FISHES — EMBIOTOCOIDAE — HOLCONOTUS RHODOTERIIS. 195 



above the groove is composed of two rows of scales anteriorly, tapering into one posteriorly. 

 The supplementary row is often rudimentary, and composed of hut few and quite small scales. 

 The scales themselves (figs. 3 — 5, and 8 — 10) are deeper than long, rounded upon the posterior, 

 superior, and inferior outlines ; sub-linear, and sometimes rounded upon their anterior outline 

 also. 



The ground color above is either bluish grey, olive, or purplish blue ; the sides and abdomen 

 are silvery, sometimes yellowish. On the middle of the flanks, below the lateral line, there are 

 about ten series of purplish spots corresponding to as many rows of scales, neither extending in 

 advance of the pectorals, nor to the posterior margin of the body. These spots, on a close 

 examination, may be resolved into an accumulation of minute dots, situated on the middle of 

 the scales, sometimes occupying their whole width, when these spots then assume the shape of 

 longitudinal hands. The silvery area between the series of spots may likewise be scattered 

 over with similar minute dots. The thoracic and abdominal regions are yellowish golden. 

 The fins are pale yellow ; the spinous portion of the dorsal tin is maculated with blackish, and 

 sometimes a large spot may be observed upon the anterior part of the articulated portion of the 

 same fin. The caudal is greyish. 



We have seen individuals in which the lateral spots were so obsolete as not to be apparent on 

 a superficial examination, the sides in this case exhibiting a uniform silvery aspect ; whilst in 

 others, particularly of the male sex, the spots assumed such a preponderance over the ground 

 color as to give to the whole body an almost uniform deep purplish blue tint, which would 

 extend even to the abdominal and thoracic regions, as well as over the sides and upper surface 

 of the head. The fins partook more or less of the hue of the body. Others still, with the 

 same deep hue of the spots, exhibited light silvery stripes along the point of union of the rows 

 of scales. The anal and ventrals almost always exhibiting a lighter shade than the other fins. 



Sometimes an interruption in the longitudinal direction of the series of spots makes the latter 

 to appear as if disposed upon transverse facias. 



When the embryo is from three-quarters to an inch long (Plate XXVI, figs. 7 and 8) the body 

 is elongated, more fusiform than in the adult. The head is rounded anteriorly, and the mouth 

 not open as yet. A vitelline abdominal sac is still present. The spinous portion of the dorsal 

 fin is quite low and its rays, eight in number, increasing slightly in height from the first to 

 the last. The ninth or anterior spine, the lowest in the adult, has not yet made its appearance. 

 The soft portion of the dorsal is proportionally higher than in the adult, and increases in height 

 from forwards backwards. The extremity of the posterior rays extending somewhat beyond 

 the base of the caudal, which is posteriorly rounded instead of being forked as in the adult. 

 The anal, likewise deeper than in the adult, is convex upon its exterior margin, and the tips of 

 its posterior rays may also be observed stretching beyond the base of the caudal. The anterior 

 spiny rays have not yet made their appearance. The ventrals and pectorals are also wanting. 

 The species seems to inhabit the whole western coast of the United States, since no appreciable 

 differences are to be detected on specimens collected at San Diego, San Francisco, California ; 

 Shoalwater Bay and Puget's Sound, Oregon. 



Plate XXXV, fig. 1, represents the female sex ai Holconohis rhodoterus, size of life, from the 

 harbor of San Diego, California. 



Fig. 2 is a section across the line of greatest depth. 



