336 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STxVTES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Table of measurements. 

 Batrachus ixm, Bubsp. beta. 



Cnrrent number of specimen. 

 Locality 



21477 

 Penaacola, Pla. 



Millime- 

 ters. 



Extreme length 



Leng-ch to origin of middle caudal rays 



Head: 



Greatest lensth, obliquely to gill-opening 



Greatest widtli - ... 



"Width of interorbital bone 



Length of suout (oblique) 



Lengtli of opeiculum to end of longest spine. 



Length of upper jaw 



Length of mandible 



Diameter of orbit 



Dorsal (spinous) : 



Distance from snout 



Length of base 



Height at first spine 



Height at second spine 



Dorsal (soft) : 



Length of base ^ 



Anal: 



Distance fi-om snout 



Length of base 



Caudal : 



Length of middle rays 



Pectoral : 



Distance from snout 



Length (without peduncle) 



Ventral : 



Dist.inee from snout 



Length 



Dorsal 



Anal 



Pi'ctoral 



Ventral 



242 

 205 



in, 24 



22 



18 



I, 2 



lOOths 



of 

 length. 



42 

 29i 



4 



8 



8 

 20i 

 26 



5 



37 

 9 

 31 



53 



18 



31 



17§ 



7. Batrachus tau, subsp. pardus Goode & Bean. 



Two specimens of a very remarkable form of Batrachus were collected 

 iu Pensacola in 1878 by Mr. Silas Stearns. They are mentioned on p. 

 127, m our paper on the fishes of Pensacola, September 19, 1879. Our 

 suspicions as to their specific individuality then expressed have not 

 been confirmed by more careful study. The characters by which they 

 are separated from typical Batrachus tau are extremely difficult to define. 

 Yet, unless other specimens are obtained which shall bridge the chasm 

 between the two Pensacola specimens and all others of i>. tau from 

 Pensacola and elsewhere in the Museum, we cannot but consider them 

 as representing two distinct subspecies. The melanistic tendency of 

 the typical B. tau in the South, as observed by Giinther and illustrated 

 by aU our Gulf specimens, should be taken into consideration, for the 

 types of B. pardus are lighter in color than any specimens of B. tau in the 

 Museum. 



The vertebrte number 12-22 (the modified vertebra at the base of the 

 caudal fin not being included). These fish were called in Pensacola by 

 the names "Sea Robin" and "Sarpo"; the latter being doubtless a cor- 

 rui)tion of the Spanish "Sapo", meaning "toad". 



