390 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [48] 
This group is composed of small species, ail American, allied to 
Bairdiella and Ophioscion, but distinguished by the remarkably spongy 
and cavernous structure of the bones of the skull. The septa are re- 
duced to the thinness of the walls of honeycomb. The skull is also 
very broad and much depressed between the eyes. 
The generic name Homoprion was based on a species each of Stelliferus 
and Bairdiella. It was restricted by Gill to the former group, and 
should therefore be regarded asa synonym of Séelliferus. We have not 
examined the paper of Stark, but we understand that Stelliferus is a 
latinization of Cuvier’s “Les Stelliféres,” based on Bodianus stellifer. 
ANALYSIS OF SPECIES OF STELLIFERUS. 
a. Preopercle with two spines only, the upper directed backward, the lower more or 
less downward. 
b. Jaws subequal, the mouth very oblique; teeth of lower jaw unequal, not villi- 
form, those of the inner series enlarged ; mouth very large, oblique, 
the jaws equal, the snout not projecting beyond the premaxillaries, 
which are on the level of the eye; maxillary 2 in head, extending 
beyond eye; interorbital width nearly half head; preopercle with 
two spines only, the upper directed backward, the lower downward ; 
body robust, subrhomboidal ; profile steep, straightish ; snout short, 
prominent, as long as eye, 4f in head; teeth of the upper jaw ante- 
riorly in two separated series, the outer of which is composed of en- 
larged teeth; posteriorly in a broad band of villiform teeth; gill- 
rakers long and slender, scarcely shorter than eye, 21 + 27; dorsal 
spines low, the first two and last two somewhat thickened, the rest 
slender; highest spine 2 in head; caudal rounded, shorter. than 
head, 1} in head; second anal spine robust, 1}in head; ventrals 1} in 
pectorals, which are slightly longer than the head; scales about head, 
on breast, antedorsal region, and several series along the base of the 
dorsals cycloid, the rest ctenoid ; bases of anal and soft dorsal densely 
scaly; aseriesof scales on membrane of each spine in the dorsal fin, 
Color dusky above, pale below, with some silvery luster; middle of 
sides conspicuously punctulate ; upper fins all brownish, punctulate 
with darker; ventrals, anal, and pectoral pale, the anal and pectoral 
dusted with dark points; opercle blackish within; head 33 in length ;, 
depth 4}. D.XI-I, 24; A. II, 8; scale s7-48-6....... OscITANs, 48. 
bb. Jaws not equal, the lower jaw included ; mouth less oblique; teeth of lower jaw 
subequal, in a narrow, villiform band. 
ce. Mouth large, maxillary 2 in head; lower preopercular spine directed down- 
ward and backward; body moderately deep, the anterior profile 
straightish and steep, a little depressed over the eyes; eye rather 
large, 44 in head; snout 44; interorbital area broad and flattish, its 
width 28 in head; head narrower and less depressed than in S. fiirlhi ; 
mouth oblique, the lower jaw included, the premaxillary in front a 
little above lower edge of pupil; maxillary 2 in head, reaching to 
posterior margin of eye; teeth of lower jaw in a narrow band of 
about 3 series, those of the inner series very slightly enlarged ; gill- 
rakers extremely long and slender, about X + 30, the longest slightly 
less than eye; preopercle strongly rounded, the lower spinule di- 
rected backward and downward; scales large; lateral line becom- 
ing straight over the anal spine; caudal pointed; longest dorsal 
