66 The American Naturalist. [January, — 
ZOOLOGY. 
Pteropodus Dallii sp. nov. Type:—One specimen 200 mm. 
long, San Francisco. Head 3, depth 3. D, XIII, 142; A, III, 63. 
Dorsal spines moderate, two in head; lower jaw projecting. Three 3 
straight, dark crossbands, one from nape across base of pectoral, one 
from between 6th and Tth dorsal spine toward anus, a half one from — j 
8th to 10th dorsal spine to lateral line, a broader one below soft dor- 
sal. These bars extending onto the dorsal fin. A few small dark spots 
-on base of pectorals and on shoulder; sides of tail more or less mot- 
tled. Dark streaks radiating from eye. Maxillary extending beyond — | 
eye, about 2$ in head. Eye equals snout, 34 in head, considerably = 
more than inter-orbital width. Inter-orbital concave, two strong , 
ridges dividing it into a median and two lateral grooves. Pre-orbital 2 
narrow, with two flat spine processes. Preopercular spines directed o 
backward. Gill-rakers, about two in orbit. Second anal spine 24m 
head. Maxillary, mandiblesand snout naked. Scales mostly eycloid. 
Peritoneum pale. Lower pectoral rays thick and fleshy. oy 
The single specimen belongs to the collections of the Indiana Uni- i 
versity. We have taken the liberty to name this species for William : 
Healy Dall of the Smithsonian Institution, who has been intimately 
identified with west coast zoology for many years. ; 
. H. Eicgenmann & C. H. BEESON. 
Changes of Plumage in the Bobolink.—Mr. F. W. Chapman 3 
shows in the Auk, Nov., 1893, a colored plate illustrating the change — 
of plumage in Dolichonyx oryzivorus. According to the author the 
male bobolink in the course of one year passes through the followwmg 
phases of plumage. Late in July, when the breeding season is ovely z 
the black male undergoes a complete mult and appears in the yellow’ 
ish plumage of the reed-bird, which closely resembles the plumage e 
‘the breeding female. In this costume the birds migrate southward, 
pausing in the rice fields of our southern states, and apparently contin 
uing their journey to the Campo districts of Brazil. A specimen t en 
at Corumba, Matto Grosso, Brazil, shows that in the spring, 98 well 98 ; 
“after the breeding season, a complete molt takes place, and the male 
„appears in a suit of black feathers tipped with yellow. As the birds 
travel southward the yellow tips slowly drop off, the nape, scapula and “4 
rump fade, and the bill and feet change respectively from flesh color 
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