A NEW SEBASTODES. 37 



none of them ending in spines. Nasal spines minute, 

 not evident externalh'. Parietals meeting- above. Pre- 

 orbital without spines. Preopercular spines long, slen- 

 der, the lower ones as well developed as the middle ones 

 in the largest specimens. Opercular spines as \nfavidus. 

 Gill-rakers long and slender, as in fiavidiis. 



Scales large, those of the head greatl}- reduced. Snout, 

 mandibles and even the lips closely scaled in the old. 



Palatine patches of teeth peculiar, a constriction near 

 their middle, the anterior angle turned inward. 



Eye large, 4^ in the head, i}4, in snout, 1]^ in the 

 strongl}^ convex interorbital. 



Dorsal fin low, the highest spine about 3 in the head, 

 notch between the two fins deep. Caudal notched. Anal 

 spines slender, graduated. Pectorals not reaching tips of 

 ventrals, not nearly to \'ent. 



Gray of varying shades, the back always darker; a 

 series of large white blotches along the sides of the back 

 much more marked in some examples than in others. 

 Fins all more or less strongly tinged with yellow and 

 edged with dusky. 



From S . ffav/'dns and S . nielano^s and S . goodei this 

 species may be distinguished by the characters taken 

 from fresh specimens of like size, as follows: 



a. Color dusky; no red. 



b. Snout acuminate, the lower jaw strongly projecting, entering the profile. 

 Anal truncate or subtruncate. 



c. Eye large, i in snout, i in interorbital, 4 in head. Tips of nasal spines 

 free. Occipital ridges well developed. Highest dorsal spine 2|-2f in 

 head. Palatine band of teeth of nearly uniform vsiclth. Olivaceous, yel- 

 lowish on sides, lighter below. Sides with rusty spots usually near the 

 tips of scales. Base of spinous dorsal sometimes spotted. Second dor- 

 sal, caudal and anal bright orange, margined with black. An orange 

 streak down and liack from eye, a broader one back from eye, a narrow 

 one on maxillary. Pectorals and ventrals orange or brassy, blackish 

 tipped. Head 3; depth about 3; D. xiii,i4'2; A. iii.S^^. Jlavidtis, 



