Extraordinary Fishes from California. 219 
~ the Sparoids; but the cycloid scales remove them at once 
from the latter, in which the scales present a very uniform 
ctenoid type. The:thick lips might remind one of the Labroids, 
but the scales of the Embiotoca are neither elongated, nor 
provided with the characteristic branching tubes of that family. 
One long dorsal fin, the anterior portion of which is sup- 
ported by spinous rays, and the posterior by numerous arti- 
culated branching rays, which are sheathed at the base by 
two or three rows of scales, separated from those of the body 
by a rather broad and deep scaleless furrow. This last 
peculiarity has not yet been observed in any fish, as far as I 
know. There is indeed a district longitudinal space parallel 
to the soft portion of the dorsal, nearly of the width of a 
single row of scales, whichis entirely naked and well defined, 
forming as it were, a furrow between the scales of the back, 
and those which rest against the base of the fin rays. 
Though protected in this way by a kind of sheath, the an- 
terior part of the dorsal fin alone can be folded backwards 
and entirely concealed between these scales, as in many 
Sparoids; the posterior part only partially so. Moreover 
the scales of the sheath are separated by a furrow from those 
of the back, only along the base of the soft. part of the dorsal 
fin. The first rays of the anal fin are short, comparatively 
small and spinous. The base of this fin is strangely arched, 
and sheathed between scales, in the same manner as the 
dorsal ; the spinous rays when folded back being more fully 
concealed in the sheath than the soft rays. 
The ventrals are subthoracic as in the Sparoids, and pro- 
vided with a strong spinous and five soft rays. 
_ Four branchial arches, supporting four complete branchize 
with two rows of lamellae in each. The opening behind the 
last arch is very small and entirely above the base of the 
pectoral fins. Pseudobranchia very large, and composed of 
Sixteen or seventeen lamelle. The alimentary canal is re- 
markably uniform in width for its whole length. It extends 
first on the left side as far back as the ventrals, turns for- 
wards and upwards to the right, then follows the middle line 
along the large air bladder, to the second third of the abdo- 
minal cavity, then bends along the right side downward 
