864 PISCES. 



Genus Rita, Bleeker. 

 Rita sacerdotum, n. s., PI. LXXIX, fig. 3. 



The humeral plate is considerably shorter than the head, and is three-fourths the 

 total length of the occipital scute. It is rounded and broad posteriorly ; its total 

 length is 4-85 inches, by 1*90 inches ia greatest breadth. Its posterior margin is on 

 a line with the posterior margin of the dorsal scute. The granulation is coarse, and 

 the granules are arranged in concentric lines, which become more pronounced as they 

 recede from the anterior extremity of the scute. The skin clothing the bone in life 

 is so exceedingly thin that the granulations are distinctly visible. The occipital 

 scute is coarsely granular, the granules tending to assume in many cases the appear- 

 ance of rounded tvibercles, which arrangement prevails. There is no linear distribu- 

 tion. The scute is notched in front. Its lateral margin has a sinuous and back- 

 wardly expanding outline, until opposite to the bones of the pectoral fin, beyond 

 which the occipital scute rapidly contracts, the lateral margin of the first portion of 

 the contraction being marked by two notches corresponding to the articulation with 

 the lateral or supra -branchial scute, but posterior to this the margin of the occipital is 

 straight. Anterior to the lateral, it attains its greatest breadth, 3'77, while its 

 total length along its mesial line is 6"07. The breadth posteriorly is about one- 

 third of its greatest breadth measured transversely in a straight line. It fits in 

 posteriorly to the dorsal scute by a concave or notched posterior border, and the 

 dorsal plate anteriorly is as broad as the corresponding opposed surface of the 

 occipital, and its granulations are similar. The dorsal expands posteriorly, and its 

 total length measured in the mesial line to a line drawn between the ends of its 

 lateral extremities is one-third the total length of the occipital. Its breadth 

 anteriorly is 1""20 and posteriorly from side to side l'"65. The dorsal spine is 

 strong, but short, and only equals about the length of the humeral plate, viz., 4'"45. 

 The pectoral spine is very strong and longer than the dorsal spine, exceeding the 

 humeral plate by about one-seventh of the length of the latter. 



Dorsal 1 — 6 ; anal 14 ; pectoral 1 — 10. 



The upper half of body is brownish-olive, more or less suffusing the ventral 

 surface, behind the ventral fins. Fins brown on both aspects. Eye a transverse 

 elipse margined vdth golden, the scloritic being brownish-golden. Diameter of 

 eye '50 inch. Distance of eye from angle of mouth 1-"18. Anterior nostrils above 

 upper lip 0-"36. Distance between anterior nostrils l'"75. Posterior nostrils 

 distant from eye 0-"68. Posterior nostrils from angle of mouth l-"33. Length of 

 feeler of posterior nostrUs l-"50. Length of maxillary feelers 4-"25. Length of 

 mandibular feelers 3 ""81. 



Inches. 



Total length of fish to bifurcation of tail 27'75 



Distance of pectoral fin from snout 



Basal breadth of pectoral fin 

 Pectoral tin to ventral 

 Ventral to anal 

 Basal length of anal 



6-00 

 1-7.5 

 7-75 

 3-25 

 2-43 



