FISHES OF SINALOA. . 49I 



Family DIODONTID^. 



193. Diodon hystrix Linn^us. Puerco Espino. 

 Very common about rocky places, especially among 



the islands, where it was also found by Dr. Gilbert. All 

 specimens taken belong to the typical Diodon hystrix. 

 Diodon holocanthus, if different, is unrepresented in our 

 Mazatlan collections. 



Family MOLID^. 



194. Mola mola (Linnaeus). Fez Mola, 



Found in the open sea from San Francisco to Mazat- 

 lan. It was seen at the latter locality by Dr. Gilbert, but 

 not by us. 



Family SCORP^NID^. 



195. Scorpaena mystes Jordan & Starks, n. sp. Lapon. 

 Plate Hi. 



Common in the Astillero, on the bottom. Very tena- 

 cious of life, and much dreaded by the fishermen from 

 the poisonous sting of its dorsal spines. 



Allied to Sco7'pcBna plumieri Bloch, which species it 

 represents on the Pacific Coast. 



Head 2^; depth 3^; dorsal XII, 10; anal III, 5; 

 scales about 30; orbit 6% in head; maxillary 2; pec- 

 toral 2; highest dorsal spine sH > second anal spine 3; 

 caudal 2. 



Body robust, not much compressed; interorbital space 

 wide, not deeply concave, )4 wider than orbit; a pit be- 

 tween preorbital and eye, and a broad depression behind 

 coronal spines; membranous flaps on preorbital, edge of 

 preopercle, over nostrils and above eyes; preocular, su- 

 praocular, tympanic, coronal, occipital, nuchal and exoc- 

 cipital spines present. Maxillary reaching to behind eye ; 

 lower jaw included; gill -rakers short and thick, about 



