20 



UNITED STATES AND MEXICAN BOUNDARY. 



MUGIL BEKLAN DIERI, G r d . 



Plate X, Figs. 1 — 4. 



Spec. Char.— The head enters about four times and a half in the total length, in which the greatest depth is contained five 

 times or a little more. The caudal fin is equal to the head in length. The lower jaw is a little shorter than the upper ; the 

 teeth are exceedingly small, scarcely perceptible upon the dentaries (lower jaw); they are more apparent upon the outer pre- 

 maxillar row, although those placed in the rear are not more developed than those of the lower jaw. A patch of asperities is 

 felt upon the palatines; the vomer is smooth and preceded anteriorly by a wide transverse groove, such as may be observed in 

 several other species ; similar asperities exist at the sides of the base of the tongue. The edge of the preorbitar bone, under 

 which the maxillary is concealed when the mouth is closed and retracted, is denticulated posteriorly. 



The anterior third of the dorsal and anal, the base of the pectorals, and the caudal almost 

 entirely, are protected with small scales. The formula of the fins reads thus : 



D IV, I, 8 ; A III, 9 ; C 8, 1, 6, 6, 1, 3 ; V I, 5 ; P 16. 



The scales of the body are well developed, deeper than long, finely pectinated posteriorly and 

 exhibiting diverging furrows upon their anterior section alone ; the mucous aperture is elongated 

 and placed almost exclusively upon the posterior section. Fourteen longitudinal series may be 

 counted from the base of the first dorsal fin to the mesial line of the abdomen in advance of the 

 vent. In a longitudinal series from the branchial aperture to the insertion of the caudal there 

 are from forty to forty-two scales. 



The upper surface of the head and the dorsal region exhibit a greyish tint, whilst the flanks 

 are silvery, and the sides of the head and the abdomen pervaded with a yellowish or golden 

 reflect ; longitudinal greyisb lines, more or less conspicuous, may be traced along the series of 

 scales. The fins are uniform light yellow or olive, the base of the pectorals alone being blackish. 



Plate X, fig. 1, represents Mugil berlandieri, size of life, it being one of the largest specimens 

 observed ; fig. 2 is a scale from the dorsal region ; and fig. 3, a scale from the abdominal region ; 

 fig. 4 exhibits a young specimen caught in the same net and supposed to belong to the same 



species. 



List of specimens. 





Catal. No. of 



No. 



763 

 764 

 765 

 766 

 767 



Locality. 



When col- 

 lected. 



Whence obtained 



St. Joseph's Island, Tex 

 Indianola, Tex 



Brazos Santiago, Tex 

 Brazos 



Galveston, Tex 



1853 

 1851 



1853 



1853 



1853 



G, Wiirdemann 



Col. J. D. Graham 



G. Wiirdemann, 



Major Emory 



Orig'l 

 No. 



Nature of 

 specimens. 



Collected by 



Alcoholic. G. Wiedemann 



do. .. . Jno. H. Clark 



do 



do 



Lt. A. VV. Whipple... 



3 



do. . 



G. Wiirdemann 



I 



Jno. H. Clark 



Dr. C. B.Kennerly. 



♦ • • 



Family SCOMBRIDAE. 



This family, as it stands in the systematic writers, includes a long series of genera most 

 diversified in shape and in structure. None needs a more thorough anatomical investigation 

 in order to enahle us to define it as a group, if a natural group it proves to be. We cannot 

 help thinking that characters will he detected by the aid of which the various groups already 

 delineated by superficial traits may be erected into as many natural families. 



CHORINEMUS, Cuv. & Val. 



mmatid 



materials 



species under its heading. Some 



