FISHES OF SINALOA. 407 



The sept« between the myotomes are ossified about 

 half an inch under the skin, forming long, slender rays 

 of bone. 



There is an upper series running from the middle of 

 the sides up on the back, and a lower series from the sides 

 down on the belly, they form a sort of a basket around 

 the body. Those below have a single branch near the 

 middle of each, the ones above have two branches each, 

 these branches are lost towards the posterior end. 



These bones are not present in the 3'oung. 



The large caudal fin is attached very firmly to the hy- 

 pural, the long rays of each lobe join the hypural at 

 about the same oblique angle, the base of each ray is 

 deeply divided and articulated immovably with the hy- 

 pural. The middle short rays are all nearly horizontal 

 and are much less firmly fastened. 



The first interspinal ra}^ of the anal is hollow and cone- 

 shaped, the posterior end of the air-bladder runs into it 

 as in the genera EiLciiiostomus and Calamus. The scales 

 are very thick and closely imbricated; the skin anteriorly 

 is a quarter of an inch thick. 



Family ELOPID^. 



39. Elops saurus Linn^us. Chiro. 



Very common in the estuary, ascending into brackish 

 mud puddles at high tide; not valued as food. Also 

 found by Gilbert at Mazatlan. 



Family ALBULIDyE. 



40. Albula vulpes (Linnseus). Sanducha. 



Very common in the estuary at Mazatlan ; not valued as 

 a food fish. Also found by Gilbert at Panama and Ma- 

 zatlan. The band-shaped young, which Dr. Gilbert has 

 shown to be the larv« of this species, were obtained in 

 abundance. 



