97 



Lateral line nearly straight. 

 . Dorsal fin arising a little anterior to the opercular angle ; the 

 spinous .portion is four inches and a half in length, the spines 

 stout and strong, increasing in length from the first, which is 

 only six tenths of an inch, to the fourth, which is two inches 

 high, the height diminishing thence posteriorly; the soft portion 

 of the fin is two and a half inches in length, rounded, an inch 

 and a half in height. The anterior portion of the spinous part 

 of the fin presents a beautiful serrated appearance, from the fact 

 that the membrane is attached to the anterior border of each 

 spine at some distance from the summit. 



The anal fin, terminating two inches from the caudal, is an 

 inch and three fourths in length, which is not quite equal to the 

 height of the soft rays. 



Pectorals rounded, two inches and a half in height, three 

 fourths of an inch in length ; the inferior rays are thickened, 

 undivided, free at their tips. 



Ventrals a little posterior to the pectorals, rounded, two and 

 one fourth inches in height. 



Caudal slightly rounded, an inch and a half in height, three 

 inches wide when expanded. 



Small scales extend far up on all the fins. 



Branchial rays, seven. 



D. 13-13; A. 3-8; V. 1-5; P. 7-10; C. 11. 



In co?or, this fish is finely mottled with dusky yellow and dark 

 brown ; on the fins the latter hue predominates, and the lighter 

 mottlings have rather a bluish aspect. 



Sebastes ruber, Ayres. 



This species is very closely allied to S. nehulosus, but may be 

 thus distinguished. S, ruber has the crests of the orbits scarcely 

 elevated above the surface of the head ; in nehulosus they are 

 very prominent, forming quite a deep furrow between them ; — 

 ruber has a pair of small flat spines on the top of the head not 

 found in ncbulosus ; they are before, and a little within the last 

 pair mentioned in that species; — ruber has all the spines less 

 strongly developed than nebulosus ; — in ruber the thickness and 

 bulk of the head, as compared with the entire fish, are decidedly 



proceedings B. S. N. H. vol. v. 7 FEBRUARY, 1855. 



