Catalogue of the fishes collected by Mr. John Xantus at Cape San Lucas, which are now in the United States National Museum, with descriptions of eight new species

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 353 CATAf.O«VlE OF TBaE FISHES C!©t,i:.E€TES> BY MR. JOIBIV XAi^TTtlS AT CAPE SAIV B^IUCAS, ^VHBCBJt AB5E IVO^V fliV TBSE l^IVBTEI) STATES IVATBONAIi MUSEUM, WITBI DESC'REPTIOIVS OF EIGIBT IVEW SPE-CIES. By I>AVSB> S. jrOBSIJAlV ami CHARLES If. C1II.E5ERT. Mr. John Xautus, when stationed at Cape Sau Lucas as a tidal observer for the Coast Survey, brought together a very large collection of objects of natural history, among which was a most excellent series of the fishes of the coast. The collections were formed under the auspices and direction of the Smithsonian Institution. They were studied by Professor Gill, who published descriptions* of most of the species in Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila-delphia in 1862 and 1863. Later, during a period of confusion in the Museum, this collection was scattered and many of the specimens lost or destroyed, and the study of the undescribed portion was abandoned by Professor Gill. The writers have gone over the entire collection again, and give here a catalogue of what remains. Even after the extensive collections studied by Giiuther, Steindachner, and the writers, there still remain in the Xantus collection several species new to science. It may be observed that the descrii^tions published by Professor Gill are, for the most part, taken from immature fishes. This accounts for many discrepancies between these descriptions and those taken from adults of the same species. Most of the specimens obtained by Xantus were taken from tide pools and rocks, and few or none bought in the markets. 1. Elops saurus L. 2521. Small specimens. 2. Clupea thrissina sp. no v. 6388, 2524, 6339. Several specimens in fair condition, the largest 7| inches in length. Allied to Clupea [Harengula) clupeoJa. Head 4 in length; depth 3^. D. I, 15; A. 1, 13 or 1, 14. Scales about 40-10. Ventral scutes 16 + 13. Body rather deep, but more elongate than usual in the group called Harengula, to which this species belongs ; rather strongly compressed. Head large, deep, rather blunt anteriorly. Mouth not large, rather oblique, the lower jaw projecting; the upper jaw scarcely emarginate in * Catalogue of the Fishes of Lower Califoruia in the Smithsonian Institution, col-lected by Mr. John Xautus. By Theodore Gill. Part I, in Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, pp. 140-151; Part II, op. cit. pp. 242-246; Part III, oj). cit. 249-262; Part IV, oj). cit., 1863, pp. 80-92. A few sjiecies were also described iu other papers of Professor Gill, both earlier and later than those here mentioned. Proc. Nat. Mus. 82 23 Sept, 5, 1882.

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Catalogue of the fishes collected by Mr. John Xantus at Cape San Lucas, which are now in the United States National Museum, with descriptions of eight new species

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