60 BULLETIN 95^ UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



pointed, loAver jaw projecting about two-thirds diameter of pupil 

 beyond upper; eye large, its horizontal diameter nearly as long as 

 snout, longer than interorbital width ; mouth large, maxillary reach- 

 ing vertical from anterior border of eye, posterior edge broad, one- 

 half diameter of eye ; teeth small, conical, in a narrow band in each 

 jaw, the bands separated by a short interspace in front of jaws; 

 teeth on vomer, palatines and tongue minute; nostrils small, close 

 together, above and a little in front of eyes; border of preopercle 

 with fine denticulations, vertical border nearly straight, angle 

 rounded. 



Spinous dorsal fitting into a groove; third dorsal spine longest, 

 2.1 in head; anterior rays of dorsal and anal longest; caudal deeply 

 forked; two strong spines before anal, connected by membrane; 

 tips of ventrals reaching halfway from their base to second anal 

 spine; pectoral long, falcate, nearly as long as, or equaling, length 

 of head. Scales small, lateral line armed throughout with plates, 

 those anteriorly crowded, those on straight part each armed with a 

 strong spine; little difference in height of scutes on curved and 

 straight portion of lateral line. Color in alcohol: Back dusky, be- 

 coming silvery on sides and belly; ventral surface tinged with yel- 

 low ; border of opercle above base of pectoral black. 



This description is based on a specimen 44 cm. long from Callao. 



Measurements of an individual 14.2 cm. in length; head 2.95 in 

 length; depth 3.87; eye 8.45; snout 3.45; maxillary 2.92; inter- 

 orbital 6.33; pectoral 1.26; scutes 47+47; D. VIII-I, 32; A. II-I, 28. 



An examination of individuals in the United States National 

 Museum appears to bear out the statement that the common Mediter- 

 ranean and North Sea or Atlantic form are distinct; the latter and 

 the Japanese species are similar but distinct from the species found 

 on the Pacific coast of America. In the examples examined it was 

 found that in the Japanese species the scutes were 35 or 36+34 or 35 ; 

 in an individual from the North Sea 35+36; in the Mediterranean 

 41 or 42+42; in the species found on the Pacific coast of America 

 46 to 56+42 to 51. 



As the original description of T. trachurus was based on specimens 

 from the Mediterranean, it appears that this name should replace 

 T. mediferraneys, the common species found there. In that case the 

 North Atlantic form would become T. sernispinosus (Nilsson) and 

 our Pacific form T. symmetricus. A much larger and more widely 

 distributed lot of specimens is needed, as the species appears to be 

 quite variable. 



T. symmetricus is found on the west coast of America from Cali- 

 fornia to Chile and the Galapagos Archipelago. 



