366 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



and anal long and high, reaching the base of caudal when depressed; anal rays 12 or 13; 

 caudal lanceolate, the middle rays longer than head; pectorals about as long as head; ventrals 

 somewhat shorter. Color: Male — light green, with dark mottlings above; sides with 4 to 6 

 dark blotches; a large, distinct bluish-black spot on each side of nape; several rows of brown 

 spots on each dorsal; • 4 to 6 irregular brown vertical bars on caudal; lower fins dusky. Female 

 — duller; sides with a row of elongated dark spots, the light bars absent or faint, (stigmaticus, 

 spotty.) 



TJiis little species inhabits sandy bays from North Carolina to Florida, and 

 is apparently common about Beaufort. Jenkins reports that he " obtained about 

 30 specimens with considerable difficulty", and notes the local name of "scallop- 

 fish". Numerous specimens about 1.25 inches long were seined on Uncle Israel 

 Shoal in January, 1905. The maximum length is 2 inches. The species is 

 subject to considerable variation in form and color, depending on size> sex, and 

 locality. The form called encoeomus does not appear to be distinct from stig- 

 maticus. 



Genus MICROGOBITIS Poey. Gobies. 



Very small shore fishes, with elongate, more or less compressed body; large 



and very oblique mouth, the lower jaw prominent; strong teeth; small cycloid or 



weakly ctenoid scales; 7 or 8 dorsal spines; and 15 to 18 soft dorsal and anal rays. 



Four species are now known from the coast between Virginia and Texas, and 



several others occur in the West Indies; therefore, in addition to the 2 following, 



several other species may be looked for in North Carolina: 



i. Body strongly compressed; depth contained 5 times in length; caudal fin much longer than 

 head; color green; anal fin with a row of distinct black spots on margin; no distinct black 



spot on spinous dorsal holmesi. 



a. Body slightly compressed; depth contained 5.5 times in length; caudal fin equal to head; 

 color yellow or light brown; no black spots on anal fin; a distinct black spot on spinous 

 dorsal eulepis. 



(Microgobius, small goby.) 



317. MICROGOBIUS HOLMESI Smith, new species. 



Holmes' Goby. 



Diagnosis. — Form elongate, the body greatly compressed, the depth greatest over base 

 of pectorals where it is .2 length; caudal peduncle very short, broad, its greatest depth equal 

 to its length and more than .5 body depth; head comparatively large, contained 3.6 times in 

 length of body, slightly compressed, its width somewhat less than its depth, which is .66 its 

 length; eye placed high and directed upward and outward, contained 3.4 times in head; eyes 

 separated by a deep narrow groove; interorbital space very narrow, .3 width of pupil; snout 

 about .7 eye and less than .25 head; mouth large, strong, very oblique; lower jaw projecting, 

 its tip nearly on level with lower edge of pupU; maxillary extending to point under anterior 

 margin of pXipU, its length nearly .5 head; teeth in a narrow band in each jaw; cheek large, 

 its height greater than diameter of eye and about .3 length of head; scales cycloid, non- 

 deciduous, rather small, largest on posterior part of body and gradually becoming smaller 

 anteriorly; head, nape, and breast naked; scales, in lateral line about 48, in transverse line 

 between the origin of second dorsal and anal 11 or 12; dorsal fins distinct, the rays vil+ 16, 

 the fijst and last soft rays unbranched; spinous dorsal begins behind posterior margin of opercle 

 a distance equal to diameter of pupil, all the rays slender and high, the longest more than .8 

 head; origin of soft dorsal directly over vent, the rays of nearly uniform height, .5 head, the 



