Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1771 



nn. Skull somewhat papery ; ridges smooth; interorbital space concave ; 

 mesetlnnoid processes directed upward ; ventral process of basi- 

 splieuoid well developed in both young and old. CONSTELLATUS ; 



KOSACEUS; RHODOCHLORIS ; CHLOROSTICTUS ; EUPESTRIS. 



mm. Snpraocular spine absent. 



o. Interorbital space not widening markedly backward. 



p. Parietals not meeting; skull papery. ELONGATUS. 



pp. Parietals meeting; skull bony. 



q. Nuchal spines none. RUBRIVINCTUS ; LEVIS. 



qq. Nuchal spines present; ridges thick and high. 



SERRICEPS ; NIGROCINCTUS. 



oo. Interorbital space widening markedly backward; parietals not 



meeting. 



r. Coronal spines present; skull bony. AURICULATUS. 



rr. Coronal spines none. 



s. Skull thick; bones striated; interorbital space slightly 



convex. RASTRELLIGER. 



ss. Interorbital space concave and the cranial ridges strong 



and high. VEXILLARIS; MALIGER; CARNATUS; 



CHRYSOMELA8; NEBULOSUS; GILBERTI. 



The interorbital space becomes more concave and narrower and the ridges stronger 

 and higher from the beginning to the end of the series. 



Messrs. Eigenniann & Beeson have attempted to subdivide this genus 

 into several on the basis of cranial characters. Mr. Cramer has given in 

 detail in the paper above quoted his reasons for rejecting these proposed 

 genera and for reverting to the sequence of species in Jordan & Gilbert's 

 Synopsis. The character especially put forward by Eigenmann & Beeson, 

 that of the contact (not union) of the parietals, seems to us of very slight 

 value, even as a specific distinction. 



The following is the analysis of genera of Sebastinra given by Eigen- 

 mann & Beeson.* 



SEBASTIN/li : 



a. Vertebra? 27 or more. 



b. Dorsal spines 14 to 16; the lower pectoral rays thickened, unbranched, and 

 produced; veutrals directly under pectorals. Suborbital stay strong, spi- 

 niferous. SEBASTOLOBUS. 



bb. Dorsal spines 13 ; vertebra? 27. 



c. Palatines with teeth. Lower pectoral rays unbranched, their tips pro- 

 jecting. 

 d. Parietals meeting above the supraoccipital,t except sometimes in 



fYimoffrino. 



e. Jaws equal; head narrow above; high and prominent cranial 

 keels ending in spines. Preocular, supraocular, tympanic, 

 and parietal present. Gill rakers usually short, spatulate 

 or clavate, their broadened tips spiuiferous. Scales usually 

 very strongly ctenoid; accessory scales numerous; sub- 

 orbital stay directed obliquely downward and backward; 

 second anal spine much heavier than and at least as long as 

 third. Body short and deep, back arched, mouth very large 

 but rather narrow, head heavy. Inter and sub opercle with- 

 out spine. Branchiostegals and lower jaw naked. Three or 

 4 large pores along each ramus of the lower jaw. Species 

 usually with cross bauds. SEBASTICHTHYS. 



* Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xvn, 1894, 375-407. 

 t See Sebastomus cereus and elongatus. 



