286 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS: ZOOLOGY. 



gin of preopercle with larger, wider-set teeth, the anterior ones directed 

 forward ; posterior half of free edge of interopercle and lower half of 

 subopercle with very fine teeth, which become more or less obsolete with 

 age ; opercle with a strong spine and a blunt or rounded point above it. 



Gill-rakers short, chubby, about two-thirds the length of the pupil, 6 + 

 13 ; inner side of the gill-rakers covered with short, stout teeth. 



Distance of first dorsal spine from tip of snout, 2f in length of body. 

 First dorsal spine less than half the length of the second, the second from 

 one-half to two-thirds length of the third spine, which is the highest, 25 

 in the head in adult, if in young, the spines decreasing in height to the 

 ninth ; the spinous and soft dorsals connected. Caudal in the young 

 slightly emarginate, the upper part truncate, lower rounded. First anal 

 spine inserted under second dorsal ray, the spines graduated, the second 

 strongest, highest ray 2-2% in head. Ventral inserted below the base 

 of lower pectoral rays, the second divided ray longest, 2i to i| in head. 

 Pectoral 2 to if in head. 



Scales of body of about uniform size, becoming very much smaller on 

 breast and top of head. Scales strongly ctenoid on sides. 



Small scales on the caudal membrane at its basal third. Anal and 

 dorsal without scales. 



Color olivaceous yellow, with peppery black dots, aggregated in spots 

 on the back ; the scales along base of dorsal and the upper half of cau- 

 dal peduncle with a brownish spot at their base, spots forming more or 

 less regular longitudinal lines ; membrane of soft dorsal with minute 

 brownish dots, aggregated in places to form rather large spots. Membrane 

 of caudal dusky ; anal with brownish dots along the middle of the mem- 

 branes ; pectorals and ventrals with similar, but fewer, spots. Head 3^4- 

 3f in length, to base of caudal; depth 4 to 4f ; D. IX-XI, 11 or 12 ; A. 

 Ill, 8-10. Scales 9-59 to 67-17. This species reaches a length of 480 

 mm. 



26. Percichthys vinciguerr.^ Perugia. 



(Plate XXXVII, Fig. 3.) 



Percichthys vinciguerrce Perugia, Ann. del Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova, 

 Ser. 2C7, X (XXX), 610, 1891 (Rio Santa Cruz); Boulenger, Cat. 

 Fishes, I, 120, 1895. 

 Through the courtesy of Dr. R. Gestro I have received one of the 



