DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 253 



PONTINUS KUHLII, (BowDicii), Goode and Bean. 

 Scor2>ana Kiihlii, BoWDiCH, Excursions iu Madeira, 123. 

 titbastcs Eithlii, Lowe, Trans. Zool. Soc. London, ii, 176; Synopsis Fishes of .Madeira, 176; Fishes of 



Madeira, 115, pi. XVII.— Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., ii, 102.— C.vpelui, .Jorii. .Vccacl. Sei'. Lislioa, 1; 



Cat. Peix. Portugal, 1880, 11.— Vaillant, Exp. Sci. Travailleur et Talisman, 370. 

 Scbastopliis Kiihlii. (iiLL. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 18G.3, 208. 



A Pontimts, liaviug an oblong, somewhat coinprt'sscd body, the height of which at the 

 origin of the ventral i.s contained about 3 times iu its total length (caudal excluded); tlie 

 length of its head L'.J times. The space between tlie eyes slightly concave, with two low 

 ridges, its width about one-eleventh the length of the head. Snout as long as the diameter of 

 the orbit; lower jaw projecting considerably; tlie vertex is much depressed and has several 

 prominent spines, and tlieie are long, lanceolate lacinia^ upon the margin of the orbit and 

 iu front of it. The upper maxillary reaches about to the vertical from the middle of the 

 eye. There are 3 prominent spines upon the suborbital carina, and a long, sharp spine in 

 continuation of them upon the preoperculum, with 3 or 4 less conspicuous si)ines l)el()w it 

 and one above. The dorsal is continuous and comparatively slightly notched, the twelfth 

 and ninth dorsal sinues being nearly as long as any except the first, second, and third, 

 while the first, tenth, and eleventh are also about equal. The anteii(n- dorsal ray is about 

 equal in height to the fourth spine, and the tin from that point curves sharply iu a sub- 

 vertical, fan-shaped outline to the caudal peduncle; the second and third dorsal spines are 

 much longer than the others. Anal inserted under the second dorsal ray, with 3 stout 

 spines, of which the third is the longest, l>eing longer than the fourth dorsal ray, and 

 with 5 rays, closely set together, and as long as the longest dorsal rays. Pectoral w itli 

 broad, crescentic base, fan-shaped, when expanded reaching from the ventral line to the 

 lateral line. Ventrals as long as the longest dorsal spine, and inserted ilirectly under the 

 pectoral base, the antecedent spine as long as the second spine of the anal. Color red, 

 h-regularly blotched with brown. 



Radial formula: D. Xii, 9-10; A. III, 5; V. i, 5; about iT) tubes in the lateral line. 



This species, the L'equicme, was first found in Madeira, and was named ])y Bowdich, 

 and described by Lowe. The fishermen take it about Madeira with lines of 100 to 250 

 fathoms iu length. It grows to be from 12 to 15 inches long, and to weigh from a pound to 

 a jiound and a quarter. The British Museum has specimens from tlie Canaries, and Capello 

 records it from Lisbon. It has not as yet been found in the Western Atlantic or in the 

 Mediterranean though Sebcistes Bibroni of Sauvage may pro\'e to be thesame. The French 

 expedition obtained it off the coast of Soudan in (i70-113!) metres in the Banc d' Arguin, 

 175-2330 metres, and others, 520 millimeters long off Talmas. It may be readily dis- 

 tinguished from any other species of Fontinus bj- the great prominence of the second and 

 third dorsal spines. Vaillant has printed an elaborate description of its scales. 



PONl INUS BIBRONIl, (Sadvage), Goode and Beax. 

 Sebastes (Sehastlchthys) Bibroni, Sauvage, Nouvelles Archives du JIuseum, Paris, i, 1878, 1 16, pi. i, tig. 3 (scales). 



A PonUnus, with the posterior extremity of the maxillary not passing beyond the ver- 

 tical from the center of the eye. Teeth in the middle of the upper jaw longer than the 

 others. Pharynx colorless. F(air spines on the preoperculum, the upper one the longest; 

 2 spines, pointing backward, on the anterior suborbital. Kye snudi. Second anal spine 

 longer than the third. Anal extending to the base of the caudal. Pectorals a little longer 

 than the ventrals, which do not extend to the vent. Second and third spnies of the dorsal 

 longer than the others. Scales rounded, the anterior limb nearly entire, the i)ostcrior 

 limb armed with numerous rows of little spines, of winch those on the edge are long. 

 Color red, with numerous black blotches, arranged in three series, one along the back, and 

 two others above and below the lateral line. 



Eadial formula: D. Xii, 10; A. Ill, 5; scales in lateral line 12; above 13, below 2S. 



This species is described from a specimen 20 centimeters long, collected iir Sicily by 

 M. Bibron. Though similar in appearance to Hclicolenus dactyloiHerus, this species, as 



