36 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Type (No. 4974:5, U.S.N.M.), a single specimen, 90 mm. long, taken about July 28, 
1900, by the schooner Grampus, from under a medusa, 30 miles south of Newport, 
Rhode Island. This species is evidently closely related to Psenes pellucidus, from 
Avhich it differs in the longer snout, smaller eye, fewer fin rays, rounded fins, etc. 
I take great pleasure in associating with this species the name of Mr. Vinal N. 
Edwards, who has been connected with the U. S. Fish Commission as collector since 
its establishment thirty years ago, and who assisted Prof. S. F. Baird as collector 
before the establishment of the Commission. 
The genus Psenes is distinguished by Goode & Bean (Oceanic Ichthyology, p. 219) 
from Nomeus and other genera of the Nomeidce by “Pectorals long, surpassing ven- 
trals * * but in their description and figure of Psenes pelUtcidus the ventrals 
are given as 5 mm. longer than the pectorals. The first dorsal of Psenes is said to 
possess 6 to 10 spines, while Psenes pellucidus is figured as possessing 12 spines. In 
the description of the family of Nomeidce the palate is said to possess teeth, while in 
their description of the genus Psenes teeth are described for the jaws only. These 
mistakes are repeated by Jordan & Evermann in The Fishes of North and Middle 
America (pp. 948-950). In their synopsis of the families of the Scombroidei , Jordan 
& Evermann (p. 863) distinguish the Norneidm from the Stromateidce by the absence 
in the latter of tooth-like processes in the oesophagus. The specimen of Psenes 
under consideration has an enlarged oesophagus with denticles like those found in the 
Stromateidce. As far as I am able to make out in small specimens of Nomms the 
oesophagus is similarly modified. The Nomeidce are readily distinguished from 
the Stromateidce by their large number of vertebrae. 
