PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 365 



fourths length of head. Ventral of colored side on the ridge of the 

 abdomen; the membrane of its last ray nearly reaching base of iirst ray 

 of anal. Ventral of blind side longer than the other, half the length 

 of the head, inserted farther forward than the ventral of colored side. 

 Vent lateral, with a well -developed anal i^apilla. 



Scales thin, large; ctenoid on colored side, smooth on blind side, 

 those on the middle part of the body larger. Head entirely scaly, ex- 

 cept snout and interorbital ridge. Rays of vertical fins, with scales on 

 the basal half, on colored side. Lateral line developed equally on both 

 sides, nearly straight. 



Head 4| in length; depth 1^\. D. 80; A. 61; V. C; Lat. 1. about 48. 



Color light olive brown, with some darker blotches. Vertical fins 

 finely mottled and streaked with black and gray. Pectoral and ventral 

 of left side spotted. 



A single specimen, about 5 inches long, was taken with a seine in the 

 Astillero at Mazatlan. Numerous others were afterwards obtained at 

 Panama. 



33. Malthe elater, sp. nov. (28127.) 



Body very broad and depressed, the disk considerably broader than 

 long, its width If times in length of body ; back and snout considerably 

 raised above rest of body; greatest depth of body scarcely more than 

 width of mouth. Mouth small, its width half greater than diameter of 

 orbit. Snout very short, scarcely projecting beyond mouth, its length 

 about equal to the interorbital width, shorter than its own width in 

 front. Eye rather large, much longer than snout, wider than' the inter- 

 orbital area. Process representing first dorsal spine present, small.. 

 Skin covered with spines which are comparatively slender and sharp, 

 their stellate bases inconspicuous; the spines on snout and nuddle of 

 back and tail largest, much slenderer and sharper than in M. notata. 

 No spines on ocellre of back. Belly rough. Under side of tail with 

 tubercular plates. Tail depressed towards base of fin. Soft dorsal and 

 anal so shrunken that the rays cannot be counted. Pectorals one-third 

 longer than ventrals, their length 1§ Avidth of mouth. Caudal a little 

 longer than pectoral, 4.^ in body. Length 4 inches. 



Color light olive, above everywhere thickly and uniformly covered 

 with small round spots of dark brown, these about as large as the pupil, 

 and about as wide as the lighter intersi)aces. A conspicuous ocellus, 

 larger than eye, on each side of back. This ocellus has a bright yellow 

 central spot surround by a black ring, around which is a pale ring, and 

 finally a fainter dark one. Under jiarts plain white. Pectorals spotted ; 

 caudal yellowish at base with a terminal blackish band. 



A single specimen was collected in Mazatlan Harbor and presented 

 to the National Museum by Dr. J. U. Bastow. Two other specimens 

 were afterwards seen but not obtained. The species is evidently rare at 

 Mazatlan, and is unknown to the fishermen. 



