NO. 1250. ATHERINE FISHES OF JAPAN— JORDAN AND STARKS. 208 
The iiiterorbital space is a little oivater than the diameter of the e3"e. 
The shape of the head and the ridges are as described for ^4. lAeelieri. 
Scales with entire edg-es; their number and arrang-ement as in A. 
hleel'eri. 
Origin of soft dorsal about over the tirst fourth of anal. Orioin of 
ventrals midway between front of anal and anterior orbital rim. 
Pectoral reaching- a little past front of ventrals. Origin of spinous 
before that of soft dorsal a distance contained IfV in head. 
Vent a little over half the length of ventrals posterior to the tips of 
those fins. 
Color. — Sides silvery. Lateral l)and silvery bordered above with 
dark blue, occupying the thiixl and part of the fourth series of scales. 
Top of head and a border to scales of back an opaque cobalt blue. 
This sometimes more or less replaced on scales by dark brown or black, 
but the blue is nearly always present as small dots on the median row 
of scales of back and nvcxj be seen bv the aid of a magnifier. Pectoral 
dusky at tip. Ventrals and anal colorless. Dorsals and caudal dusky. 
This species differs from A. hleekeri in having scales with entire 
edges, in having the top of head a conspicuous cobalt, in having the 
pectoral tipped with dusky, and particularly in having the vent much 
more posterior, which character will at once separate the species. 
The type is 132 mm. in entire length and is from Nagasaki, Hizen, 
Japan, where many cotypes were taken. Other specimens are from 
Misaki and Tsuruga. 
The type bears the number 6530 on the Leland Stanford Junior 
University ]Museum Register. 
ATHERION Jordan and Starks, new genus. 
This genus differs from Atherlna in having small, sharp, tooth-like 
spines set in rows on the head. Maxillary anteriorly covered with 
them, a row following lower edge of mandible and another along inner 
under edge; these continue along interopercle and anterior part of 
subopercles as a band of scattered spinules; a row along lower limb 
of preopercle: a row on preorbital; and a row on superior orbital rim. 
It also differs from the known Japanese species of Atherlna in hav- 
ing the vent near front of anal. 
(Diminutive of aBr]p, the rough spike of wheat.) 
ATHERION ELYMUS Jordan and Starks, new species. 
Head 4 in bod}" without caudal; depth 6. Eye 3 in head; snout -i. 
Dorsal V-1, 11; anal I, 16. Scales 43; transverse 7. 
Mouth oblique and ver}- small; the maxillary not nearh" leaching 
to eye. Teeth evident on jaws, and apparently the whole roof of the 
mouth is granulated. Interorbital wide and convex, its width greater 
than diameter of eye. Top of head smooth, convex, and without 
