Dr. W. 0. Ay res on the Sebastoid Fishes of California. 333 



has been proposed for one of the well-marked species, it seems better 

 to apply that to the entire group than to introduce a new term. I 

 suggest, therefore, the following arrangement : — 



Gen. Sebastes. — With the characters of Sebastes as given by 

 Cuvier, except that the top of the head is always marked by spinous 

 ridges, the orbits being commonly cresfed, so as to leave a depression 

 between them. 



Gen. Sebastodes. — With the characters of the typical Sebastes, 

 except that the top of the head is always smooth, the spinous ridges 

 being so little developed as to be barely discernible, the orbits not 

 elevated. 



In what manner the species of other waters should be distributed 

 under this division I do not purpose at present to specify. The 

 means of reference to original authorities are here, unfortunately, so 

 small as to make the attempt useless. The Californian species, 

 however, hitherto discovered may be arranged and designated thus: — 



1. Sebastes nigrocinctus, Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sci. 

 ii. p. 25, and p. 217, fig. 67. 



Sebastichthys nigrocinctus. Gill, Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci. 1862, 

 p. 278. 



This is more strongly marked in the generic features than any 

 other of our species. The spines of the top of the head are very 

 prominent ; the nasal spines strong, while nearly continuous from 

 them are a pair of slender interorbital ridges ; the supraorbital crest 



sometimes a single ridge, and som'etimes a series of spines or tuber- 

 cles ; posterior to these a row of blunt tubercles, extending across 

 the top of the head, varying in number from two to five or six ; 

 posterior to these the occipital ridges, very high, and commonly not 

 terminating in a spine. The posterior suborbital terminates in a 

 distinct spine. The preopercular spines are less prominent than in 

 most of the species, consisting of two, or at most three, on the pos- 

 terior border, with one or two roimded but not spinous projections 



