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THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 447 



long more or less fringed flap with longitudinal folds behind supra- 

 ocular spine but none behmd preocular spine; lower part of preoper- 

 cular margin with cutaneous flaps, and a large one behind posterior 

 spine on preorbital ; rather numerous cutaneous flaps along lateral line, 

 and scattered ones on side, rather more numerous above lateral line 

 than below it, variable in number among specimens; scales moderate, 

 rather definitely ctenoid along back, becoming cycloid below, extend- 

 ing forward only to nuchal spines, scattered embedded scales on cheek 

 and opercle, 4 or 5 scales between lateral ILne and anterior dorsal spines, 

 and 3 between it and last ray of dorsal; dorsal fin moderately notched, 

 the eleventh spine two-thirds to three-fourths length of the twelfth, 

 the fourth to sLxth spines longest, 2.0 to 2.2 in head; soft part of dorsal 

 with convex margin, the longest rays about same length as the longest 

 spines; caudal with convex margin, about as long as head without 

 snout; anal small, its origin under last dorsal spine, the second spine 

 a little longer and stronger than the third, 2.0 to 2.2 in head; ventral 

 inserted a little behind base of pectoral, reaching beyond vent, and in 

 the type nearly to origin of anal, 1.3 to 1.5 in head; pectoral moderate, 

 reaching to or slightly beyond tip of ventral, its uppermost ray simple, 

 the next 5 divided, and the remainder simple, sixth or seventh ray 

 longest, 1.1 to 1.25 in head, 2.7 to 3.0 in length. 



Color of very old specimens brown; cutaneous tentacles and flaps 

 very pale; dark and pale spots obscurely visible on head above, pale 

 spots only on ventral surface; dorsal fin with indications of dark and 

 light spots (most evident in the type), the membranes between the 

 eighth to tenth or eleventh spines distally dark, the membranes be- 

 tween the spines elsewhere with dusky punctulations ; caudal and anal 

 with indications of dark spots; ventral brownish, with pale spots 

 (most numerous in the largest paratype) ; pectoral with obscure dark 

 and pale spots on both surfaces. 



This species is represented in the collection of the U. S. National 

 Museum by a small specimen, 53 mm. long to base of caudal, from 

 Callao, Peru, which is in bad condition, and by three others, respec- 

 tively 95, 105, and 110 mm. (74, 79, and 84 mm. to base of caudal) 

 long, listed in the catalog as doubtfully from Peru. These specimens 

 were collected more than a hundred years ago by the Wilkes 

 Expedition. It is regretted that the place of coUection of the larger 

 and better specimens is not definitely known, especially as the small 

 one from Callao is in such poor condition that it can scarcely serve as 

 the type of the new species it represents. It is in good enough con- 

 dition, however, to be quite positively identified with the other 

 specimens, which very probably are also from Peru. Accordingly I 

 have selected from among them a specimen (U.S.N.M. No. 83346) 

 105 mm. (79 mm. to base of caudal) long as the type. The following 

 proportions and enumerations are based on that specimen: Head in 



