1875.] 203 [Garman. 



Sicyases Petersii sp. nov. 



Dorsal fin with six rays; anal six. Incisors tricuspid, eight nearly 

 vertical upper, six oblique lower; at each end of the series, above 

 and below, are two curved canines, of which the posterior is the 

 longer. Head as broad as long, prominent in front of the eyes. 

 Subopercular spine medium. Body wedge-shaped. Skin tough, 

 naked. One third of the base of the dorsal anterior to that of the 

 anal. Color olivaceous brown, with a series of six or seven dark 

 brown spots on the back, and twice as many triangular ones on the 

 lower half of the sides. From the eye there are three white bands, 

 two over the opercle, and one, to the end of the muzzle, on the lip. 

 Belly whitish, uniform. A band of brown crosses the caudal fin. In 

 some specimens the markings are very obscure. Length 1.3 inches 

 (33 mm.). 



Sixteen specimens, from San Jose, San Miguel and Saboga. These 

 fishes were numerous in the little pools among the rocks on the 

 shores of these islands. On being hard pressed by attempts at cap- 

 ture they would run to the water's edge, and by jumps of considera- 

 ble length, throw themselves into the water again at some distance 

 from the point of attack. A wet surface on which there was no 

 appreciable depth of water connected two small basins which were 

 about two feet apart; this was traversed several times by some of 

 the fishes before they could be taken. After the water had all es- 

 caped from the pool they were to be found hidden under the coarse 

 sand in the bottom. 



This species is brought into notice in the name of the very emi- 

 nent zoologist, Dr. Wilhelm Peters of Berlin. 



The known species of the genus are 



S. sanguineus Mull. u. Trosch. Chili. 



S. chilensis (Barnev.) Gunth. Chili. 



S.fasciatus Peters. Caribbean Sea. 



S. Petersii sp. nov. Bay of Panama. 



Sternopygus carapus Gunth. 



The scales on these fishes are invisible until the mucus which cov- 

 ers them is removed. They were very abundant in the Guayaquil 

 River. Great numbers were taken by the natives with large dip-nets, 

 at the mouths of little creeks and inlets as they came in with the 

 tide. 



Murgena melanotis Gunth. 



Numerous amongst the Pearl Islands. 



