CHRYSIPTEKA 107 



front margin of orbit; in large specimens snout and maxillary 

 about equal in length, each slightly longer than eye, while in 

 the young the eye is relatively much larger in proportion. Jaws 

 even, forming an almost horizontal gape; teeth in two rows, 

 rather slender, with rounded tips. Width of preofbital at hind 

 end of maxillary about half diameter of eye; opercle with two 

 flat spines behind. 



Snout, orbital ring, and both vertical and inferior edges of 

 preopercle naked; scales on top of head extending only to 

 nostrils. Dorsal spines evenly graduated to the last, which is 

 the highest. Soft portion of dorsal and anal rounded; caudal 

 slightly emarginate with the lobes rounded; pectoral about as 

 long as ventral and ending slightly before anus; outer ray of 

 ventral more or less produced, extending to anal opening. 



My total of one hundred twenty-eight examples of various 

 sizes divides naturally into three excellent parallel color series. 

 These show well the gradual variation of color markings due to 

 age and their striking gradation in the different series. The 

 young in all the series have bluish lines on the head, convergent 

 at the snout, and all show that there are two distinct dark ocelli 

 edged with blue, one under the last dorsal spines and the other 

 at the base of the posterior rays. These color markings are 

 absent in adult individuals. The lines on the head seem to dis- 

 appear first, followed by the first dorsal ocellus. The ground 

 color in alcohol of all the specimens varies from yellowish brown 

 with purplish wash to dusky olive; a light or vertical streak 

 on each scale; pectoral, caudal, and posterior rays of dorsal 

 yellowish, the last two fins having a dark edge; ventrals and 

 anal blackish. The yellowish crossband on body, absent in one 

 series, appears to be persistent in all the stages of the other 

 two, and these two series differ from each other in the presence 

 in one of them of a light colored spot on top of the caudal pe- 

 duncle immediately after the dorsal fin. 



The color in alcohol of various specimens is as follows : 



Twenty-eight specimens, 22 to 54 millimeters long, which I 

 collected at the same time at Nalvo, Luna, La Union, represent 

 an interesting series to show the gradual changes of color mark- 

 ings due to age. Ground color in alcohol greenish olive, each 

 scale with a light vertical streak or spot ; anal blackish, pectoral 

 pale, soft dorsal slightly dusky, caudal yellowish toward the 

 base and tipped with dusky. The second dorsal ocellus is per- 

 sistent in all the stages, and the first one absent in individuals 

 over 35 millimeters in length. The bluish lines on head are 



