NO. 2294. FISHES FROM WEST AFRICA— FOWLER. 247 



below to spinous anal origin; 11 or 12 predorsal scales; snout, 3 J 

 to 3i in head from upper jaw tip; eye, 3f to 4; maxillary, 2| to 3; 

 interorbital, 3^ to 4. Elongately ellipsoid, deepest opposite ventral 

 spine tip. Caudal peduncle well compressed; length about three- 

 fourths its least depth and latter 2 i to 2 1 in total head length. Head 

 width, 2 to 2J its length. Snout conic, long as broad or length 

 sUghtly less with age. Eye slightly elevated; hind pupil edge about 

 midway in head length, slightly advanced in young. Mouth moder- 

 ate, lower jaw slightly protruded. Teeth conic, mostly uniserial, 

 sometimes inner row of small obscure ones above and well back. 

 Interorbital broadly convex. Rakers 3 + 5, anvil-shaped, about 

 2 in eye. Scales large, cycloid, out over caudal at least halfv/ay 

 basally, with fine circuh incomplete apically and 10 or 11 basal 

 radiating striae. Cheek with 3 or 4 rov/s of scales. Small scales on 

 breast like those on caudal base. Spinous dorsal inserted opposite 

 pectoral origin ; last spine, 2| to 3^- in head, sixth ray If to 2. Spinous 

 anal midway between ventral origin and caudal base; third spine, 3, 

 fourth ray, 2 to 2 J. Caudal convex behind, U in head; pectoral, 

 If to 1^; ventral If to If. Color in alcohol brown above with olive 

 tint; below, paler to whitish. Black blotch nearly large as eye on 

 opercle; another just before anal and usually third at caudal base. 

 Median dark, usually lengthened as vertical streaks and 5 dark leaden 

 vertical streaks across back in front of it and as many more tov/ard 

 tail. Fins largely pale brownish, uniform. Iris brownish. Length, 

 60 to 108 mm. Nine examples (C), and one (C. C). 



DREPANE PUNCTATA (Linnaeus). 



Cryptosmilia luria Cope, Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. Phila., ser. 2, vol. 13. 

 1867, p. 401. "Western African seas." 



Head, 3: depth, 1: D. I, IX, 21; A. Ill, 17; scales 44 (pockets) 

 in lateral line to caudal base and 4 more on latter; 12 scales above 

 lateral line, 30 below to anal origin; snout, 2§ in head; eye, 3; 

 maxillary, 3f; interorbital, 4. Deeply rhomboid, greatly com- 

 pressed, least depth of caudal peduncle, 2f in head. Head width 

 2 in its length. Snout compressed, v/idth If its length. Eye well 

 elevated, advanced. Mouth small; lower jaw slightly shorter. 

 Maxillary well exposed, about to eye. Teeth brush-like, in bands in 

 jaws. Interorbital sUghtly convex. Lower preopercle edge serrate. 

 Rakers, 5 + 11 short v/eak points, about one-fifth of filaments and 

 latter 2 in eye. Scales all narrowly exposed, small ones extending 

 over vertical fins basally and breast. Cheek with 8 rows of scales to 

 preopercle corner. Ventral axil with free pointed scaly flap about 

 half ventral spine. Suprascapula entire. Scales with fine complete 

 circuli, and 3 basal radii convergent. Lateral line steeply arched, 

 and simple tubes well exposed. Fourth erect dorsal spine longest, 



