36 



SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I07 



are based on all this material unless otherwise stated. One half -grown 

 specimen is from the vicinity of Grand Isle, La. The others are from 

 Texas. Some were taken in the mouth of the Rio Grande, and at 

 Brazos Santiago. These are small specimens and part of Goode's type 

 material of B. patronus (1878b, p. 39), but not that species as already 

 explained. The rest of the specimens are from the bays in the vicinity 

 of Corpus Christi, Rockport, and Galveston. A particularly fine series 

 of rather large and well-preserved specimens from Aransas Bay, col- 

 lected and presented by Gordon Gunter, are included. The type 

 (U.S.N.M. No. 129798), 270 mm. in total length, 205 mm. in standard 

 length, was selected from the lot from Aransas Bay, Rockport, Tex. 

 Relationship. — B. gunteri differs prominently from B. patronus in 

 having much smaller and more crowded scales, which also are much 

 deeper and shorter, and have much shorter and blunter serrations in 

 adults. It differs further in the much more feebly developed radiating 

 striae or none, on the upper part of the opercle ; in the absence of dark 

 spots behind the black shoulder spot; as well as in several other re- 

 spects. It is close to B. smithi of the Atlantic, with which it agrees in 

 having a deep, well-compressed body, which is devoid of slime ; in hav- 

 ing small crowded scales ; in the absence of dark spots on the side 

 behind the black shoulder spot; and in several other respects. The 

 chief differences are shown in the following parallel comparison. 



smithi 

 Head small, its length 29 to 31.5 per- 

 cent of the standard length, and its 

 depth 27.3 to 31 percent. 



Maxillary reaching from middle of 

 eye to posterior margin of pupil, 

 13 to 14.5 percent of standard length. 



Mandible rather short, 16.5 to 18, 

 usually 17 percent of standard 

 length. 



Pectoral fin short, generally failing 

 to reach base of ventral by a dis- 

 tance somewhat greater than half 

 diameter of eye, 5 to 8 vertical rows 

 of scales between its tip and base 

 of ventral, 18.5 to 21.5 percent of 

 standard length. 



Ventral scutes 18 or 19, usually 18, 

 in front of ventral fins, and 12 to 

 14, usually 13, behind them, total 

 number 30 to 32, usually 31. 



Vertebrae 45 to 47. 



gunteri 



Head rather larger, its length 31 to 

 35-5, usually 32 to 34 percent of 

 standard length, and its depth 29 

 to 35.5, usually 30.5 to 32 percent. 



Maxillary reaching to or a little beyond 

 posterior margin of pupil, 14.5 to 

 17 percent of standard length. 



Mandible somewhat longer 18 to 20, 

 usually 18.5 to 19 percent of standard 

 length. 



Pectoral fin longer, generally failing 

 to reach base of ventral by a dis- 

 tance a little less than diameter of 

 pupil, 2 to 4 vertical rows of scales 

 between its tip and base of ventral, 

 19 to 23.5, usually 20 to 22 percent 

 of standard length. 



Ventral scutes 17 or 18, usually 17, 

 in front of ventral fins, and 10 to 

 13, usually II or 12, behind them, 

 total number 27 to 30, usually 28 

 or 29. 



Vertebrae 43 or 44, rarely 42. 



