PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM, odd 



1. Clupea stolifera, sp. nov. (SSlSfi.) 



Allied to Ch(2)€a lile, C. & V. 



Body dcepj much compressed; the dorsal outline with a slight curve j 

 ventral outline more strongly arched ; body deepest immediately before 

 dorsal tin. Ilead short, preopercular margin subvertical ; opercle but 

 little oblique, evenly curved. Mouth very small, oblique; maxillary 

 reaching to l)elow front of pupil ; lower Jaw longer than the upper, which 

 is scarcely emarginate; tip of lower jaw not reaching level of up[)er 

 Ijrolile of snout. Both jaws with a few very small, weak, deciduous teeth ; 

 none on vomer or palatines; tongue with a very distinct linear patch. 

 Gill-rakers slender and numerous, the longest about three-fifths diarneter 

 of orbit ; about 29 on anterior limb of arch. p]ye large, longer than 

 snout and more than one-third length of head. 



Dorsal fin inserted anteriorly, its origin nearer end of snout than base 

 of caudal, by a ditstance equalling one-half length of head; the first long- 

 rays are much longer than base of tin, which is about three-fifths length of 

 head. Anal fin short and Ioav ; distance of its oiigin from base of caudal 

 equals height of body. Caudal scarcely longer than head, the lower 

 lobe longer than the upper. Pectorals reaching two thirds distance to 

 root of ventrals, 1^- in head. Ventrals inserted nearly under first dorsal 

 ray, their length 1| in head. 



Scales smooth, firm, closelj" adherent, their edges entire; a very narrow 

 sheath of scales along bases of dorsal and anal fins; caudal fin scaled 

 for one-half its length. Ventral scutes very strongly developed, run- 

 ning from thorax to front of anal, the posterior with strong spines; L7 

 in front of ventral fins, 1-J behind them. 



Head, 4f in length to base of caudal; depth, 3^. D. 14; A. IG; L. 

 lat. 40; L. trausv. 11. 



Color translucent ; sides with silvery luster; each scale on back with 

 marginal half black-punctate; a dark line along median line of back, 

 becoming distinctly blackish on tail; snout greenish above, its tip an<l 

 the end of the lower jaw dusky; a very bright, well-defined, silvery 

 band along sides (as in Atherina and ^Sfolephorvs)^ margined above with 

 a narrow bluish line; this band is constantly widest at middle of body, 

 tapering slightly towards head and caudal peduncle, abruptly expand- 

 ing at the end of the latter and covering nearly the entire breadth of 

 the end of the tail. The width of this band is just the depth of -^Tie 

 scale, a little more than the depth of the pupil. Dorsal and caudal nns 

 light yellowish-green, the tips of anterior rajs of dorsal and of upper 

 and lower caudal lobes usually jet-black. The base of each anal ray 

 marked by black dots. Paired fins immaculate. 



Many specimens of this beautiful, well-marked species were obtained 

 at Mazatlan, where it is very common. It does not reach a greater length 

 than 5 or G inches, and usually escapes through the coarse mec,hes of 

 the fishermen's seines. 



The numerous types of C. stolifera are numbered 28125 on the reg- 

 ister of the ]l?fational Museum. 



