2308 Bulletin ^7, United States National Museum. 



rays the longest, reaching midway from their base to end of pectorals; 

 origin of fin a distance of the width of pectoral in front of the lower 

 edge of pectoral base ; soft dorsal much higher than anal ; posterior rays 

 reaching slightly past the vertical from base of the last anal ray ; end of 

 the last anal ray about reaching to base of caudal rays; caudal truncate 

 or slightly rounded; a ridge of skin along middle of belly from the ven- 

 trals to vent. Dark brown above, paler below ; upper parts densely cov- 

 ered with small rounded white spots, each surrounded by a black ring ; 

 lower jaw and labial fringes similarly spotted; spinous dorsal black, white 

 posteriorly ; soft dorsal brown anteriorly with a horizontal white and 

 black band, then tipped with white ; posteriorly with 2 vertical black 

 stripes and a white one between them; caudal black, tipped with white, 

 with 2 to 4 white longitudinal stripes, its upper and lower edges narrowly 

 white; the anal white at base and tip, with a black median band, \ 

 depth of fin, darkest posteriorly; pectorals brown, with a black band 

 below, the lower edge white, the upper ray spotted; ventrals white with 

 a black lengthwise streak. Old examples lose the black ring around the 

 spots, and the edges of the spots are blended into the dark brown of the 

 back; a dark stripe running from the upper angle of gill opening to 

 caudal. South Atlantic coast from Cape Hatteras to the Caribbean Sea, 

 in sandy bays, rather common in shallow water, varying much with age. 

 Here described from a specimen, 15 inches in length, from Charleston, 

 South Carolina. It is recorded from Charleston, Beaufort, Matanzas 

 River, St. Johns River, Pensacola, Key West, and "the Caribbean Sea." 

 According to Dr. James A. Henshall, the naked area on top of the head 

 in Astroscopus is the seat of electric power. This interesting statement 

 needs verification. (Named from the armature of the head, in the form of 

 the Greek T.) 



TTranoscopus y-grcecum, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., in, 308, 1829, origin 



unknown; GUNTHER, Cat., n, 229, 1860. 

 TTranoscopus anoplos* CUVIEB & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vm, 493, 1831 (young 



examples), Charleston, South Carolina. 



Upsilonphorus y-grcecum, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1861, 113; KlRSCH, I. c., 263, 1889. 

 Astroscopus y-grcecum, BEAN, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mns. 1879. 58; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 



628, 1883. 



Agnus anoplus, GUNTHER, Cat., n, 229, 1860. 

 Astroscopus anoplus, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 629, 1883. 

 Astroscopus anoplos, KIRSCH, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1889, 262. 



*.The genus Astroscopus was based on small specimens which, in our present opinion 

 are simply immature examples of the species y-grcecuin. The supposed genus is thus 

 described iu distinction from Uptilonphorus, which seems to us the adult of the same type : 

 Head covered ahove with bone except a small region between and in front of the eyes, the 

 bony occipital plate coalescing with the orbital rims ; no spines on head ; humeral spines 

 obsolete; occipital region withbluntish projections; naked space between eyes extending 

 back to near middle of orbits ; lips and nostrils fringed ; no retractile tentacle in mouth. 



The following characters are assigned by Dr. Kirsch to Astroscopus anoplos: Head 2; 

 depth 3J. D. IV-1, 13 ; A. 13. Pectorals rather large, their longest ray equaling in length 

 base of second dorsal and extending to front of that fin; ventrals equaling pectorals in 

 length, and extending to front of that fin; the second dorsal equaling anal but its ante- 

 rior insertion slightly posterior to that; anal rays reaching base of caudal; vent much 

 nearer base of caudal than to tip of snout. Color dark brown above, yellowish below; 

 lighter portions of body covered with small white specks; chin jet-black; all the fins 

 whitish. Length 2 inches. (Specimen from Key West). Small individuals are found 

 along the coast from Cape Hatteras to Florida 'wherever A. y-grcecum is found. The 

 adult differs mainly in the armature of the top of the head, a characteristic which is 

 developed at different ages in different individuals. 



