200 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION 
short and blunt, but the preorbital is very much higher than in X. ventralis, the ' 
shortest distance from the angle of the mouth to the eye equaling nearly twice the ' 
length of the eye. The maxillary does not reach to the vertical from the front of the i 
orbit; its length equals one-fourth that of the head. The canines are as in A. ven- 
trails. No posterior canines. 
The eye is distant from the upper profile nearly one-half of its own diameter, 
which is contained about six times in the length of the head and more than twice in 
the distance of the eye from the tip of the snout. The iuterorbital width equals the 
length of the eye. 
There are a few scales below the orbit. The distance from the snout to the eye is 
two fifths of the length of the head. 
The length of the head is contained about three and one-half times in the total ' 
length to caudal base. The greatest height of the body, which is about at the origin , 
of the ventral, equals the length of the head. 
All of the dorsal spines are flexible, and of about equal length. The third spine is 
one-third as long as thi head. The last soft ray is very slightly produced, and is ' 
about two-fifths as long as the head. 
The anal spines are very weak. The third spine is about two-sevenths as long as ! 
the head. The last anal ray is a little more than one-third as long as the head. 
The caudal is usually nearly truncate; in some specimens the middle rays are 
very slightly longer than the external rays. The middle rays, from the end of the 
scales, are one-seventh of the total length to base of caudal. 
The ventral spine is slender and weak, and about twice as long as the eye. The 
first ray reaches about to the vent when extended. The fin is about two-thirds as long 
as the head, and one fifth of the total length without caudal. 
The pectoral is nearly as long as the ventral. 
D. IX, 12; A. Ill, 12; V. I, 5; P. 11; scales 2-27-11. The lateral line pierces 
twenty scales before the interruption, the twentieth pierced scale being under the 
tenth ray of the dorsal. The scales of the breast and abdomen are much smaller than 
any of the others. The posterior angle of most of the scales is acutely produced. i 
The color in spirits is light olive gray, the dorsal and anal fins being darker except 
along their basal portions. The axil of the pectoral is very dark and the dark blotch 
is sometimes bordered behind by several bluish streaks on the scales. Three narrow ! 
bluish stripes extend from the eye over the preorbital and cheek, and the interopercu- 
lum has six or seven short, nearly vertical, lines of bluish. Iris solferiuo. The dark . 
color of the dorsal is more pronounced on the spinous portion. 
24. Xyrichthys venustus Poey. ' 
Xjirichthys Knealus, C. & V., Hist. Nat. Poiss., xiv, 1839, p. 50; not Coryphwna lineata Gmelin, ; 
Linu4, Syst. Nat., p. 1195. 
The species to which I refer under the above name is perhaps the best known 
upon our coasts. It has a large pearl colored blotch in the pectoral region connected ' 
with its fellow of the opposite side by numerous narrow bands extending around the 
belly. It may be identical with X. psittacus, but I am disposed for the present to con- ! 
sider it a distinct species and present herewith a complete description. 
The collection made at Oozumel contains sixteen specimens, catalogue No. 37075, 
these ranging from 92 to 105 millimeters in length. All these examples have the 
