354 PEOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



preopercular spiues, two of wliich are at the angle; the longer of these 

 is half as long as the upper jaw, and extends nearly as far back as the 

 opercular spine. The distance between the eyes equals their long diam- 

 eter. The fourth spine of the first dorsal is as long as the intermaxillary 

 band of teeth of either side, and is nearly ^ as long as the head. The 

 ventral terminates at a distance from the vent, and is equal in length 

 to the maxillary bone. The pectoral reaches to the end of the spinous 

 dorsal, and to the vent. The length of the head is contained 2^ to 2^ 

 times in the total length without caudal. The length of the upper jaw 

 equals half the length of the head; the lower jaw is slightlj'^ longer, but 

 is received within the ui^per. The ground color is dark brown ; the 

 sides and tail are more or less distinctly mottled and banded with 

 yellowish. The spinous dorsal has two and the soft dorsal three oblique 

 dark bands. The anal has four oblique dark bands, the first and last 

 being very narrow. The pectoral has three irregular bauds of dark 

 brown intermingled Avith yellowish. The caudal is indistinctly banded 

 with dark brown and tipped with yellowish. 



Melletes * geu. iiov. Cottidce. 



Generic characters.-— Head broad, depressed, rounded in front ; 

 body subcylindrical, compressed posteriorly ; head naked, with a small 

 number of cutaneous flaps, the two on the chin simulating barbels ; a nar- 

 row band of scales following the dorsal outline of the body and uniting 

 with its fellow around the origin of the spinous dorsal; body elsewhere 

 naked with the exception of a few prickles on its anterior part below the 

 lateral line ; sides between the anal fin and the lateral line furnished 

 with numerous small, pointed flaps covering minute depressions in the 

 skin ; lateral line as in Cottus. Two contiguous dorsals separated by a 

 notch, the spinous dorsal being the higher ; the membrane behind the 

 second, third, and fourth spines deeply cleft; membrane extending 

 higher than the spines. Pectorf^ls siibelliptical when fully expanded, 

 the rays all single. Ventrals thoracic, immediately behind the pecto- 

 rals, elongate, furnished with stiff set?e on their inner surface along the 

 course of the rays. Jaws, vomer, and palatines armed with villiform 

 teeth. Air-bladder absent. Stomach csecal. Pyloric appendages in 

 moderate number (6 in the type species). Branchiostegals 0. 



Melletes papilio sp. nov. 



The only specimen of this species in the Museum collection is the 

 type of the present description ; it is catalogued at number 23751 of the 

 Museum Fish Register. The length of the example, measured to the 

 origin of the middle caudal rays, is 185 millimeters. It is an alcoholic 

 specimen in excellent condition. 



Description. — By length of the body is to be understood its length 

 from the tip of the snout to the origin of the middle caudal rays. The 



* MrilXrjTTic, a loiterer, from its habit of remaining in shallow pools when the tide 

 recedes, where it is taken by hand in great quantities by the natives {fide Elliott). 



