preoperculum with rather smaller scales, those of interoperculum smaller Lateral line approaching gradually nearer to the dorsal outline toward Color, in alcohol, dark brown on snout and cheeks, fading to silvery On the orbital margin, just above the posterior nostril, there is a Several specimens of this species were sent from Magdalena Bay, One of the examples is in the National Museum, Washington, D. C. Dimensions. Total length from tip of snout to tip of caudal lobe ....... Tip of snout to origin of dorsal, along dorsal outline.......... Tip of snout to anterior axil of ventrals, along abdominal outline Length of third anal spine Greatest thickness at operculum .... Greatest distance from abdominal outline to lateral line Inches. 14.00 12.37 5.25 1.00 3.42 3.90 7.70 5.55 4.35 2.25 .37 .76 .92 1.69 1.52 3.8 2.40 6.07 3.88 .53 1.10 2.03 1.97 2.15 .45 .94 .73 1.75 4.05 DESCRIPTION OF SEVEN NEW SPECIES OF SEBASTOID FISHES, FROM THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA. By DAVID S. JORDAN and CHARLES H. GILBERT. The Sebastoid fishes of the coast of California have been referred by Professor Gill to four genera: Sebastodes (type paucispinis), Sebastosomus (type melanops), Sebastomus (type rosaceus), and Sebastichthys (type nigrocinctus), the first separated by the small size of the scales, the others mainly differentiated by the degree of development in the spines of the head. The genus Sebastodes we consider valid, referring to it only paucispinis, although the affinities between paucispinis and the group termed Sebastosomus are not remote, as is shown by the smooth head, protruding lower jaw, small scales, and longer anal fin in the latter group. The discovery by us of numerous additional species not known to Professor Gill renders it evident to us that the groups Sebastosomus and Sebastomus cannot be maintained as genera distinct from Sebastichthys, and that, in order to recognize them as subgenera even, a different distribution of the species must be adopted. The Californian species known to Professor Gill are distributed by him as follows: Genus SEBASTODES. paucispinis. Genus SEBASTOSOMUS. melanops. simulans. flavidus. ovalis. pinniger. Genus SEBASTOMUS. elongatus. rosaceus. ruber. auriculatus. nebulosus. Genus SEBASTICHTHYS. nigrocinctus. The following arrangement expresses our present views as to the relations of the species known to us, so far as it can be shown in a linear series. Genus SEBASTODES. paucispinis. Genus SEBASTICHTHYS. Series (or subgenus) Sebastosomus. melanops. simulans. flavidus. ovalis. Series (or subgenus) Sebastichthys. atrovirens. pinniger. elongatus. rubrivinctus. auriculatus. vexillaris. chlorostictus. rosaceus. constellatus. ruber. rastrelliger. nebulosus. fasciolaris. Of the foregoing species we have examined a large series of all except ovalis, rubrivinctus, and nigrocinctus. All the species except nigrocinctus, ovalis, and rubrivinctus are of frequent occurrence in the San Francisco markets. The characters drawn from the presence or absence of the different pairs of spinous ridges on the top of the head are among the most reliable in this group, although not hitherto accurately given by the describers of the species. Some individual irregularities may be observed, but these are usually readily detected. For these spines we have adopted the following names: Nasal: those near the nostrils; present in all our species of Sebastichthys. Preocular: for those above the front of the eye; present in all except flavidus and simulans. In melanops the ridge is present, but it usually does not end in a spine. Supraocular: above the eye; present in all but simulans, melanops, and flavidus. Postocular: close behind these; present in most of the red species, usually wanting in others. Tympanic: behind the postocular, and generally present. Occipital: long ridges on the posterior part of the head on each side of the occipital crest. These ridges end in spines in all except melanops, simulans, and flavidus. Coronal: a pair of distinct spinous ridges in front of the occipital ridge; present in one species only-auriculatus. Nuchal: close behind the occipital; in one species (serriceps) large and distinct, in the others either wanting or often coalescent with the preceding. Two suprascapular spines are present in all the species except auricu. latus, which has three on each side. The following table gives the names of the spinigerous ridges on the top of the head usually present in each species, beginning with those in which the ridges are least elevated: Paucispinis, preocular, occipital Flaridus, nasal Pairs. 