1438 Bulletin 4.7, United States National Museum. 



head, second spine a little shorter than third and nearly as high ; second 

 dorsal rather low; second anal spine strong, about \ length of head, 

 | height of the soft rays ; distance from front of anal to caudal If in 

 length of body; distance from vent to anal a little more than \ length of 

 second anal spine; caudal fin long, double truncate, the middle rays pro- 

 duced, as long as from snout to edge of preopercle; caudal peduncle (from 

 end of anal) 1 in head; anal ending in advance of end of dorsal, its first 

 spine in advance of middle of soft dorsal; ventrals long, the second ray 

 filamentous, reaching vent; pectorals rather short, as long as caudal. 

 Scales large, those on breast not much smaller; soft parts of vertical fins 

 scaly toward the base. Lower pharyngeals narrow, with small, slender, 

 pointed teeth, those of the series on the inner edge of the bone much 

 enlarged, also very slender. Color light reddish brown, dingy with dark 

 punctulations ; ground color a light coppery shade, little silvery; each 

 scale with many dark points and a smutty edging; the general hue the 

 same above and below ; no distinct markings ; preorbital of a soiled silvery ; 

 fins similarly dusky, the caudal yellowish, the anal almost black; inside 

 of opercle dusky. 



This species strongly resembles Bairdiella clirysoleuca, apparently dif- 

 fering only in the larger scales, fewer dorsal rays, longer caudal fin, and 

 larger eyes. The 2 characters last mentioned may be due to youth, the 

 type of alula being smaller than any chrysoleuca examined by us. The 

 other characters are possibly results of extreme variation, and the 2 

 nominal species may prove to be identical. Pacific coast of Central 

 America; known only from the original type, 7| inches long. (aXovros, 

 unwashed.) 



Sdcena aluta, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1881, 232, La Union, San Sal- 

 vador. (Type, No. 28129. Coll. Capt. Henry E. Nichols.) 

 Bairdiella aluta, JORDAN & EIGENMANN, I. c., 389, 1889. 



1820. BAIRDIELLA CHRYSOLEUCA (Giinther). 



Head 3J f ; depth 3; eye 5 in head; snout 4. D. X-I, 21 or 22; A. II, 9; 

 scales 6-50 to 55-13. Back somewhat elevated, the form of the body 

 much as in OpJiioscion scierus and related species; preorbital broader than 

 in other species of Bairdiella, | width of eye ; pores on snout more con- 

 spicuous than in other species; snout bluntish; interorbital space 3f; 

 head thick, somewhat more cavernous than in related forms; mouth 

 subinferior, little oblique; premaxillary entirely below level of eye; max- 

 illary 2? in head; teeth of outer series of upper jaw enlarged, teeth of 

 lower jaw in a narrow, villiform band; lowest seme on preopercle 

 smaller and less turned forward than in the other species; dorsal spines 

 rather stout, the second strong, the third longest, If in head; second 

 anal spine shorter than the soft rays, 2J in head, the form and size of 

 these spines very variable; gill rakers short and slender, x -f- 15, the 

 longest not as long as pupil; caudal fin double truncate; pectoral 1 in 

 head; caudal 1 in head. Color soiled brassy, irregularly mottled with 

 large patches of shining golden brown; faint dark stripes along the rows 

 of scales above, those below lateral line nearly horizontal, those above 



