390 SCOMBKIDiE. 



This genus, founded on a Ringlo stuffed specimen, has externally 

 some affinity with SerioleUa. From the absence of a pair of sepa- 

 rate anal spines, however, I infer that it does not agree with the 

 Carangida in the structure of the vertebral column. The first 

 anal spine is minute, hidden in the skin, and appears to be a little 

 remote from the following one. 



1. Neptomenus brama. 



D. 7 I ^. A. ^. L. lat. 88. L. transv. 16/25. 



Uniform greenish-sUvery. 

 New Zealand. 



a. Stuffed. New Zealand. Purchased of J. Gould, Esq. 



Description of the specimen. — The body is oblong, somewhat com- 

 pressed, with the upper and lower profiles slightly ciu'ved ; the 

 greatest depth of the body is below the origin of the soft dorsal, 

 and is contained ?>^ in the total length. The length of the head is 

 4| in the total, and its upper side is convex. The snout is rather 

 short, equal in length to the diameter of the eye, obtusely conical, 

 with the jaws nearly equal anteriorly. The maxillary extends to 

 the vertical from the anterior margin of the orbit, and is feeble. 

 The nostrils are nearer to the extremity of the snout than to the 

 orbit, the praeorbital being rather narrow. The ej^e is situated nearly 

 in the middle of the height of the head, and its diameter is 4| in the 

 length of the latter. Checks and opercles scaly. The jjosterior 

 edge of the praeoperculum is emarginate and the angle rounded. The 

 number of the branchiostegals cannot be distinctly ascertained ; there 

 appear to be six. 



The dorsal fin begins immediately behind the vertical from the 

 base of the pectorals ; the spines are feeble, and can be entii-ely 

 hidden in a groove : the soft dorsal and the anal are rather low, with 

 a scaly sheath at the base ; their distance from the caudal equals that 

 between the orbit and the posterior extremity of the operculum. 

 The pectoral is elongate and pointed ; it extends to the vertical 

 from the fourth anal ray, and its lengih is 3| in the total. The 

 ventral is rather short, and composed of one feeble spine and five 

 rays ; it is attached to the belly by a membrane, and inserted im- 

 mechately behind the vertical from the base of the pectoral. The 

 anal spines are indistinct ; the caudal is deejily forked. 

 The scales are smooth, cycloid, regularly arranged. 

 The coloiir is greenish-sUvcry, with narrow, shining, longitudinal 

 streaks along the series of scales. 



inches. lines. 



Total length 14 9 



Height of the body 4 6 



Length of the head 3 4 



Diameter of the eye 9 



Length of the pectoral 4 