2 1 Melanops, nasal and preocular.... 1 or 2 Simulans, nasal....... 1 Ovalis, nasal, preocular, supraocular, postocular, tympanic, and occipital.... 6 6 5 5 4 or 5 75 Vexillaris, nasal, preocular, supraocular, occipital, and sometimes tympanic 6 5 6 6 5 6 5 6 5 The character of the gill-rakers has been hitherto unnoticed. In this regard the species may be grouped as follows: 1. Long and slender: flavidus, simulans, ovalis, pinniger, melanops, atrovirens. 2. Long and rather strong: vexillaris, elongatus, chlorostictus, rosaceus. 3. Stout and rather short, usually not clavate, but constricted toward the tips: rubrivinctus, auriculatus, constellatus, ruber. 4. Stout, short, compressed, and clavate: nebulosus, fasciolaris, serriceps, nigrocinctus. 5. Very short, broader than high: rastrelliger. SEBASTICHTHYS ATROVIRENS sp. nov. Allied to S. pinniger. Body oblong, not very stout, not tapering rapidly backward. Head moderate, rather pointed, its upper outline with a slightly curved slope from the snout to the nuchal region. Mouth moderate, not very oblique, the lower jaw little projecting, the rather slender maxillary extending to the posterior border of the pupil; the premaxillary below the horizon of the pupil. Maxillary largely scaly. Eye large, about three and a half times in length of head. Sept. 28, 1880. Proc. Nat. Mus. 80-19 Ridges on top of head rather low, not ending in very prominent spines. The following pairs are present: Nasal, preocular, supraocular, and occipital, four in all. Occasionally the tympanic spine is also developed, although very small. The nasal spines are quite prominent. The preocular and superocular moderately so, but short. The occipital spines are comparatively short and low. Preorbital bone with the neck very narrow, scarcely one-fifth the diameter of the eye, provided anteriorly with two stout spines, which project backward. Preopercular spines short, but rather sharp, the second longer and slenderer than the others, all of them pointed. Subopercle and interoper cle with spines. Opercular and suprascapular spines sharp. Interorbital space rather broad and slightly convex, widened backward, a little depressed on each side next the supraocular spine, its width less than that of the eye and more than the length of the occipital spine. Gill-rakers long and slender, but stouter, rougher, and shorter than in S. pinniger, 9 above the angle and about 22 below; the longest twofifths the diameter of the eye, about half the interorbital space. Scales on the head rather large, about 15 in a cross-series on the checks above the suborbital stay. Preorbital scaly. Scales on body large and somewhat more regularly arranged than usual. Accessory scales present, but not numerous; 52 transverse series of scales. Dorsal spines moderate, the fifth and sixth spines highest, the others regularly shortened each way, the twelfth about as long as the first, the membrane joining the thirteenth less than half way up; the highest spine rather less than half the length of the head and lower than the soft rays, which are rather high. Caudal slightly rounded. Anal fin short and high, its spines slender, the second shorter than the third, and not much stronger. Pectorals long and narrow, reaching past the vent and nearly to the beginning of the anal, their length seven-eighths that of the head, their base quite narrow, less than the diameter of the eye. Ventrals long, reaching just past the vent. D. XII, I, 14; A. III, 7. Color similar to that of S. rastrelliger, but paler, usually olive-green, marbled with darker; belly pale yellowish green; fins olivaceous. Sometimes this species is quite dark, but it never shows red tints either on body or fins. This species is closely related to S. pinniger, from which it differs in the absence of the postocular and tympanic spines and in the coloration, S. pinniger being always chiefly orange-red. Externally it resembles S. astrelliger most, but it may be known at once from the latter species by the long gill rakers and narrow pectorals. S. atrovirens is very abundant from Point Concepcion as far as San Diego. About Catilina Island it is the most abundant species of the |