Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 2149 



c. Preopercular spine with a smaller one at base in front. 



d. Center of radiation of cheek with a strong spine, there being 4 spines in a right 

 line from rostral plate to preopercular spine; rostral projections very nar- 

 row; body slender; scales small; 3 dorsal spines granulate. 



BIEOSTRATUS, 2480. 



dd. Center of radiation of cheek without spine; 1 or 2 spinules below preopercular 



spine. 



e. Breast and belly wholly naked; dorsal spines 10 or 11. QYMNOSTETHUS, 2481. 



ee. Breast and belly with small scales ; dorsal spines 8 or 9. XENISMA, 2482. 



cc. Preopercular spine with no smaller one at base in front ; dorsal spines 10 ; pores 50 ; 



body with olive vermiculations and oblique brown bars. LOXIAS, 2483. 



MERDLINUS (Merula, a robin) : 



bb. Snout not distinctly birostrate, the anterior profile usually not strongly concave. 

 /. Pectoral fin long, reaching past front of anal. 



g. Pectoral fin not reaching base of caudal ; gill rakers moderate, 8 or 10 developed ; 

 snout not strongly emarginate ; no spine on cheek bone or edge of snout; 

 dorsal spines 10. 



h. Body not very slender, the depth 5 in length; head not very small, its 

 length 3 in body ; groove across top of head behind eye, very con- 

 spicuous; interorbital area moderately concave, rather broad, about 

 equal to diameter of eye; bones of head comparatively smooth, the 

 preocular, postocular, occipital, and nuchal spines low, depressed; 

 temporal ridge conspicuous, without spines. Dorsal spines low, the 

 second 2J in head, the first moderately serrate ; base of soft dorsal 

 equal to distance from tip of snout to tip of humeral spine ; caudal 

 fin lunate, its outer rays to longer than inner ; pectoral fin some- 

 what rounded, the longest ray about the fifth; free rays of pectoral 

 expanded toward tip, with decurrent membrane ; scales rather large; 

 about 58 pores. Body and fins nearly plain, mottled with darker, but 

 without well-defined spots except the dorsal ocellus; back with 4 

 obscure cross blotches; 2 or 3 oblique pale streaks across spinous 

 dorsal. Gill membranes dusky. Young with head rougher, pectoral 

 fins shorter, dark spots on body more distinct. CAROLINUS, 2484. 



Jih. Body very slender, the depth about 6 in length; groove across top of 

 head behind eye, conspicuous ; interorbital area narrow, deeply con- 

 cave, its width about f the diameter of the eye ; bones of head very 

 smooth, the striations very weak ; spines on top of head (preocular, 

 supraocular, occipital, and nuchal) short and sharp, not depressed; 

 temporal ridge blunt, without spine. 



i. Pectoral short, reaching little past front of anal, not length of body. 

 Dorsal spines very high, the second If in head, the first moderately 

 serrate; soft dorsal high, its base about longer than head; caudal 

 truncate; free rays of pectoral a little expanded at tip; 52 pores. 

 Body covered with roundish bronze spots of various sizes; smaller 

 bronze spots on the head ; both dorsals, caudal, and pectoral fins with 

 similar bronze spots, these especially numerous and distinct on soft 

 dorsal. SCITULUS, 2485. 



ii. Pectoral longer, reaching past middle of anal, more than body ; pores 

 62 ; color rose-red, not spotted ; pectorals dusky. ROSEUS, 2486. 



gg. Pectoral fins very long, reaching base of caudal, the rays graduated ; 50 pores in 

 the lateral line; gill rakers shortish, 1+6 in number; body rather stout, the 

 depth 4 in length; palatine teeth few, feeble; caudal subtruncate; second dor- 

 sal spine longest, ^ the length of head; first spine strongly serrated in front; 

 preopercular spine with a smaller one at its base; head 2J in length. D. X-12; 

 A. 11. Body with 4 faint cross bands; caudal with black tip and 2 paler cross 

 shades ; spinous dorsal with small dark spots besides the large one ; soft dorsal 

 plain; pectorals clouded. ALATUS, 2487. 



