642 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxxm. 



mottled in fine pattern, the spots on the head of a more or less round- 

 ish form and encircled with a ring of pale ; bars and mottlings tending 

 to become obsolete in old specimens; underparts yellowish; fins, 

 except caudal, with rows of dusky spots on the rays; caudal with a 

 median longitudinal black band, above and below which are two 

 oblique ones, the upper band being shorter than the other two. 



Specimens. — Nagasaki, 2 specimens, 7 to 8 inches; Wakanoura, 3 

 specimens, 9 to 10^ inches; Tsuruga, 2 specimens, 8^ inches; Tokyo 

 and Misaki, 5 specimens, 8 to 9 inches. It was also seen at Tsuruga, 

 Kobe, Hiroshima, and Onomichi. 



Here described from measurements made on a specimen 10 inches 

 long from Wakanoura and one 144^ inches long from Hongkong, 

 China. This species is a common market fish from Tokyo southward, 

 the largest member of the family in Japan, and by far the most 

 abundant. It is known at once by the flat, smooth head, and by 

 the coloration of the caudal f\i\. 



(indicus, Indian.) 



Family BEMBRID.E.« 



Head not greatly depressed, armed and scaly on the sides; body 

 covered with scales of large or rather small size; a lateral line; 2 

 dorsal fins, the first with 6 to 11 spines; ventrals thoracic, but 

 inserted a little before the pectorals, I, 5; no pectoral appendages; 

 villiform teeth in the jaws, on the vomer, and on palatines; branch- 

 iostegals 7; no air-bladder. 



Waters of Hawaii^ and Japan. Four genera and 4 species, 3 of 

 these inhabiting waters of Japan. 



KEY TO GENERA. 



a. Anal fin long, of 14 or 15 rays. 



h. First dorsal of 11 spines; top of head with spines and ridges; lateral line trav- 

 ersing middle of side; jaws subequal; scales 55 Bembras, 4. 



bb. First dorsal of 6 spines; top of head smooth; lateral line (not described); lower 



jaw projecting (as in Parabembras) ; scales 40 Bambradon, 5 



aa. Anal fin short, of 8 rays, lateral line above middle of side, ninning parallel witli 

 the back; lower jaw projecting, scales about 47 (figure) Parabembras, 6 



4. BEMBRAS Cuvier and Valenciennes. 

 Bembras Cvvmn and Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., IV, 1829, p. 282 {japonicus). 

 Dorsal spines XI; anal fin long, of 14 or 15 rays; lateral line trav- 

 ersing middle of side; top of head with spines and ridges. Char- 

 acters otherwise those of the family. 

 A single species, from Japan. 

 (fSejufSpas, a grasshopper.) 



"According to Prof. Henry R. Fairclough, of Stanford University, it is good usage 

 in Latin to omit one d in patronymics in which two d's occur together, in the interest 

 of euphony. Thus Liparidm should be preferred to Liparididae. 



^Bembradium roseum Gilbert; D. IX-12; A. 11; scales 28; lateral line near middle 

 of body; lower jaw included. Hawaii. 



