals and anal narrowly dusky-brown. Iris brownish. 

 Length, 301 and 302 mm., two examples. 



Pellegrin gives the coloration * as violet above, also the fins, and 

 lower surfaces orange-yeUow. His figure differs from both my 

 examples in showing the second dorsal spine but little less than the 

 third, my examples having it only about half the third. The scales 

 are also not shown on the preorbital, which in my specimens are in 

 about a dozen rows across the narrowest part, 



Diagramella Pellegrin ^ is here admitted to generic rank, allied with 

 PledorJiinchiis Lacepede (=the later Diagramma Olsen), in its rather 

 numerous gill-rakers, broad preorbital and rather deep body. It 

 differs in the oblique mouth, rather more dorsal spines (13 compared 

 with 9 to 12) and less elevated head. Anomalodon Bowdich ^ is 

 allied with Parapristipoma Bleeker in its long ana.1 fin. Bowdich, 

 however, gives a crude figure of his Pristipoma humilis * and, though 

 the scales are represented as far too large for the present species, 

 still certain details are somewhat suggestive. He says "the fore- 

 head of this species has but little elevation," D. XIII, 14; A. II (one 

 very short) and 8 rays; "the fins and tail are a pale yellow, the rest 

 of the fish is silvery." Now the serrate preopercular edge, maxillary, 

 large eye, emarginate caudal and dark marginal lines of the dorsals 

 and soft anal, shown on the figure also invite consideration. 



Pristipoma viridense Cuvier^ is described briefly as uniform 

 brown, second anal spme slightly longer than third, with 12 dorsal 

 and 8 anal rays. Valenciennes next states^ it has 14 dorsal and 7 



1 Annal. L'Inst. Oc6anog. Prince de Monaco, voi. 6, fase. 4, 1914, p. 48. 



2 BuU. See. Zool. Franco, vol. 37, 1912, rp. 292, 295. 



3 Excurs. Madeira, 1825, p. 237. 

 <Idem.,p. 236, pi. fig. 40. 



' Hist. Nat. Pois., vol, 5, 1830, p. 215. San-Iago, ile du cap Vert. 

 6 Hist. Nat, lies Canar., Ichthyol., 1836-44, p. 26. 



