NO. l8 MENHADEN, GENUS BREVOORTIA HILDEBRAND 23 



large, closely imbricated, the exposed part about four times as deep 

 as long, the depth of the scale itself only about 125 percent of its length, 

 the serrae rather short and blunt (see fig. 8, D), the scales much 

 less reduced in size on the back than in North American species, and 

 scarcely reduced at base of caudal, in fairly regular series; 5 longi- 

 tudinal rows of scales on side of caudal peduncle ; a row of enlarged 

 modified scales on each side of median line of back in front of dorsal 

 fin, quite variable in number, not fully developed in specimens under 

 about 125 mm. in total length; ventral scutes moderately developed, 

 rather stronger in small specimens than in large ones, 17 or 18, rarely 

 16 or 19, in front of ventral fins, and 12 to 14, usually 13 or 14, be- 

 hind them; dorsal fin moderately high anteriorly, the longest rays 

 nearly as long as snout and eye, the last ray only a little longer than 

 the immediately preceding ones, the margin of fin definitely concave, 

 with a very narrow sheath of scales at base, the origin of the fin 

 equidistant from margin of snout and base of caudal, or a little nearer 

 the latter; caudal rather deeply forked, the lobes long, the lower one 

 a little longer than head, 2.7 to 3.0 in standard length ; anal fin lower 

 than the dorsal, its margin scarcely concave, with a very narrow 

 sheath of scales at base, its origin about under tip of last ray of dorsal, 

 its base 5.0 to 5.9 in standard length; ventral fin with an oblique 

 nearly straight margin, the innermost ray generally about two-thirds 

 the length of the outermost one, length of fin 3.0 to 3.7 in head (see 

 fig. 9, D) ; pectoral fin long, very slightly falcate in large specimens, 

 sometimes nearly or quite reaching base of ventral, occasionally fail- 

 ing to reach ventral by a distance fully as great as diameter of pupil, 

 leaving o to 3 scales exposed between its tip and base of ventral, its 

 length 5.0 to 5.7 times in standard length, and 1.55 to 1.8 in head; 

 axillary appendage of pectoral rather long in large examples, very 

 short in young, 2.25 to 3.4 in head in examples 200 mm. and upward 

 in length. 



Color of preserved specimens bluish gray above, sides silvery ; a 

 large black shoulder spot present in adults, not followed by smaller 

 dark spots, shoulder spot missing in specimens under about 90 mm. in 

 length; fins plain, except for dusky punctulation on the dorsal and 

 caudal. 



Study material. — The foregoing description is based on 22 speci- 

 mens, 160 to 365 mm. in total length, 126 to 292 mm. in standard 

 length. In addition a couple of dozen young, ranging from 43 to 

 no mm. in total length, 33 to 87 mm. in standard length, are at hand. 

 Envunerations of fin rays and ventral scutes of 13 of these small speci- 

 mens are included in the description. The proportions based on these 



