1878 Bulletin //, United States National Museum. 



tips of rays and spines of dorsal, caudal, and pectoral fins. Color, back 

 with a series of 6 quadrate blotches, corresponding to or alternating with 

 a similar series of larger blotches below the lateral line, the spaces be- 

 tween with vermiculating Hues of gray, inclosing darker spaces, the light 

 lines sometimes produced below the lateral line in y-shaped or ) (-shaped 

 markings; head dark, a silvery line on suborbital chain, edged above 

 with black; spinous dorsal translucent, with round, black spots, fre- 

 quently more or less confluent to form horizontal or oblique streaks ; soft 

 dorsal similarly, but much less distinctly, marked; caudal dusky, black 

 in males with white posterior margin; anal black in males with white 

 margin, in females unmarked; pectorals with 2 blackish bars, white 

 edged: ventrals black in males, white edged, plain in females; in males 

 the lower parts of body are uniformly blackish. (Gilbert MS.) Off shore 

 banks of southern California. Here described from a specimen, 8 inches 

 long, taken off the Santa Barbara Islands, by the AWatrow. (frenatus, 

 bridled.) 



Zaniolepis frenatus, EIGENMANN, "West American Scientist, Nov. 9, 1889, 10, Cortez Banks, 

 off San Diego. (Coll. Capt. Carter.) 



702. OXYLEBIUS, Gill. 

 OxyleUus, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 277 (pictus). 



Body oblong, somewhat compressed. Head conical, very slender acumi- 

 nate, the profile somewhat concave. Mouth small. Jaws each with a 

 band of teeth, the outer series considerably enlarged; minute teeth on 

 vomer, few or none on palatines. Top of head with dermal flaps. Pre- 

 opercle with 2 blunt spines. Gill membranes broadly connected, free from 

 the isthmus; gill rakers short, not very stout. Scales small, ctenoid; 

 a single lateral line. Dorsal fin emarginate, with about 16 low, rather 

 strong spines; soft dorsal moderate, its membrane closely scaled; anal 

 with 3 stout spines, the second the longest; caudal truncate; pectorals 

 rather long, their bases not procurrent ; ventrals moderate, inserted well 

 behind pectorals. Pyloric caeca few. Small fishes of bright coloration. 

 (ot>, sharp ; Lebius, an old synonym of Hexayrammos, from XsfiiocSj a kind 

 of a small fish suitable to be cooked in /U/?7/, a kettle.) 



2266. OXYLEBIUS PICTUS, Gill. 



Head 3; depth 3. D. XVI, 15; A. Ill, 13. Body rather deep, com- 

 pressed. Head little compressed, slender, pointed; lips thick; lower jaw 

 slightly included; maxillary small, barely reaching eye. Eyes large, 

 about equal to snout, 4 in head; nasal spines present; iiiterocular space 

 narrow. Scales on sides of head very small ; scales on body small, ctenoid, 

 with strong horizontal striae, those on breast minute. Dorsal fin continu- 

 ous, its spines stiff, the middle one highest, and all considerably lower 

 than the soft rays ; second anal spine longer than the third, about equal to 

 the soft rays; pectorals barely reaching anal; ventrals to past vent. 

 Tawny grayish, with about 6 black bars, alternating with areas of pale 



