186 
U S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT* 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
No. of 
spec. 
Sex and 
age. 
Locality. 
When col¬ 
lected. 
Whence obtained. 
Nature of 
specimens. 
Collected by- 
555 
i 
Adult.. 
Presidio, Cal__ 
1853 
Lt. W. P. Trowbridge . . 
Alcoholic. 
Lt. Trowbridge. 
556 
2 
_do_ 
Tomales Bay, Cal. 
1855 
Mr. E. Samuels. 
_do_ 
Mr. Samuels ... 
ABEONA, Girard. 
Gen. Char. —Head of medium size ; mouth very small; jaws equal. Lips rather thin ; lower one attached by a frenum to 
the symphysis of the jaw. Premaxillaries protractile. Teeth stoutish, conical, disposed upon one single row on both jaws. 
Branchiostegals five in number. Spinous portion of dorsal fin higher than the soft; line of separation between both of these 
slightly depressed. Articulated rays of anal all dichotomised ; spiny rays, three in number, well developed ; base of that fin rather 
short. Scales of moderate Size. Lateral line concurrent with the dorsal outline. No scales upon the fins. Dorsal groove 
extending nearly to the whole base of the fin. Sheath formed by two rows of scales. 
Syn. — Meona, Grd. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VII, 1855, 322. * 
With the general facies of Amphistichus , this genus differs from the latter by a much smaller 
mouth and one row of teeth on the jaws instead of two. Also, hy the spinous portion of the dorsal 
fin, which is higher than the soft portion instead of being lower. The anal, likewise, is much 
shorter and proportionally deeper. From Holconotus it differs hy the lower lip, which is 
attached to the chin instead of being free all round, hy the presence of a single row of teeth on 
the jaws, hy a smaller mouth, hy a shorter and deeper anal fin provided with more developed 
spiny rays. From Embiotoca, which it most resembles, it is to be distinguished hy the spinous 
portion of the dorsal which is higher than the soft, more developed anal spines, and by the 
uniformity of all the articulated rays of the latter fin. The teeth are proportionally larger, as 
are likewise the scales. 
ABEONA TROWBRIDGII, Grd. 
Plate XXXIY, Figs. 6—10. 
Spec. Char. —General form sub-elliptical. Head sub-conical; snout abbreviated; mouth small; posterior extremity of 
maxillary not reaching the vertical of anterior rim of orbit. Eyes large, circular. Branchiostegals five on either side. Forty-one 
scales in lateral line. Olive or reddish brown above ; silvery on the sides and abdomen. Flanks blotched. Fins yellowish, 
except anal, which is purplish, with its anterior portion spotted. 
Syn. — Holconotus trowbridgii, Grd. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VII, 1854, 152. 
Meona trowbridgii, Grd. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VII, 1855, 322. 
The body has a rather short appearance, being sub-elliptical in shape and not unlike a small 
Pomotis. Its greatest depth is greater than the third of the entire length, in which the head 
enters a little over four times. The snout is rather obtuse, terminated hy a small mouth, the 
angles of which not extending to the vertical line intersecting the anterior rim of the orbit. 
The lips are thin, the lower one being attached by a frenum to the symphysis of the jaw. The 
teeth are proportionally large, stoutish, and sub-acute. The nostrils are situated towards the 
upper surface of the snout, nearer to the orbit than the extremity of the latter. The eye is 
very large, circular in shape, and its diameter contained a little over three times only in the 
length of the side of the head, and less than once in advance of the orbit. The scales upon the 
