PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



99 



Dimensions. 



Total length, in inches 



Longth without caudal 



Length of head 



Greatest depth of body 



Depth from tip of dorsal to that of anal 



Length of lower jaw 



Distance from tip of lower jaw to origin of anal. 



Width of caudal peduncle 



Longitudinal diameter of lower eye-ball 



Length of pectoral, colored side 



Length of j)ectoral, blind side 



Length of ventrals 



Length of snout, from a line joining the orbits. . 



Distance from origin of anal to lateral line 



dumber of dorsal rays 



Xumber of anal rays 



No.l. 



12S 

 lOi 

 2i 



A 



No. 2. No. 3. 



9A 



^ 



5i 



105 

 2i 



No. 4. No. 5. 



4i 



J 



2A 

 72 

 51 



m 

 li 



IS 



76 

 46 



Another specimen bad 73 dorsal and 53 anal rays. In consequence of 

 the height and size of the i^rominences round the ujiper eye, the upper 

 orbit is larger than the lower. The species appears to be rare ; Girard 

 saw ouly one specimen, and as yet I have only seen about twelve. It is 

 takeu outside the bay in deep water, probably near the Faralloue Islands. 

 The large eyeballs, protruding through the diminution of the pressure 

 consequent on the removal of the fish to the siuface, and overhanging, 

 as it were, the short, snub snout, together with the bright brown tint, 

 give this fish an unmistakable physiognomy even when viewed from 

 above ; and the curious ijrolougation of the dorsal on the left side, to- 

 gether with the brown markings, render it still more easy to identify 

 when the blind side is exj)0sed to view. 



Is Pleuronectes quadrituherculatMS Pall. (Zoog. Eoss.-As. iii, p. 423, 

 teste Giinther) identical with the foregoing ? The two " approximate, 

 anteriorly situated " tubercles may very well be the prominent extremi- 

 ties of the iuterocular ridge ; there is another " at the hinder margin of 

 tlie upi)er orbit" (with, however, a second above it), and that above the 

 opercle is large and prominent. The fin-rays, lateral line, and scales 

 agree xjerfectly well with this species ; but the i)i'oportioii of depth to 

 length is smaller, and " anal spine hidden" does not apply to the speci- 

 mens of ccenosus brought to this market. Yet the proportion of the body 

 is within the range of variation of some of our other flat-fishes, and the 

 anal spine is not x>i'omineut. It is also a suspicious circumstance that 

 no one has ever identified PaUas's si^ecies. 



If my surmise should prove correct, ccenosus must of coiu'se sink into 

 a synonym, and the name of the species will be Pleuronichtliys quadri- 

 tuberculatus. 



In No. 4, the dorsal fin was not continued downwards nearly so far as 

 in the others, agreeing thus more closely with Girard's desciiption ; the 

 fijst ray was about level with the top of the upper lip, and only four 



