72 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



vergiu^j ridges under the scales. Preorbital with a small spine, which 

 is sometimes obsolete.' 



Preopercle with rather strong spines, the two at the angle longest. 

 Opercle with two strong spines. Suprascapular spines present. 



Gill-rakers numerous, long and very strong, their length half the 

 diameter of the eye, their number about 2%, 



Scales smaller than in most of the species, in about 66 transverse 

 series. 



Spinous dorsal low, the fourth to seventh spines highest, all lower 

 than the soft dorsal, the fin not deeply emarginate. Third anal spine 

 slightly longer than the second, but not so strong. Caudal fin emar- 

 ginate. Pectoral fins long, reaching beyond the tips of the ventrals to 

 tlie base of the tenth dorsal spine. Ventrals not reaching to the vent. 



Fin rays: D. XII, 1, 15; A. Ill, 9. 



Color slaty black, becoming lighter below the lateral line. Belly 

 scarcely pale. Sides often somewhat mottled. Tip of lower jaw black. 

 To]) of head with three indistinct cross-bars: one in front of eyes, con- 

 tinued around a.nterior rim of orbit, and extending backwards across 

 the cheeks; one between the orbits, reappearing below in a second 

 oblique cheek-band ; the third across occiputj extending obliquely back- 

 wards to the upper angle of the opercle. Fins i)lain dusky. 



Peritoneum black, as in 8. ovalis, 8. entomeJas, and 8. ciliatus. In 

 8. melanops and its near relative 8. flavidus the peritoneum is always 

 white. 



United States National Museum, January 5, 1881. 



DEiSiCRlPTIOIV OF A NE^V SPECIES OF PTYCHOrHBL,US (PTVCHO- 

 CHILUS HARFORDfl), FROM SACRAITIEIVTO RIVER. 



By DAVID S. JORDAN aaul CHAKLES H. OILBEUT. 



Ptychochilus harfordi, sp. uov. 



Allied to Pt. oref/onensls (Eich.), but with much smaller scales. 



Body long and slender, little compressed, the back not elevated, the 

 caudal peduncle large and stout. Greatest depth of body contained 5f 

 times in its length from snout to base of caudal. Head long, i)ike-like, 

 subconic, rather slender, broad and depressed above. Length of head 

 contained 4 times in length to base of caudal Mouth terminal, oblique, 

 the lower jaw somewhat j)rojecting. Premaxillary anteriorly on the 

 level of the eye. Maxillary, as in other species, closely adherent to the 

 preorbital, except near its end, where it slips under the x>reorbitaL its 

 tip extending just beyond the vertical from the front of the eye. Length 

 of cleft of mouth contained 2| times in length of head. Interorbital 

 width 3^ times in the length ol head. E^'e small, placed high, its diam- 

 eter contained 3 times in the length of the snout, 10 times in that of 

 the head. Cheeks very broad. Lips normal, as in other species of the 



