44 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NOETH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



strongly concave ; snout rather pointed and projecting at tip, but not 

 very long, its acumination being confined to its anterior half. Inter- 

 ocular space narrow, deeply and uniformly concave. Eyes large, longer 

 than spiracles. Supraocular ridge prominent. Spines on body rather 

 stronger than in related species. Four or five over the eye ; five or six 

 (rarely fewer) along the median line, in front of the middle of the back. 

 A series of very small spines along the middle of the back, changing 

 opposite the middle of the ventrals into a series of rather strong hooked 

 spines. Tail with a strong lateral series in females only, as usual in the 

 genus. Prickles on the body small and few. A small band of sparse 

 prickles near the median line of back on eacli side of the median series 

 of spines. Snout and interorbital space prickly. ISTo i)rickles on the 

 shoulders or ou the fins, except the anterior edge of the pectorals. Be- 

 low smooth, except the snout and front of jjectorals. Teeth ^^. Jaws 

 somewhat curved. Color light brown, slightly mottled ; a blackish ring 

 at base of pectorals, which becomes faint in the adult. A small dusky 

 spot at base of ventrals and on posterior edge of pectorals. Disk one 

 tenth broader than long, its breadth twice the length of the tail. Snout 

 one-fourth the length of the disk, three times the interorbital width. 

 L. 2 feet. Coast of California, from Monterey to Cape Mendocino; 

 abundant. 



(Girard, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1854, 196 : Uraptcra hinoculata Girard, U. S. Pac. 

 R. R. Expl. Fishes, 373 ; Giinther, viii, 464.) 



Var. inennis Jordan & Gilbert (var. uov.). 



Differs in the small number and feebleness of the spines and prickles, 

 and in the presence of a band of small prickles (in the females) on the 

 posteror part of the pectorals, i^arallel with the edge. Supraocular 

 spines almost obsolete. Two or three minute prickles often j)resent at 

 the shoulder. A series of minute stellate i^rickles beginning near the 

 middle of the back, becoming hooked spines on the tail. Lateral caudal 

 spines scarcely differentiated. A baud of small i)rickles on posterior 

 part of the back. Males almost smooth. Santa Barbara, Cal. 



57. K. stellulata Jordan & Gilbert. 



Disk much broader than long, anteriorly broadly arched ; the snout 

 very obtuse, but its tip slightly exserted and acutish ; anterior margin 

 of pectorals somewhat undulated and convex ; posterior margin very 

 convex. A row of stout supraocular spines ; about six spines on the 

 scapular region, and a median row of strong si)ines on the tail. Entire 

 upi)er surface rough with strong stellate prickles; these largest ou 



