27 



fore part of the body, and on the head, when fresh ; the sides are 

 lighter. The first dorsal fin has ten spines; the second, one spine, 

 and twenty -two articulated rays. 



Genyanemus lineatus, Gill ; Leiostomus lineatus, Ayres ; the King- 

 fish — This species Avas formerly common in the bay, but since its 

 waters have been defiled with so much tar and drain refuse by our 

 destructive imperfect civilization it has become scarce, and is now usu- 

 ally obtained outside. It is, in my opinion, one of the most delicate 

 of our food fishes, and, fortunately, is still abundant, occurring in 

 greater or less numbers in our markets throughout the year. In 

 size it does not greatly exceed a herring, average individuals meas- 

 uring six to eight inches in length. Ayres says " it seldom exceeds 

 eleven inches." Other names for this species are little basse and 

 cognard. The wavy lines of browner tint which run obliquely 

 along the grayish-brown body are in many specimens not very obvi- 

 ous. By these bars and the obtuse snout, under which the lower 

 jaw is received, this species may readily be known from the next. 



Seriplius politus, King-fish. — This fish, known by the dealers by 

 the same name as the last, but readily distinguishable from it by its 

 longer head, much longer lower jaw, shorter spinous dorsal and 

 more silvery tint, scarcely deserves, on account of its rarity, to be 

 mentioned among our food fishes, yet is taken within the Bay of San 

 Francisco. I have never seen more than one or two in the market 

 at once. 



LABRID/E. 



This is the leading family of a group which, in consequence of the coalesenee of the two 

 lower pharyngeal bones into a single tooth-bearing bone, has received the name of Pharyngog- 

 nathi, and has been by many naturalists raised to the rank of an order. As, however, exam- 

 ples of the union of the pharyngeal bones may be found among fishes differing widely from 

 each other in other structural points, this single character is not now usually believed to be of 

 ordinal value; yet the Labj-ida-, the Embiotocidce and several other families nearly united in 

 other respects, form a natural super-family or section of an order. The Labridce, as their 

 name indicates, are characterized by having the lips, which in most fishes are thin and incon- 

 spicuous, well developed and thick. The scales are large and cycloid; a lateral lino is present, 

 but in most cases is interrupted in its course, and the spinous dorsal varies considerably in its 

 development. 



This famil}^ is sparsely represented on our coast. Pimelometopon 

 pulclier, Gill, Labrus pulcher, Ayres, is occasionally brought to market 

 in the autumnal months from more southern points, but is rare. It 

 attains a length of over two feet, and may at once be recognized by 

 its conspicuous livery of black and red, the former occupying the 

 head as far as the pectorals, as well as the posterior portion of the 

 body, the latter a broad transverse band from the pectorals to behind 

 the anal. The pectorals, ventrals, caudal and dorsal are black. 

 Oxyjidis modest'us, Girard, Gill, a smaller species, is of still rarer 

 occurrence, but becomes commoner in the more southern parts of 

 the State. 



EMBIOTOCIDiE. 



Ever since the first discovery of these fishes they have been objects 

 of great interest to ichthyologists, chiefly on account of their peculiar 

 method of reproduction. While by far the greater number of the 

 true fishes are simply oviparous, that is, deposit their fully formed 

 ova upon the bottom of the river or sea which they inhabit, some 

 few are ovo-viviparous, the eggs being retained in the interior of the 

 ovary and hatched there. Prominent among these is the well known 



