110 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



in tlie length. The dorsal contains 13 spines, 12 rays; the anal III, 7. The scales 

 are very irregular, and difficult to enumerate. We count 52 pores in the lateral line, 

 in each specimen. The head is contained 3 times in the length (2-^ is a misprint for 

 3| in Jordan & Evermann's description, /. c). 



The eye is contained 5 times in head in the larger specimen, 3| times in the 

 smaller; snout 2i\; maxillary 2g in large specimen, 21 in the smaller; fourth dorsal 

 sjMne 21 and 2J ; second anal spine 2 and Ig. The base of the second dorsal is one- 

 half the base of the spinous dorsal. The gill-rakers are short and weak, 13 on hori- 

 zontal limb of arch, 3 or 4 of the anterior being rudimentary, immovable. 



Striking characters of this species are: the ploughshare-shaped snout, narrow- 

 ing upward and forward to form a ridge, which terminates in the acutely augulated 

 premaxillaries; and the small accessory scales, which are larger than such scales are 

 apt to be, are more irregular in shape, and are scattered more widely over the surface 

 of the other scales. 



205. Pomadasis macracanthus {Giinther). 



A common species in the market. The following additions to current descrip- 

 tions are from specimens 18 to 26 cm. in length. 



Head 2;.; to 21 in length; depth 2| to 2';. Eye 4 J to 4| in head; snout 2 J to 

 3|; interorbital (bone) 5 to 5|-. Three of our specimens have 13 dorsal rays, three 

 have 14. The anal has constantly 8 soft rays, as described by Giinther, the last split 

 ray counting as 1; not 7 rays, as given by Jordan and Evermann (1898, p. 1332). 

 Pectoral 3 to 3i in length. 



Our specimens have the scales rather strongly ctenoid, not smooth as described 

 by Giinther. 



206. Pomadasis branicki (Steindachner). 



A single specimen was obtained. The dorsal spines seem to be indifferently 

 13 or 14 in number. There are 14 in our specimen. 



207. Orthopristis chalceus {Giinther). 



Very common; seen daily in the markets. 



The dorsal spines are usually 12 in number, only one of our specimens has 13; 

 the articulated rays are usually 15 (exceptionally IG). We have found no specimen 

 with 14 rays, as recorded by Steindachner (1870 b, p. 3, PI. II; as Pristipoma kneri). 

 The anal rays are usually 11 in number (exceptionally 12). The tubes in the lateral 

 line (corresponding with the series of scales above the lateral line running obliquely 

 downward and backward) are 52 to 54 in number. The diameter of the eye equals 

 the width of the preorbital, 4| in the head; pectoral 1| to liV; snout 2^ to 2j\; the 

 maxillary extends beyond the front of the eye. Brownish streaks follow the centers 

 of the rows of scales, alternating with narrower grayish blue streaks along the mar- 

 gins of the rows. No pale streak below the dorsal and no darker cross-bands in any 

 specimens seen by us. 



