H. H^MTJLON. 307 



fins covered with very thin scales and transparent. Coloration uni- 

 form olive (in a dried state). 

 Coast of America. 



a. Adult : stuffed. America. 



Description of the specimen. — This species much resembles H. 

 eleganSfformosum, canna, &c., but may be readily distinguished by its 

 small eye, uniform coloration, and by the ti"ansparent scales, which 

 cover the vertical fins. The length of the head and the height of 

 the body are nearly equal, and 3|^ in the total length. The crown 

 is very convex and elevated, much broader than the diameter of the 

 eye, and covered with scales to the nostrils. The eye is nearer the 

 posterior margin of the praeoperculum than the end of the muzzle, 

 and relatively smaller than in other species, its diameter being one- 

 sixth only of the length of the head. The praeoperculum is finely 

 and equally serrated at both its Umbs ; the posterior Hmb is very 

 slightly emarginate, the angle and the inferior Hmb are rounded. 

 The scales reach to the margin. The suprascapula is serrated. 



The base of the spinous portion of the dorsal fin is longer than that 

 of the soft. The spines are of moderate strength, on one side broad, 

 on the other with a longitudinal ridge : the first is one-half as high 

 as the second, the second is rather more than one-half of the third ; 

 the fourth is a little longer than the third ; the following spines 

 gradually decrease in height to the eleventh and twelfth, which are 

 equal. The soft dorsal has the superior margin slightly curved, the 

 middle rays being longest, and about equal to the ninth dorsal spine : 

 this part of the fin is covered with transparent scales nearly to its 

 margin. The distance between the dorsal and caudal fins is equal 

 to the width between the last ten dorsal rays. The caudal -^in. is 

 moderately forked, the lobes being 4^ in the total length : trans- 

 parent scales cover two-thirds of the fin. The distance between the 

 caudal and anal fins equals the width between the last thirteen 

 dorsal rays. The origin of the ancd fin falls below the fourth dorsal 

 ray, its end below the twelfth. The first spine is small ; the second 

 extremely thick and striated, equal in length to the eighth of the 

 dorsal ; the third is shelter and less strong, on the right side flat, 

 on the left with a longitudinal ridge. The first ray is equal to, or 

 rather shorter than, the second spine, and covered with transparent 

 scales, like the whole fin. The pectoral is pointed ; but the extremity 

 being broken off, I am not able to state the relative length of the 

 fin. The length of the ventral is 6f in the total ; its base falls 

 immediately behind that of the pectoral ; the spine is modei'ately 

 strong, and two-thirds of the length of the fin. 



The scales covering the head are much smaller than those of the 

 body, especially those of the nape ; they are very finely ciliated. 

 The scales of the lateral line are small, one-third the size of one 

 of the adjacent series. 



The teeth are in broad villiform bands, with rather stronger ones 

 in the outer series ; those which are placed on the side of the lower 

 jaw are the strongest. 



x2 



