6 



UNITED STATES AND MEXICAN BOUNDARY. 



/ 





The greatest depth is equal to half the length, the caudal fin excluded. The head constitutes 

 less than the fourth of the total length, and the caudal fin about the fifth. The eye is sub- 

 circular, its diameter entering four times and a half in the length of the side of the head. The 



* 



inferior edge of the preorbital is finely serrated, as well as the edge of the convexity of the 

 preopercle. A vertical line drawn from the origin of the dorsal fin meets the insertion of the 

 ventrals and passes behind the base of the pectorals. The tips of the ventrals overlap the vent 

 and reach the origin of the anal. The extremities of the pectorals are nearly even with the 

 tips of the ventrals. The posterior margin of the caudal is but slightly emarginated. The 

 soft portion of the dorsal fin is nearly equal to that of the anal ; the outline alone varying 

 somewhat. The vent is situated opposite the eighth dorsal spine. 



Br. VI: V; D X, 11; A III, 11; C 4, 1,8, 7, 1,3; VI, 5; P 12. 



The scales are well developed, and, as usual, deeper than long, posteriorly ciliated or 

 pectinated, and anteriorly furrowed. Fourteen longitudinal series may be counted upon the 

 line of greatest depth below the lateral line, and six above it, making in all twenty-one series. 

 The lateral itself is composed of from forty to forty-three scales. 



The color is reddish brown, lighter beneath than above. The young exhibit numerous 

 transverse bands of brown or black, which give way to a uniform tint as they grow older. The 

 fins are yellowish or greyish and unicolor, except the dorsal, which is provided posteriorly 

 with a large black patch. The anal and ventrals are, generally speaking, of a greyish hue. 



Plate IV, fig. 5, represents Pomotis speciosus, size of life ; fig. 6 is a scale from the dorsal 



o 



o 



6 



J 



List of specimens. 



Catal. 



No. of 



Age. 



No. 



spec. 





432 3 



\dult. 



434 



24 



Young 



431 



3 



• .do. . 



482 



5 



. .do. . 



] iOcality 



Brownsville, Texas . 

 Devil's river, Texas. 

 Cadereita, New Leon 

 Brownsville, Texas . 



"VVoen 

 collected 



Whence obtained. 



1852 

 1854 

 1853 

 1852 



Capt. Van Vliet 

 Maj. Emory. .. . 

 D.N. Couch 



Capt. Van Vliet 



Orig. 

 No. 



Nature of 

 specimen. 



1&2 





63 

 23 



Alcoholic. 



» • • * (1 t_) • • ■ * 



do 



Collected by 



Capt. Van Vliet,.. 



Dr. C. B. Kennerly 



D. N. C'-uch « 



Capt. Van Vliet. . 



2. POMOTIS HEROS, B . & G . 



Plate II, Figs. 1 — 4. 



Spec. Char.— Head, mouth, and eye larger than in P. speciosus. Edge of preopercle inconspicuously serrated. Pectorals 

 projecting beyond the tips of ventrals ; anal fin provided occasionally with a black patch, as well as the dorsal. 



Stn.— Pomotis keros, B. & G. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VII, 1854,25 



With the general physiognomy of P. speciosus, this species differs, however, from the one 

 just mentioned, hy a proportionally larger head, hence a larger eye and a larger mouth. The 

 posterior extremity of the maxillary extends a little beyond the anterior rim of the orbit. The 

 edge of the preopercle is but inconspicuously if at all serrated, and the opercular flap of but 

 moderate development. 



The head constitutes about the fourth of the total length, and the diameter of the eye enters 

 a little short of four times in the length of the side of the head. The nape is more or less 

 convex, and the interocular region depressed. Five rows of scales mav be counted upon the 



