534 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



First superior pliaryngeal cartilaginous ; second without teeth ; third 

 and fourth separate, with teeth ; lower pharyngeals separate. Body 

 elongate, subterete. Head depressed, the snout triangular, rather pointed. 

 Interorbital region transversely concave. Mouth very wide ; premaxil- 

 laries not protractile, very long and strong, more than half length of 

 head ; maxillaries closely connected with them, very small or obsolete ; 

 premaxillaries with one or two series of large, compressed, knife-shaped 

 teeth, the inner and larger depressible; palatine teeth similar, smaller, 

 in a single broad band ; lower jaw with a band of rather large teeth, the 

 inner and larger teeth depress tble ; a patch of strong, depressible teeth 

 on the tongue in front, and a long row along the hyoidbone ; jaws nearly 

 equal in front. Eye rather large, anterior; supraorbital forming a pro- 

 jection above the eye. Pseudobranchiae well developed. Gill rakers 

 very small, spine-like. Gill membranes slightly connected. Top of head 

 naked j cheeks and opercles scaled like the body ; body covered with 

 rather small, adherent, cycloid scales ; lateral line present ; no luminous 

 spots. Dorsal fin short, rather anterior; pectorals moderate, inserted 

 high ; ventrals anterior, not far behind pectorals, large, the inner rays 

 longer than the outer ; anal short ; caudal narrow, forked. Vent pos- 

 terior, much nearer base of caudal than base of ventrals. Branchioste- 

 gals 12 to 16. Stomach with a long, blind sac and many pyloric coeca. 

 Skeleton rather firm. Species numerous. Voracious fishes of moderate 

 size, inhabiting sandy bottoms at no great depth, in most warm seas, 

 (ovvodovf, ancient name of some fish, from <jvv66ovs, teeth meeting, not 

 shutting past each other like scissors.) 



a. Scales large, 43 to 50 in the lateral line, which has a blunt keel posteriorly. 



b. Tips of first rays of dorsal not reaching tips of last rays when depressed; snout short, 

 hroad, 4% in head; shoulder girdle with a large black blotch, anal rays 10 or 11;* 

 scales 4-48-6. INTERMEDIXJS, 806. 



bb. Tips of first rays of dorsal reaching tips of last rays when depressed. 



c. Shoulder girdle chiefly black; snout short, rounded, 4 in head; ventrals If in head; 



anal rays 10; scales 4-48-5. EVERMANNI, 807. 



cc. Shoulder girdle with the black spot very small or wanting; snout rather pointed, 



3% in head; ventrals 1% in head; anal rays 10 to 12. POEYI, 808. 



aa. Scales small, 58 to 68 in lateral line. 



d. Anal fin very short, its rays 8 only; pectoral fin short. 



e. Scales moderate, 58 in the lateral line; snout 4 in head; shoulder girdle slightly 



dusky; dorsal mottled. SYNODUS, 809. 



ee. Scales small, 68 in the lateral line; snout 4% in head; shoulder girdle pale; dorsal 



mottled. LACERTINUS, 810. 



dd. Anal fin moderate, its rays 10 to 13; shoulder girdle chiefly yellowish. 



/. Snout very broad, broader than long; about 10 scales in a cross series from dorsal 

 to ventral; jaws subequal; scales 4-60 to 64-5; tail with a slight keel. 



SAURUS, 811. 

 ff. Snout not broader than long; more than 10 scales in a cross series from dorsal to 



ventral; lower jaw included; tail not keeled. 

 g. About 4 rows of scales (6 counting obliquely) between lateral line and adipose 



fin; scales on cheeks in 4 to 7 rows. 



h. Head very small, 4% to 4| in length; first ray of dorsal coterminous with 

 last ray when the fin is depressed; cheeks with 4 rows of large scales; 

 ventrals 1J in head. Scales 6-61-6. SCITTJLICEPS, 812. 



* In the count of rays in the species of Synodus, only those fully developed are enumerated, 

 the rudimentary simple ray being omitted. 



