328 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
level of the lower margin of the pupil. Lower jaw strongly projecting, 
with a conspicuous symphyseal knob. - Eye very large, longer than 
snout. Preorbital with its neck extremely narrow, armed with a slight 
spine. 
Spinous ridges on top of head very low and weak, about as in 8S. ova- 
lis, rather lower and narrower than in S. atrovirens and S. pinniger. 
The following pairs of spines are present: Nasal, preocular, supraocu- 
lar, tympanic, and occipital, five pairs in all, as in 8S. elongatus. The 
ridges are most of them partly covered by scales. Preocular spine little 
prominent. Supraocular ridge very little developed, its length two-fifths 
that of the eye (in 8. elongatus two-thirds). Tympanic spine minute. 
Occipital ridge not conspicuous, the spine depressed. 
Preopercular spines sharp, rather shorter than in S. elongatus, but 
similar, the second longest, the points of all directed backward rather 
than radiating. Opercular spines moderate; bluntish points on sub- 
opercle and interopercle. Two bluntish suprascapular spines. 
Interorbital space broad, nearly as broad as the eye, somewhat regu- 
larly convex, the middle being elevated. In 8. elongatus, as in most of 
the red species, the interorbital space is transversely concave. 
Gill-rakers very long, slender, and numerous, about 10 + 50, the long- 
est longer than the supraocular ridge, and about half the diameter of 
the eye. . 
Seales rather small, as in S. ovalis, in about 65 transverse series, the 
accessory scales rather few. 
Dorsal fin very low, as in S. ovalis, not deeply emarginate, the shortest 
(twelfth) spine two-thirds the height of the fifth, which is little more 
than one-third the length of the head. Soft dorsal low, nearly twice as 
high,as long, the highest ray about equal to the longest spine. Caudal 
fin moderately forked. Anal fin very low, its length about equal to the 
height of its longest ray. Second spine much longer and stronger than 
the third, scarcely shorter than the longest ray. 
Pectorals shortish and rather narrow, the base rather wider than the 
ey¢, the tips reaching beyond the tips of the ventrals to the vent. 
DD, ys AS ei 
Coloration very similar to that of S. elongatus, red, with olive mark- 
ings. There is, however, more blackish and less greenish. 
Ground color bright light red. Body mottled above with dusky olive- 
green, the ground color forming distinct blotches under the third dorsal 
spine and under the first and last rays of the soft dorsal. Lateral line 
running in the middle of a very distinct continuous red stripe, precisely as 
in NS. elongatus. Head above with purplish cross-shades. Opercle with 
a dusky blotch; two olive shades radiating from the eye. Lips and tip 
of lower jaw blackish (red in elongatus). Eyes red. Caudal fin bright 
red, speckled with dark olive. Spinous dorsal bright red, the posterior 
part of each membrane blackish; soft dorsal olive and red; lower fins 
bright light red, with shades of olive-yellow. 
