^OL. 3] Starks-Morns. — Marine Fishes. 221 



dead. Sometimes, especially in large specimens, everywhere spot- 

 ted with orange dots. Belly and chin light drab or green in small 

 specimens, the latter spotted with darker; sides of head coal 

 black. Pectoral with red shades ; membrane of soft dorsal some- 

 times edged with brilliant red. A dark band on caudal usually 

 black, sometimes red ; membrane of caudal light reddish, and with 

 transparent spots. Some specimens taken in clear, open pools 

 with sandy bottoms were very light, but when dead could not be 

 distinguished from the others. 



This species occurs from San Francisco southward to San 

 Martin Island, Lower California (Jordan and McGregor, 1898, 

 p. 284). It reaches a length of 7 inches, and is everywhere abun- 

 dant in tide pools. It may be readily known from other Cottoids 

 occurring with it by the rough feeling when the finger is passed 

 along the side toward the head. 



190. Oligocottus rubellio (Greeley). 

 (Eximia rubellio, J.ordan and Evermann, 1900, IV, p. 3182.) 



Four specimens taken in the tide pools on the ocean side of 

 Point Loma. The species may be known from Oligocottus macii- 

 losus by its longer head and larger eye. 



Color in life : body light translucent green with black cross 

 spots and bars on back. A bright reddish plum-colored area from 

 middle of interorbital to tip of snout ; similar spots on nape, op- 

 ercles, and base of pectoral ; a tinge of the same color between 

 bars on back. Belly and chin greenish blue ; tail reddish brown 

 with white cross markings ; lower part of pectoral orange yellow. 

 Other specimens were darker and without much of the red color, 

 but with many milk white spots. 



The genus Eximia (to which this species was originally as- 

 signed) founded on specimens having the preopercular spine 

 three pointed is not valid. Our specimens from Point Loma have 

 both two- or three-pointed preopercular spines, and one specimen 

 has a two-pointed spine on one side and a three-pointed spine on 

 the other. The typical specimens from Pacific Grove, in the Stan- 

 ford University collections, range from an imperfectly developed 

 three-pointed spine to a well developed four-pointed spine. 



