ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE SPINY BOXFISH (GENUS CHILO- 
MYCTERUS) ON THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA. 
BY 
CarL H. EIGENMANN, 
Professor of Zoblogy, Indiana University. 
(With Plate LXxxtI.) 
During the summer of 1891 a fisherman captured a specimen of a 
 Chilomycterus near San Pedro, Cal. He preserved it in alcohol and 
_ offered it for sale. The price asked was so unreasonably high that ui 
merely took some notes of it. Since then it has been procured by the 
National Museum, and I am able to redescribe it. This is apparently the 
first notice of a Chilomycterus on the Pacific coast of North America. 
The specimen is in good condition, and is but slightly shorter than 
when first seen. 
Chilomycterus californiensis Kigenmann. 
American Naturalist, 1891, p. 1133. 
Type, No. 43860, one specimen 260" long, San Pedro, Cal., July, 1891. 
Much inflatable. Face narrow, distance between eyes in front 35™™; 
mouth narrow, 23" (33"™ in CO. schoepfi of same size), protruding; 
margins of upper jaw making a decided angle in front; eye small, 12™™ 
in diameter (17™™ in schoepfi), superciliary edge not raised, but pro- 
jecting out over the eye; interorbital very little concave. 
Spines of back all low, highest between pectoral and dorsal; their 
anterior roots strong and raised; the spines forming the termination of 
these roots, giving the spines the appearance of being depressed. 
Spines of the belly much larger than those of back, the roots differing 
but little in size. Spines lowest on head, one above the upper anterior 
angle of the eye, another above the posterior angle. Two spines on 
head between those‘above the posterior margins of the eyes. A small 
spine midway between dorsal and caudal. Pectoral small, its base 
22™™ high (30™™ in schoepfi of same size). Pectorals, dorsal and caudal, 
with numerous dark spots except at their margins; anal with a few 
spots at its base. 
Back steel-blue merging into the white of the belly; front and sides 
of head with many small black spots, caudal peduncle with somewhat 
larger spots. Back densely covered with short streaks or bars. Sides 
with round spots, some as large as the eye. A black spot in center of 
belly, a series‘of three spots along the sides of the belly and a few about 
the anus; breast white. 
BLOoMINGTON, IND., April 25, 1892. 
Proceedings National Museum, Vol. XV—No. 917. 485 
