16 



UNITED STATES AND MEXICAN BOUNDARY. 



constituting one undivided and scaleless fin ; the ^ventrals being inserted under the pectorals 



or somewhat posteriorly. 



The mouth isjiot protractile and the palate always toothless. The maxillar teeth present 

 themselves under various aspects characteristic of the genera. The opercular apparatus is 

 perfectly smooth, the free edges of its bones being without either spines or denticulations. The 

 branchial apertures are wide and continuous under the throat ; the branchiostegal rays being 

 five or six in number on either side. 



LAGODON KHOMBOIDES, H o 1 b r . 



Plate IX, Figs. 13—16. 



Spec. Char. — Body rather short and deep ; greatest depth across the thoracic region equal to the third of the entire length. 

 Head very declivous anteriorly and forming about the fourth of the total length ; the snout being sub-conical, the mouth 

 somewhat protractile, and when in its retracted state, the gape is horizontal. The posterior extremity of the maxillary reaches 

 a vertical line drawn immediately behind the posterior nasal aperture. The snout is sub-conical and thickish, and the 

 supraocular region depressed. The eye is well developed, sub-circular in shape; its horizontal diameter entering about three 

 times and a half in the length of the side of the head. A vertical line dropped from the origin of the dorsal fin would pass 

 between the gill opening and the base of the pectoral- The posterior extremity of the dorsal is even with that of the anal 

 and does not quite reach the insertion of the caudal. The pectorals are elongated, their extremity extending beyond the origin 

 of the anal, which isliardly reached by the tips of the ventrals. 



Syn.— Sparus rhomboides, Linn. Syst. nat. ed. Xlla, 1766, 170.— Shaw, Gen. Zool. IV, 1800, 447. 



Sargus rhomboides, Cuv. & Val. Hist. nat. Poiss. VI, 1830, 63, pi. 143.— DeKay, N. Y. Fauna IV, 1842, 93, pi. 



lxxi, fig. 228 — Storer, Synops. 1846, 81. 



Lag 



The scales above the lateral line are deeper than long, and beneath it, longer than deep ; the 

 lines of growth are sub-concentric, the pectinations inconspicuously develvoped ; the radi- 

 ating furrows existing upon, the anterior section only. 



Br. VI: VI; 0X11,11; A III, 11; 5,1,8,7,1,6; V I, 5 ; P 1, 16. m 



The dorsal region is light reddish brown, with a bluish metallic reflect, whilst the sides and 

 abdomen are silvery. Seven distinct transverse narrow blackish bands may be observed along 

 the back, tapering towards the belly. The first of these fasciae is occipital, the second sub- 

 thoracic, and the seventh being caudal. Indistinct intervening fasciae may be observed in 



- 



the second fascia with the lateral line. 



In all, young and adult, there exists a round dark spot at the intersection of 



Plate IX, fig. 13, lepresents Lagodon rhomboides, size of life ; fig. 14 is a scale from the 

 dorsal region ; fig. 15, a scale from the lateral line ; and, fig. 16, a scale from the abdominal 



region. 



List of specimens. 





Catal. No. of 



No. 



spec 



Age. 



731 



6 



732 



6 



733 



3 



734 1 



5 



735 



i 2 



736 



6 



Adult. 



--.«•* 



Locality. 



Brazos 



Indianola, Texas 



St. Joseph's Island, Texas 

 Brazos Santiago 



When collected. 



Youn^ Indianola, Texas 



do 



do 



1853 

 1851 

 1853 

 1853 

 1854 

 1851 



Whence obtained. 



Nature of 

 specimen. 



Major Emory 



Collected by 



Alcoholic .. John H. Clark ... 



Col. J. D. Graham.'.... do 

 G. Wiirdemann . . 



do 



do 



Major Emory.. .. . 

 Col. J. D. Graham. 



do G. Wiirdemann . . 



d 



do 



do Dr. C.B. Kennedy 



. . . .do John H. Clark . . . 



