PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 220 



in length of head. Caudal peduncle subterete, deeper than broad. Ven- 

 tral spine slightly movable. Pectoral short, rounded, less than half 

 length of head. 



Head 3i in length ; depth 2|- . 



Dorsal rays II-I, 29. Anal I, 2G. 



Lat. 1. 37; 23 scales in an oblicpie series upward and forward from 

 front of anal. 



Coloration in spirits, dark olive above, rather pale below, the skin 

 between the scales somewhat darker; scaly basal part of dorsal and anal 

 abruptly black ; membrane of these tins yellowish, the tips dusky. Scaly 

 base of caudal dark brown, the medial part lighter brownish; a lunate 

 band at tip yellowish; i^ectorals olivaceous. 



One specunen of this species, lOi inches long, was taken by Lieuten- 

 ant Nichols at Clarion Island. It differs from all the known species 

 of Balistes in the presence of but two spines in the dorsal. If this be 

 not an accidental variation, the species should probably be taken as the 

 type of a distinct genus. The small high mouth gives a somewhat pecu- 

 liar physiognomy. 



C. — Braitliwaite Bay, Socorro Island. {TaTcen with Jioolc.) 



C. Epinephelus sellicauda Gill. (28,213.) 



7. Epinephelus sellicauda Gill. (28,237.) 



8. Dermatolepis punctatus Gill. (28,214.) 



9. Dermatolepis punctatus Gill. (28,223.) 



10. Pimelepterus lutescens sp. nov. (Xo. 28,371, IT. S. K M.) 



Body oblong-elliptical, robust; the dorsal and ventral outlines mod- 

 erately and nearly equally arched. Head bluntish ; the i)rofile evenly 

 curved, without depression in front of the eye; the preorbital region less 

 gibbous than in P. hosci. Mouth terminal, the lower jaw slightly the 

 shorter, the broad maxillary reaching to opposite the front of the eye, 

 its width about equal to that of the preorbital. 



Teeth in both jaws broad, rounded or subtruncate, in single rows, the 

 horizontal roots longer than the crown, but not twice as long: about 30 

 teeth in each jaw. Behind the large teeth in each jaw is a band of rasp- 

 like asperities. Gill-rakers short. 



Preoi)ercle with its angle rounded and membranaceous, the vertical 

 limb straight and minutely serrulate. Cheeks with four rows of large 

 scales, besides several series of smaller ones. Preorbital, jaws, snout, 

 rim of eye, and rounded i>art of preopercle naked; the head other svise 

 closely scaly. 



Scales on body rather small, firm, smoothish ; those on breast smaller; 

 fins, as usually, with the soft parts covered with small scales. 



Dorsal spines rather high and strong, the middle ones highest, higher 

 than the soft rays, nearly twice the height of the last spine, and half the 

 length of the head, 3f in greatest depth of body. Soft dorsal rather 

 high, not at all falcate, the first rays two-fifths the length of the head. 



