34 



SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. IO7 



17 or 18, usually 17 (17) in front of ventral fins, and 10 to 13. usu- 

 ally II or 12 (12) behind them; dorsal fin rather high anteriorly, the 

 longest rays about as long as snout and half the eye, the last ray con- 

 siderably longer than the immediately preceding ones, the margin of 

 the fin rather deeply concave, the base of fin with a very narrow 

 sheath of scales at base, the origin of the fin generally about equidis- 

 tant from margin of snout and base of caudal ; caudal deeply forked, 

 the middle rays about as long as eye, the lobes long, the lower one the 



Fig. 8. — Scales of species of Brevoortia from middle of side below anterior 

 rays of dorsal ; all equally enlarged. A, patronus, from a specimen 215 mm. in 

 total length ; B, tyranmis, from a specimen 320 mm. in total length ; C, anrea, 

 from a specimen 280 mm. in total length ; D, pectinata, from a specimen 290 mm. 

 in total length ; E, gunteri, from a specimen 270 mm. in total length ; F, sniithi, 

 from a specimen 295 mm. in total length. 



longer, exceeding length of head, 2.55 to 3.3, usually 2.8 to 2.9 (2.8) 

 in standard length ; anal fin much lower than dorsal, its longest rays 

 only about two-thirds length of those of dorsal, its margin somewhat 

 concave, with a very narrow sheath of scales at base, its origin under 

 or a little in advance of tip of last ray of dorsal, its base 4.45 to 5.25 

 (4.75) in standard length; ventral fin with an oblique, nearly straight 

 margin, the outermost ray somewhat less than twice the length of 

 the innermost one (see fig. 9, E), the fin inserted a little behind ver- 

 tical from origin of dorsal, length of fin 2.9 to 3.4 (3.0) in head; 



