12 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. IIO 



line slightly decurved, not forming a keel on caudal peduncle ; scales 

 firm, 3 complete rows between lateral line and base of dorsal, those on 

 lower part of cheek and opercle very elongate, in about 8 longitudinal 

 rows ; dorsal fin with a nearly straight margin, the anterior rays not 

 reaching beyond tips of the posterior ones if defiexed, longest ray 

 1.65, 1.75 in head, origin of fin somewhat nearer adipose than tip of 

 snout, its distance from tip of snout 2.35, 2.3 in length ; adipose very 

 small, over middle of anal; caudal short (somewhat frayed); anal 

 small, its origin a little more than half as far from base of caudal as 

 base of ventral, its base 8.7, 9.6 in length, 2.15, 2.5 in head; ventral 

 inserted well in advance of dorsal, the inner ray more than twice as 

 long as the outer one, the longest ray about as long as head, 4.3, 4.3 

 in length ; pectoral inserted well below lateral line, scarcely reaching 

 more than halfway to vertical from origin of dorsal, 2.4, 2.4 in head. 



Color ash gray above, pale silvery below ; back with about 16 

 brownish cross bars, some of them more or less double, more distinct 

 in the smaller than in the larger specimen ; top and side of head with 

 irregular brownish markings ; no shoulder spot; dorsal with indica- 

 tions of pearly gray spots, other fins plain. 



This apparently new species is represented in the National Museum 

 by two specimens, 72 and 128 mm. in total length, 61 and 108 mm. 

 to base of caudal. These specimens are from the Bahama Islands, and 

 are the ones listed as Trachinoccphalus myops by Bean (see reference 

 above). The larger one (No. 53079), which has been designated 

 as the type, was taken in Clarence Harbor, and the smaller one at a 

 little island near Nassau. The proportions and enumerations given 

 last in each instance apply to the type. 



This apparently new form differs from vj. intermedius (Agassiz) 

 and S. poeyi Jordan, two other local species, in having 57 to 60 scales 

 in a lateral series and 20 or 21 in advance of dorsal, instead of 43 to 

 52, and 14 to 16 as in the other species. It also differs in the shorter 

 pectoral fin, which reaches only a little more than half way to vertical 

 from origin of dorsal instead of reaching nearly or quite to that point 

 as in intermedius and poeyi. It differs further from intermedius in 

 having only 9 instead of 11 or 12 anal rays, and its base is less than 

 half the length of the head instead of notably longer than half the 

 head. From poeyi it differs further in the shorter mandible, which 

 does not end in a fleshy knob, and is included in the upper jaw, instead 

 of ending in a fleshy knob and projecting prominently beyond the 

 upper jaw. It differs from 5". synodus (Linnaeus) in having only 

 3 complete rows of scales between the lateral line and the base of the 



