Report of a Mission to (mam. 63 



mens fade bvit little in spirits. Three specimens. L,ength 6-8 

 inches. Guam, June 2, 1900. Hab. Guam. No. 47, B.P.B.M., 

 is the type of species. 



Family BI/OPID^.— Tarpons. 



Genus MBGAI^OPS Lacepede. 

 49. Megalops cyprinoides (Brouss). 



Head 3.66; depth 4.50; eye 3; interorbital 5; maxillary 

 1.66, equal in length to mandibles; D. 11 18; A. 11 22; P. 15; 

 scales 5-35-5, maxillary extending to posterior of eye ; branchi- 

 ostegals 25 ; tubes of lateral line branched. Body oblong and com- 

 pressed ; mouth oblique, lower jaw prominent ; a thin plate of bone 

 attached to symphysis of the mandible of lower jaw and extending 

 back between rami. Teeth villiform in jaws, on tongue, vomer, 

 palatine and pterygoid bones. Fins : One dorsal fin with the pos- 

 terior ray greatly elongate — greater than length of head ; the dorsal 

 situated above the ventrals, which are abdominal ; base of dorsal 

 1.50 into base of anal; caudal well forked; pectorals ver}- low, 

 their length 1.33 into head. Color in spirits: Silvery, darker 

 above, with slight wash of bluish green ; margins of fins more or 

 less dusky. One specimen. lycngth 8 inches. Guam, July 14, 

 1900. Hab. China, Polynesia, Seas of India, Ceylon, Marianas. 



Family SYNODONTID^.— Lizard-fishes. 



Genus SYNODUS (Gronow) Bloch & Schneider. 



50. Synodus variegatus (Quoy&Gaim.) 



Head 3.50; depth 5.50; eye 7; interorbital about equal to 

 eye; mandible 1.33 into head; snout 4; D. 12; A. 9; scales about 

 65 in lateral line. A small adipose fin without rays. Body sub- 

 cylindrical, slightly elongate ; interorbital space concave; gill open- 

 ings very wide. Teeth sharp, diretfed back, numerous in jaws, 

 tongue, palatine — those on palatine in a single row. Fins: Caudal, 

 forked ; dorsal fin slightly longer than high ; tip of ventrals on a 

 line with posterior base of dorsal ; pedforals very short, 2.50 into 

 head ; the series of scales on the tail are not keeled. Color in 

 spirits: Grayish above, white below ; about 10 wide greenish bands 

 over the back down on sides to below the axis ; vertical fins with 

 brown dots forming streaks ; head more or less mottled with green- 

 ish, with 3 or 4 greenish splotches along sides of jaws, and 3 spots 

 on under rami of jaws. One specimen. Length 5 inches. Guam, 

 July 13, 1900. Hab. Indian and Pacific oceans, Marianas. 



