No. 1179. CHARACTERS OF PERCESOCES— STARES. 



Yertebrpe, iu number, with hypural, 52. In another specimen, 50. 

 Impossible to draw a line between abdominal and caudal vertebrae. 

 Twenty-fifth aud succeeding posterior vertebrae with an arch between 

 each pair of parapophyses, behind which parapophyses gradually 

 become longer, thinner, and wider, till at the thirty-fourth their tips 

 approach each other aud touch, forming a gradually decreasing tunnel 

 continued to the forty-first, where it becomes obsolete. This tunnel 

 is X)robably for reception of posterior end of air bladder. Only those 

 vertebrae from the forty-first backward have typical lifemal spines. 



Anterior neural spines, flattened into thin j^lates, much as in Mugil. 



Parapophyses on all abdominal vertebrae, including atlas. Subequal 

 in size and directed at about the same angle. 



Superior anterior and posterior parapophyses normally developed; 

 not with spines, as in Mugil. 



Inferior posterior zygapophyses developed on a few of the middle 

 vertebra?. 



Hypural assisted iu supporting caudal fin by spines of next preced- 

 ing four or five vertebrae. 



Eibs transversely flattened. 



Epipleurals present, typical. 



OSTEOLOGY OF MUGIL CEPHALUS. 



Cranium short and broad, its upper surface smooth and convex. 



Exoccipitals not meeting above basioccipitals, thus leaving the latter 

 to form floor of foramen magnum. 



Exoccipitals and basioccijiitals produced backward, elongating the 

 foramen magnum tunnel-like. 



Supraoccipital crest produced backward, somewhat broken up or 

 ragged posteriorly. N^ot extending above superior level of skull. 



Parietals widely separated by supraoccipital. 



Epiotics produced far backward, spreading out iuto thin, flat, hori- 

 zontal processes which divide into bristlelike filaments. 



Opisthotics sending back a rod of bone to which lower limb of post- 

 temporal is united by suture. 



Pterotics extending backward farther than usual as thin, flat projec- 

 tions. 



Sphenotics well developed, forming large lateral projections from side 

 of cranium, A short distance in front of them the frontals are later- 

 ally produced, leaving deep conspicuous notches over orbital region. 



Alisphenoids not meeting. 



Anterior opening into brain case large, 



Basisphenoid absent. 



Myodome present, not opening to exterior at its posterior end. The 

 anterior edge of basis cranii some distance back from mouth of anterior 

 opening into brain case. 



Vomer divided anteriorly into two prominent horns by a deep 

 rounded notch. 



