

ICHTHYOLOGY. 



15 



I 











List of specimens. 



Catal. No. of 



No. 



622 

 623 



spec 



Age 



1 

 5 



Locality. 



Adult. . 

 Young . 



Indianola, Texas 



do 



When col- 

 lected. 



Whence obtained 



1851 

 1853 



Col. J. D. Graham.. . . 

 Lt. A. W.Whipple... 



Nature of 

 specimen. 



Alcoholic. 



. . . •uO. . • • 



Collected by 



Jno. H. Clark 



Dr. C. B. Kennedy. 



ORTIIOPRISTIS, Girard. 



Gen. Char. — The mouth is small ; the upper and lower jaws are provided with small, conical teeth. The edge of the 

 preopercle is nearly straight and finely serrated. The spinous portion of the dorsal is continuous with the soft portion, 

 constituting one uninterrupted fin. Three small spiny rays at the anterior margin of the anal, increasing in size from the first 

 to the third. 



The natural affinities of this genus are between Haemulon and Pristipoma. 



ORTHOPEISTIS D UPLEX, G r d . 



Plate IX, Figs. ]— 4. 



'Spec. Char. — Body somewhat elongated, sub-fusiform in its outline. Head constituting the fourth of the total length; 

 mout sub-conical ; mouth small and slightly protractile, with its gape somewhat oblique; posterior extremity of maxillary even 

 with a vertical line drawn immediately in advance of the anterior nasal aperture. The eye is sub-elliptical, of medium size ; 

 its horizontal diameter entering about four times and a half in the length of the side of the head. The spines at the edge of 

 the preopercle are very small, short, and acute. The origin of the dorsal fin is situated opposite the branchial apertures, hence 

 in advance of the base of the pectorals ; its posterior rays extending somewhat further backwards than those of the anal, 

 without, however, reaching the insertion of the caudal fin. The extremities of the pectorals extend nearly as far as the tips of 

 the ventrals, which barely reach the vent. 



The scales are deeper than long ; their posterior section is conspicuously pectinated, whilst 

 the anterior section exhibits the usual radiating furrows ; the lines of growth being concentrical. 

 The base of the caudal, pectoral, and ventral fins is covered with small scales. 



Br. VII: VII; D XII, 16; A III, 13; C 4, 1,8,7,1,3; VI, 5; P 18. 



The dorsal region is purplish brown, the abdominal region yellowish. Oblique dark streaks 

 follow the rows of scales above the lateral line, and longitudinal ones upon the middle of the 

 abdomen beneath the same lateral line. This two-fold system of lines having suggested the 

 specific name. 



Plate IX, fig. 1, represents Orthopristis duplex, size of life ; 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 Age. 



No. 



Locality, 



724 

 725 



spec. 





2 

 4 



Adult.. 

 Young-. 



When col- 

 lected. 



Whence obtained 



Nature of 

 specimen. 



Collected by 



Indianola, Texas. ...... 



Brazos Santiago, Texas 



1851 



1853 



Col. J. D. Graham.... 



G. Wiirdemann 





Alcoholic 



do 



Jno. H. Clark 



G. Wiirdemann 



Family SPARIDAE. 



The fishes of this family have, as common characters, a hody ovate in profile, sometimes 

 rather deep, at others somewhat elongated, always covered by well developed scales, generally 

 ctenoid in structure. The spinous portion of their dorsal fin is coutinuous with the soft portion, 





