1885.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. ib 



loug as the head without the postorbital part. The vent is between 

 the ventrals, but nearer tlieir tips than their origin. The origin of the 

 dorsal is nearly midway of the total, including caudal. The length of 

 the dorsal base is contained about 6| times in total length without 

 caudal. The anal is immediately under the dorsal, but its base is not 

 quite so long. Tlie length of the caudal is contained about 5^ or C 

 times in the standard body length. Second dorsal ray is longest, its 

 length about equal to the i)ostorbital part of the head. The longest 

 anal ray is less than one-fourth the length of the head. Lateral line 40. 

 The breast is armed with about 14 plates. 



A dark stripe on the snout, and continued behind the eye on the 

 opercle; a few indistinct dark blotches on the side of the head; axillary 

 region dusky. Pectoral with 3 or 4 imperfect cross bars. Body with 3 

 indistinct saddle-shaped dusky half bars, the middle one of whicli ex- 

 tends up on the middle of the dorsal fin. These bars do not extend 

 below the median line of the body. Tail with 2 dusky bars, one anteri- 

 orly and the other terminal, the two separated by a dirty yellowish area. 

 General color dusky above, whitish below ; this color also present on 

 ventral and anal. 



D. 7 ; A. 7 ; V. I, 2 ; C. 10 ; P. 12. 



The ventral oi Aspidophoroides monopterygius consists also of*a short 

 spine and 2 rays. The union of the gill-membrane to the isthmus in 

 monopterygius is the same as in gUntherii. There are vomerine and pala- 

 tine teeth in monopterygiusi, contrary to the statements of most ichthy- 

 ologists. The obsolete nasal spines, the maxillary barbels, and the 

 form of the body ofier the only characters by which this species might 

 be distinguished from the monopterygius type, and we have the inermis 

 as a connecting link between monopterygius and gilntherii. 



I have named the species for Dr. Albert Giinther, of the British Mu- 

 seum, to whose writings and personal kindness I am deeply indebted. 



U. S. National Museum, 



Washington, March 11, 1885. 



REMARKS ON THE TYPE SPECIMEN OF BUTEO OXYPTERUS, 

 ;^^ CASSIN. 



Br ROBERT RIDC^VTAV. 



In " History of North American Birds," vol. iii, pp. 266-268, this bird 

 was referred to Buteo swainsoni, Bp,, although recognized as repre- 

 senting a local or geographical race under the title of " Buteo sivainsoni, 

 var. oxypterusJ^ The type specimen is there described, and also in a 

 paper pubbshed in the " Proceedings " of the Philadelphia Academy of 

 Natural Sciences for 1875 (pp. 113, 114), where, however, the "var. 

 oxypterus^^ is not recognized. The type specimen is again specially re- 

 ferred to in Mr. J. H. Gurney's " List of the Diurnal Birds of Prey," 



