388 BULLETIN 189, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



fringed tentacle on upper posterior margin of eye, only about as long 

 as eye in small examples, greatly exceeding length of eye in large ones, 

 apparently no longer in males than in females; 2 small simple trans- 

 versely placed tentacles, well removed from median line in young, 

 becoming longer and fringed with age; gill rakers scarcely half length 

 of eye, about 17 or 18 on first arch; lateral line curved anteriorly, 

 reaching middle of side and becoming straight over anterior part of 

 anal, the straight part equal to or a little longer than chord of curved 

 part; dorsal fin beginning somewhat behind margin of preopercle, 

 deeply notched between spinous and soft parts, the spines very slender 

 and flexible, the middle ones longest, about 1.3 to 2.2 in head; soft part 

 of dorsal about equal in length to spinous part, but slightly higher; 

 caudal fin usually broadly convex, though occasionally nearly straight, 

 and rarely slightly concave, generally a little shorter than head, 3.8 to 

 4,7 in length; anal long, beginning a little in advance of soft part of 

 dorsal, generally somewhat behind tip of pectoral, and ending under 

 about next to last ray of dorsal, its 2 spines in adult males with fleshy 

 bulbs covered with folded skin, undeveloped in individuals less than 

 about 80 mm. long; base of anal 2.1 to 2.3 in length; ventral fairly 

 short, with 3 rays, the inner one notably longer than the others, 1.5 to 

 1.9 in head; pectoral moderately large, the longest rays below middle 

 of fin, about as long as head, 3.8 to 4.5 in length. 



Color of the larger specimens uniform grayish brown, paler under- 

 neath; fins of about same color as adjacent parts of body, exclusive of 

 anal which is darker. Small specimens (less than about 75 mm. long) 

 lighter, with dark blotches on back below base of dorsal, and another 

 series along middle of side, the blotches of the two series tending to 

 unite to form cross bars posteriorly ; a dark spot behind eye; dorsal with 

 a vertically elongate dark spot between the first two spines; base of 

 spinous part of dorsal with a light streak. 



Nineteen specimens, 38 to 260 mm. (30 to 210 mm. to base of caudal) 

 long, are included in the collection furnished by the Mission, which 

 were taken at Guanape Island, in Samanco Bay, at Callao, at La 

 Lagunilla, and in San Juan Bay. Six specimens, 55 to 235 mm. (45 

 to 196 mm. to base of caudal) long, collected by R. E. Coker at Lobos 

 de Afuera Island, at Ballestas Island, and at Santa Rosa Island, Peru; 

 an example, 60 mm. (50 mm. to base of caudal) long, from Lobos de 

 Afuera, Peru; and 3 examples, respectively 123, 142, and 145 mm. 

 (104, 118, and 123 mm. to base of caudal) long, all taken by W. L. 

 Schmitt at Guayaquil, Ecuador, also were examined. The proportions 

 and enumerations are based on 21 specimens, including the extremes 

 in length. 



Nichols and Murphy (see reference above) say, " 'Borracho' means 

 drunk, and eating this fish is supposed to make one sleepy and to 

 cause dreams. A meal of them acts like a heavy dose of a narcotic, 



