430 PLEITRONECTID^. 



fourths. Scales smooth, not ciliated ; the lateral line makes a semi- 

 circular curve above the pectoral. Snout with the lower jaw pro- 

 minent, considerably longer than the eye, the diameter of which is 

 one-seventh of the length of the head ; cleft of the mouth wide, the 

 length of the maxiUaiy being a Httle less than one-half of that of 

 the head ; the maxillary extends beyond the vertical from the poste- 

 rior margin of the orbit, and has its extremity partly covered with 

 scales. Upper jaw with three pairs of canine teeth anteriorly, and 

 with a series of small ones laterally ; lower jaw with seven or eight 

 distant teeth on each side, the anterior pair being rather strong. 

 Interorbital space flat, scaly posteriorly, as wide as the vertical dia- 

 meter of the orbit. The lower eye is slightly in advance of the 

 upper. Fin-rays scaly : the dorsal fin terminates at a distance from 

 the caudal which is equal to one-third of the depth of the free por- 

 tion of the taU ; its longest rays are in the posterior third of the fin, 

 their length being equal to that of the pectoral, and contained twice 

 and a third in that of the head. Caudal fin rounded ; its length is 

 contained five times and a half in the total. Brownish-grey : body 

 and vertical fins with large irregular blackish spots; caudal with some 

 whitish spots besides ; rays of the pectoral with black spots, the spots 

 forming transverse bands. GUI-rakers widely set, lanceolate, not 

 quite so long as the eye. 



Atlantic coasts of tropical America. 



a. Fine specimen. South America. Presented by Sir R. Schomburgk. 



6. Fine specimen. 



c-d. Adult. From the Haslar Collection. 



13. Pseudorhombus ocellaris. 



Platessa oce\laxiSyDekay,NeivYorkF(mna,Fishes, p.300. pl.47.fig.l52. 

 D. 95. A. 72. 



Teeth in the lower jaw long, distant, acute, and about twenty-four 

 in number ; in the upper jaw, the four in front on each side long, 

 those on the sides small, numerous and subequal. The height of the 

 body is two-fifths of the total length (without caudal), the length of 

 the head one-foui-th. Bony ridge between the orbits narrow ; eyes 

 of moderate size. Lateral hne with a semicii-cular ciu've above the 

 pectoral. The dorsal commences anteriorly to the eyes, and its distance 

 from the caudal is less than the depth of the free portion of the taU. 

 Brownish, with six to ten black spots edged with white, and with 

 numerous indistinct pale spots. {Del-ay.) 



New York. 



14. Pseudorhombus (?) oligolepis. 



Rhombus oligolepis, Bleek. Japan, v. p. 8. tab. 2. fig. 2. 

 D. 66. A. 48. L. lat. 38. 

 Teeth in the jaws conical, small, subequal, more than thirty on 

 each side of the upper jaw, and about sixteen in the lower. The 

 height of the body is two-fifths of the total length ; eyes very close 



