FAMILY SCIENID^ — PRISTIPOMA. 87 



gitudinally striate on the sides ; the third slender, acute, not as long as the second. Caudal 

 forked, with the tips rounded. 



Color. The specimen we examined was in spirits ; we can, therefore, only state that its 

 head appeared to be darker than the body, with numerous broad oblique rays from the eyes 

 to the snout, and across the opercles. According to Cuvier, there are ten to twelve steel- 

 colored rays, bordered with brown, on a ground more or less gilded, and not passing the 

 branchial aperture. Remainder of th6 body entirely golden grey, without lines, and unva- 

 ried except by the dead coloring on the free margins of each scale. 



Length, 11 '0. Depth, 3 '8. Width behind the branchial aperture, 1*5. 

 Fin rays, D. 12.15; P. 1.16; V. 1.5; A. 3.9; C. 17 |. 



This appears to be but a casual visitor from the south, as far as Brazil. The specimen 

 from which I drew up the preceding description, was caught in the harbor of New- York in 

 July. It prefers rocky bottoms, and is said to afford good eating. 



{EXTRALIMITAL.) 



H. arcuatum. (Cuv. et Val. Vol. 9, p. 481.) Body elevated; teeth very large. Dark blackish 

 green, with a brilliant gilded crescent on each scale. D. 12. 17 ; A. 3.9. Length eleven inches. 

 South-Carolina. 



GENUS PRISTIPOMA. 



A single dorsal. Preopercle denticulated. A cavity and two pores under the chin. Dorsal 

 and anal fins not scaly, Opercle with its points and angles blunted or effaced. Outer 

 row of teeth generally more robust. 



THE BANDED PRISTIPOMA. 

 Fristifoma fasciatum. 

 Le Prutipmu i bandet. Gov. et Val. Hist, des Poigs. Vol. 5, p. 285. 



Characteristics. Ohve brown ; with thirteen soft anal rays, of which the third is longer than 

 the second. Length eight inches. 



Description. Depth to its length as one to three and a quarter. 



Color. Grey brown, inclining to olive, with eight to nine cloudy blackish bands alternately 

 narrow and wide. Dorsal with a white band along its entire base. Air-bladder ending in 

 three points forward. 



Fin rays, D. 12,16; P. 16; V. 3.13; C. 17. 

 I know nothing of this fish, except that Cuvier received it from New- York. 



