12 



UNITED STATES AND MEXICAN BOUNDARY. 



OTOLITHUS DKUMMONDI, Kichards 



Drummond's "Weak Fisli. 



Plate VI. 



Spec. Char. — Head constituting the fourth of the entire length ; the body being gracefully elongated and fusiform in its profile , 

 The posterior extremity of the maxillary extends to a vertical line drawn across the posterior rim of the orbit. The eye is of 

 medium size, sub-elliptical ; its longitudinal diameter entering about seven times in the length of the side of the head. The 

 posterior margin of the caudal is rounded in the young and sub-truncated in the adult, obscurely trilobed, arising from the fact 

 that the central rays of that fin are somewhat longer than those of the middle of either lobe. 



Stn.— Otolithus drummondi, Richards. Faun. Bor. Amer. Ill, 1836, 70.— DeKay, N. Y. Faun. IV, 1842, 72.— Storer, 



Synops. 1846, 66. 



The scales are of but moderate development, very finely pectinated upon their posterior section, 



■ 



and provided with diverging furrows upon their anterior section. The dorsal region is dark or 

 greyish brown, with small, rounded, blackish brown spots above the lateral line and on the 

 second dorsal and caudal ; much more numerous in the young than in the old. The sides of 

 the head and body, as well as the abdomen, exhibit a silvery tint. The anal fin is greyish ; 

 the pectorals and ventrals yellowish. 



Br. VII : VII ; D IX, I, 25 ; A I, 12 ; C 2, 1, 8, 7, 1, 3 ; V I, 5; P 16. 



There are two canine teeth to the upper jaw in the majority of the specimens which we have 

 examined, and we are satisfied that when one only is observed the other was accidentally broken. 



Plate VI, fig. 1, represents Otolithus drummondi, reduced in size from a specimen nearly 

 fifteen inches in total length ; fig 2 is a scale from the dorsal region ; fig. 3, a scale from the 

 lateral line ; and fig. 4, a scale from the abdominal region. 



List of specimens. 



Catal. No. of 



No. 



spec 



614 

 615 

 616 

 617 

 618 



1 

 1 

 1 

 2 



1 



Age. 



Locality, 



When col'td. 



Whence obtained 



Nature of 



' specimen 



Adult. 



Young 



Indianola, Texr s 



do 



Brazos 



Brazos Santiago 



Adult. New Orleans, La 



1851 

 1853 

 1854 

 1853 

 1853 



Col. J. D. Graham .. 



Major Emory 



do 



Collected by 



Alcoholic. 



do 



John H. Clark 



do 



G. Wiirdemann 



D.N. Couch 



do. . . . 



do 



do 



Dr. C. B. Kennedy 



G. Wiirdemann 



D. N. Couch 



AMBLODON NEGLECTUS, Grd. 



Plate V, Figs. 6—10. 



Spec. Char.— Profile of the head sloping evenly from the occiput to the snout, which is sub-conical and rounded. Posterior 

 extremity of maxillar bone extending to a vertical line which would intersect the middle of the pupil. Extremities of ventral 

 fins projecting somewhat beyond those of the pectorals and reaching the vent. Second anal spine very stout. Caudal fin 

 posteriorly convex. Upper regions reddish brown ; sides and belly silvery. Fins unicoior. Dorsals and caudal greyish olive ; 

 anal, ventrals, and pectorals yellowish. 



This species differ from A. grunniens, its nearest relative, by a more pointed and conical 

 snout, a larger mouth, and a somewhat larger eye. The first anal spine is stouter, and the 

 second spine of the same fin both stouter and longer. The even profile of the upper surface of 

 the head contributes to a great extent in giving it its peculiar physiognomy, which, when once 

 compared to that of A. grunniens, is never to be mistaken. The second dorsal is not quite so 

 high as in the latter mentioned species, and composed of but thirty rays. The other fins 

 exhibit no material differences in the number of their soft rays. We observe but six branchi- 

 ostegal rays. 



