44 
PROCEJ^niNaS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
Soft dorsal and ;inal Avith dusky spots arranged in longitudinal rows; 
caudal with indistinct dark vertical bands; 2 or 3 on the })asal half of 
fin broadest; pectoral with indistinct, dark, vertical bands. 
Individuals from the same locality show considerable variation in 
color. Some are lighter, others darker than the one described. The 
light spots on the chin and throat are often represented by reticula- 
tions, while in some cases the white predominates, there being scarcely 
any dark color. Very young specimens have 3 dark bands passing- 
over the back, and a ])road band of dark color along the sides. 
Described from specimens from the Chikugo River, Kurume. This 
species reaches a length of nearly a foot. It is rather common in 
estuaries and I'iver mouths from Tokyo southward. Our specimens 
are from Tokyo Bay, Lake Biwa (Funaki), Chikugo River, at Kurume, 
and Kawatana, on the Bay of Omura. It is recorded by Giinther from 
Chikiang in China. 
(ohficuruf^, dusky. ) 
Measurements of Odontobutis obscurus. 
Length expressed in millimeters 
Depth expressed in hundredths of length 
Depth of eandal peduncle 
Length of head 
Length of snout 
Length of maxillary 
Width of interorbital space 
Diameter of orbit 
Distance from snout to spinous dorsal 
Distance from snout to soft dorsal 
Height of longest dorsal sjiines 
Height of longest <1orsal rays 
Distance from snout to anal tin 
Height of longest anal rays 
Length of caudal pedimcle 
Length of caudal tin 
Length of pectoral fin 
Length of ventral tin 
Number of dorsal spines 
Number of dorsal rays 
Number of anal rays 
Nimiber of scales in lateral series 
Number of scales in transverse series 
Chiktigo River, 
Tol 
Kurume; 
Jai 
Chikugo, Japan. 
114 
102 
82 
133 
123 
26 
24 
28 
26 
27 
14 
14 
14 
121 
13 
36 
35 
35 
35 
35 
11 
10 
10 
lU 
121 
15 
15 
10 
10 
15 
8 
9 
8 
8 
91 

H 
7 
6 
5i 
46i 
45 
46 
46 
46 
fi2i 
•f)3i 
64 
64 
64 
IH 
12 
lU 
14 
13 
15 
14 
15i 
15 
14 
69i 
67 
67 
711 
70 
15i 
Uh 
15i 
141 
15 
231 
23 
23 
. 22 
22 
26 
25 
20 
221 
23 
24 
25 
241 
211 
23 
17 
18i 
19 
101 
15^ 
•7 
'J 
8 
'? 
10 
9 
9 
10 
9 
,s 
9 
8 
8 
8 
35 
36 
34 
34 
32 
17 
16 
17 
14 
15 
B. ELEOTRIS (Gronow) Schneider. 
Eleotrh Gronow, Zoopli., 1763, ]>. S3 (nonbinomial). 
J^/eo<r(,s' Schneider, 8yst. Idith., 1801, p. 65 {jyisunis). 
Culiiis Bleeker, Arohiv. Neerl., IX, 1874,p. 303 {fnscus). 
Body long and low, compressed behind. Head long, low, flattened 
above, without spines or crests, almost everywhere scaly. Mouth 
large, ol)iique, lower jaw projecting. Lower pharyngeals rather 
broad, the teeth small, bluntish. Preoperclc with a small concealed 
spine lielow, its tip hooked forward. Branchiostegals unarmed. Ej^es 
small, high, anterior; isthmus l)road. Tongue ])road, rounded. Post- 
temporal bones very strongly divergent, their insertions close together; 
