THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 87 



in number with age, young 50 mm. long with about 40 on lower 

 limb of first arch, adult 300 mm. long with about 100; scales thin, 

 with finely crenulate margins, often partly lost in preserved speci- 

 mens; ventral scutes rather weak, 18 to 20 in advance of ventrals, 

 not definitely countable behind ventrals; dorsal over middle of body, 

 its origin about equidistant from tip of snout and vertical from end of 

 base of anal, rather variable, distance anterior to its origin 2.1 to 

 2.3 in length, fin somewhat elevated anteriorly, the longest rays gener- 

 ally reaching tip of last ray if deflexed, the first two divided rays 

 generally the longest and of about equal length, 1.65 to 1.75 in head; 

 anal quite low, its origin generally rather nearer base of caudal than 

 base of ventral, the last two rays longer and stronger than the pre- 

 ceding ones, base of fin 2.0 to 2.4 in head; ventral inserted under 

 middle of dorsal, and equidistant from base of pectoral and origin of 

 anal or somewhat nearer the latter; pectoral moderately long, failing 

 to reach ventral in adults by a distance generally about equal to length 

 of snout, inserted nearer base of ventral (by about half diameter of 

 eye) than tip of snout, the fin 1.6 to 1.7 in head. 



Color of preserved specimens bluish above ; sides silvery ; the smaller 

 specimens with a series of six to eight black spots extending from 

 shoulder to or beyond vertical from base of ventral, these missing in 

 large specimens which have small dark spots along the rows of scales, 

 these spots more evident where scales are missing; dorsal and caudal 

 more or less dusky, the former often with a black tip; pectorals dusky 

 in very large examples only; other fins pale. Young under 60 mm. 

 or so in length with a dark lateral band and no dark spots. 



This species is represented by 11 adults, 145 to 325 mm. in length, 

 and by many smaller ones, the least one being only 35 mm. long. 

 The proportions and enumerations given are based on 11 specimens, 

 50 to 325 mm. long, which were collected in Sechura Bay, Lobos 

 de Afuera Bay, Chimbote Bay, Samanco Bay, and at Callao, partly 

 by the Mission, partly by R. E. Coker, and a few by the Wilkes 

 Expedition. A small specimen (U.S.N. M. No. 101638), about 66 

 mm. long (caudal damaged), 54 mm. to base of caudal, from Albemarle 

 Island, Galdpagos, preserved by W. L. Schmitt, was compared with 

 the Peruvian material, with which it seems to be identical. I am 

 not aware of a previous record of the occurrence of this species in the 

 Galapagos Islands. Two specimens, 160 and 170 mm. long, from 

 "Chile" also were examined. 



The Peruvian specimens have been compared with specimens from 

 California, from which they are scarcely separable. Although 

 Abbott (1899, p. 334) stated that the Peruvian specimens are "readily 

 distinguishable from C. caeruleus by the greater number of fin rays 

 and the numerous and more delicate striae on sides of head," I have 

 faUed to find these differences. If a difference in the number of fin 



