96 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



The description of macropterus given by Miiller & 

 Troschel agrees with the specimens before us except in the 

 length of the head, but the expression ' ' bis zum Hinter- 

 hauptfortsatz " probably means ''to the base of the oc- 

 cipital process," and not " to its tip," as Dr. Steindach- 

 ner interprets it. If our interpretation is correct the 

 measurements agree with our specimens. 



Width at the origin of the dorsal fin scarcely less than 

 the depth, the body highest at the origin of the adipose 

 fin, gradually tapering to the caudal. The profile forms 

 a nearly straight, oblique line from the tip of the occip- 

 ital process to the posterior nostrils, thence decurved for- 

 ward; sometimes depressed above the eyes. 



Head rather broad, its greatest width being little less 

 than its length in an example .43m. long, about one-fourth 

 less in a specimen .24 m. Top of head entirely covered 

 with skin; very fine papillae over the fontanel, on the 

 back part of the head and on the shoulders. 



Eye 3-4 in the snout, 2-3 in the interorbital, 7-8 in 

 length of head. 



Barbels all flattened, those of the maxillaries reaching 

 about to the end of the adipose, or sometimes beyond the 

 base of the caudal fin; mental barbels to or beyond the 

 base of the pectorals, the postmentals to or beyond the 

 base of the ventral fins. Upper jaw a little longer than 

 the lower; teeth in two series on the intermaxillaries, the 

 outer ones small, flattened, truncated or incisor-like, 

 very conspicuous, the inner series of much smaller teeth 

 so hidden by the skin as to be readily overlooked; a 

 trenchant, bony ridge close behind the teeth on the man- 

 dible, which might be mistaken for a series of minute 

 teeth, the inner series of the upper jaw set into a simi- 

 lar trenchant bone and movable in it. 



Occipital process not, or scarcely meeting the dorsal 

 plate, the process long, tapering, about twice as wide at 



