290 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 56. 



coarsely serrated. Alar flap in pectoral axil well developed. Pec- 

 toral, 1§ in head. First dorsal spine longest. Dull olive above, 

 sides brassy, also lower surface. Length, 262 mm. 



Compared with Mediterranean examples, 155 to 237 mm. long, the 

 rakers were found shorter, very fine, and about long as the filaments, the 

 latter equal to the eye. Their rakers are 50 to 72 + 66 to 90 on the 

 right arch, and 50 to 72 + 65 to 96 on the left arch. The scales of 

 the Mediterranean examples have 8 to 10 basal radii, while the 

 African example has 12 to 14, a condition of age. 



SCOMBER COLIAS Gmelin. 



Head, 3^; depth, 5; D. VIII-ii, 10 + 5; A. iii, 9 + 5; snout, 3| in 

 head; eye, 4^; maxillary, 2t|; interorbital, 3|. Body rather cylin- 

 drical, but slightly compressed. Head width half its length. Snout 

 conic; width, 1| its length; l\ in smaller example. Eye large, with 

 broad adipose lid. Maxillary to pupil. Teeth minute, uniserial in 

 jaws and on palatines. Few small teeth each side of vomer. Tongue 

 sharp pointed, free. Front nostril simple pore about three-fourths of 

 eye-diameter before eye, and hind nostril short slit close before eye. 

 Interorbital convex, flattened medially. Kakers, 17 + 30, finely lan- 

 ceolate, nearly long as eye, but slightly shorter than filaments. 

 Scales small, largest behind pectoral base. Lateral line complete- 

 Spinous dorsal midway between front nostril and soft dorsal origin; 

 fin haKway to latter; second spine, 2| in head; first branched dorsal 

 ray, 5^. Anal inserted sKghtly behind soft dorsal origin, similar. 

 Caudal well forked. Pectoral reaches about halfway in depressed 

 spinous dorsal, 2^ in head; ventral, 2| and inserted about first 

 fourth in pectoral. Air-bladder present. Color in alcohol olive- 

 brown on back, marked with obscure darker oblique streaks, which 

 appear as obscure dusky spots or blotches below lateral line along 

 upper sides. Pectoral axil deep brown ; other fins all pale. Length, 

 406 nnn. 



Evermann and Kendall have compared Atlantic and Pacific 

 examples of the previously admitted cosmopolitan Scomber japonicus 

 Houttuyn, pointing out that S. colias of the Atlantic is valid in its 

 smaller head, more advanced spinous dorsal, etc.* My comparison 

 of Atlantic examples from such remote places as New Jersey, Italy, 

 and the present, do not exhibit characters of specific value. The 

 New Jersey and Italian examples have 12 to 15 + 25 to 30 rakers. 



TRACHURUS SEMISPiNOSUS (Nilsson). 



Head, 3f; depth, 4; D. VIII— I, 32; A. 11—1,27; scutes, 36+38; 

 snout, 3f in head from upper jaw tip; eye, 3|; maxillary, 2|; inter- 

 orbital, 3i. Body well compressed, fusiform, deepest at spinous 



> Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., lOH, p. 38. 



