PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



75 



memhiane between the rays of dorsal and anal becoming slightly darker 

 towards the tips of the rays. 



Dimensions. 



Total length, in inches 



Length ^sithout caudal 



Greatest depth of body 



Length of head 



Width from tip of dorsal to tip of anal 



Longitudinal diameter of eye 



Length of snout, fiom a line joining the front mai'gins of orbits 



Interocular space 



Length of pectoral, colored side (probably maimed) 



Length of pectoral, blind side , 



Length of vcntrai 



Origia of anal to lateral line , 



Greatest distance from anal to straight part of lateral 



Width of peduncle of tail, narrowest part 



Height of centre rays of dorsal 



Length of lower jaw 



JSTo. 1. No. 2 



2§ 



h\ 



m 



21 



No. 3. 



17i 



6J 



1* 



No. 4. 



14| 



m 



If 



if 

 1 



m 



iH 



Although this species is of quite common occurrence in the markets 

 of San Francisco, it appears to have hitherto escaped description, prob- 

 ably on account of its extei-nal resemblance to Girard's Psettichthys 

 melanost ictus, from which it is not distinguished by the dealers, who are 

 able to discriminate between most of the other species. With several 

 other lands, it is sold under the name of " Sole." From melanostictus it 

 may be known by the more backward origin of the dorsal fin, the first 

 rays of Avhicli are lower than those next following ; by the larger eyes and 

 rather narrower interocular space ; the absence of an accessory dorsal 

 branch to the lateral line, and the want of conspicuous black dots on the 

 colored side. The surface is decidedly less rough than that of mvJano- 

 stictus, although the scales are ciliated. The number of scales in the 

 lateral line is rather difficult to count, but there are about fourteen to 

 an inch ui an example lig long (caudal included). 



Ko. 1 had 90 dorsal and 71 anal rays; Xo. 2, D. 94, A. 72; and No. 4, 

 D. 93, A. 75. 



In the stomach of jSTo. 2 were three half-digested anchovies {EngmnUs 

 ringens) and a shrimp-like crustacean {Hippolyte). 



No. 2 had about 42 teeth in the mandible, and at least 62 in the inter- 

 maxillaries, those on the colored side most numerous and smallest; 

 while in No. 4 the mandible had 14 teeth on the blind, and 11 on the 

 colored side, the intermaxillaries about 14 on the blind, and numerous 

 (ca. 50) small teeth on the colored side, without (counting the inner row 

 of still smaller teeth. 



From ][. Umandoidcti = (Icntatiifi, of the Atlantic, the present si)ecies 

 differs in having more dorsal and anal rays, and in the presence of an 

 anal spine. 



