502 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. [1885. 



The greatest length of the pectorals (39™™) is contaiued 5^ ti^mes in 

 total length. 



The ventral of the colored side is on the ridge of the abdomen, on a 

 line with its mate, which is slightly removed from the median line. Its 

 distance from snout (56™™) a little more than one-quarter the length of 

 the body. Its length (23™™) equal to half the length of median caudal 

 rays. The ventral of the blind side is continued by a thin membrane 

 to the vent, which is slightly distant from the edge of the abdomen, 

 and behind the origin of the anal. 



Color, grayish-brown ; the dorsal and anal fins each with two round- 

 ish dark blotches upon tlieir posterior halves, which are slightly larger 

 than the eye. A similar dark blotch upon the middle of the caudal, 

 sometimes with smaller blotches irregularly placed near its outer 

 margin. 



Pectoral, with a very narrow dark band near its base ; the whole of 

 its outer half is marked by a dark blotch, reticulated and mottled with 

 lighter; the intervening portion is i)early- white, with dark specks upon 

 the rays. Blind side cream colored. 



D. 80; A. 60-61; P. 10 ; V. 6; C. 16. 



List of specimens. 



The examples obtained are all from the Gulf of Mexico, between the 

 delta of the Mississippi and Cedar Keys, Florida. 



Citharichthys ventralis,* n . s. 



Extreme length of specimen described (117™™). It is from Albatross 

 station 2386, north latitude 29° 15', west longitude 88° 06', depth 60 

 fathoms. The catalogue number is 37343. 



The height of the body (50™™) is contained about 2^ times in total 

 length without caudal, and is equal to about 4J times the length of the 

 tail (11™™), and about 9 times its thickness (5^™™). 



The scales are ovate, strongly ctenoid, the longest about 3 millimeters 

 in diameter, the diameter less than half that of the eye. The scales 

 are firmly fixed. There are 66 scales in the lateral line (on the colored 

 side), 19-21 of these in the curved portion, which is bold and sharply 

 defined, and 19 above and 23 below the lateral line at the broadest 

 part of the body. The length of the head (29™™) is one-fourth that 

 of the body, and 3| times the diameter of the eye. The interorbital 

 si)ace is very narrow, scaleless, its width equal to one eighth diameter 

 of eye. Tlie length of the mandible (16™™) is twice the diameter of 

 the eye. The length of the maxillary (13™™) less than half that of head. 



