THE DISCOBOLI. 55 



length, lateral. Posterior nostril pore-like, on the interorbital space near 

 the eye ; anterior larger, tubular, nearly three fourths of the ocular diam- 

 eter farther forward. Disk subcircular, half as long as the head, distant 

 a trifle more than its own length from the lower lip, or almost twice as 

 far from the vent. Vent more than half-way from disk to anal, its dis- 

 tance from the snout about four fifths of that from the base of the caudal. 

 From the snout to the first ray of the dorsal is more than one third of 

 the distance to the base of the caudal. Anterior rays of the dorsal feeble, 

 short, and unsegmented, fifth and sixth little if any shorter. Dorsal and 

 anal broadening backward, not at all or but slightly connected with the 

 caudal, rounded posteriorly. The specimens in hand show no unions with 

 the tail fin, but it is possible a narrow membrane has been carried away. 

 The anal extends a little farther back than the dorsal; its first ray is 

 less than half-way from the snout to the forward extremity of the caudal 

 rays. Pectoral short, not reaching as far back as to a vertical from the 

 vent ; upper portion broadly rounded ; an excavation at the side of the 

 disk ; lower portion with long protruding rays. The fourth and fifth 

 rays of the lower pectoral are the longest in the fin. Caudal subtrun- 

 cate, length of rays nearly equal to height of body. In a female meas- 

 uring four and a half inches the spawn is nearly ready for extrusion. 



Color light olivaceous, in alcohol, puncticulate with darker. The 

 puncticulations form cloudings and blotches on the back and flanks. Fins 

 darker, with irregular blotches or, posteriorly, transverse streaks or bands. 



The specimens described are said to have been taken near San Fran- 

 cisco. They agree well with those described by Pallas, from Kamtchatka, 

 except in regard to the number of rays in the anal and the streak from 

 the upper jaw through the eye. The markings or life colors cannot be 

 made out accurately from our examples. On one which apparently had 

 no more than twenty-five anal rays, twenty-eight were discovered after 

 removing the skin. As was remarked of L. cyclopus by Dr. Giinther, 

 this species agrees well with L. liparis ; it is distinguished by shorter fins 

 and larger number of rays in pectorals and caudal, and by the shape of 

 the head from the eyes forward. 



The following is the description given by Pallas : — 



" Cvclopterus oblongus compressus, capite depresso majusculo, dentibus apice trilobis. 

 " Dodrantali minor, gracilis, caput corpora crassins, depressiusculum, rostro valde de- 

 presso, rotundato; maxilla inferior in superiorem incidens utraque margine scaberrima ct 



