73-1 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY - IV. 



membranes nearly separate, free from isthmus; gill-rakers rather long. 

 Body covered with small, rough scales, which are not keeled: lateral 

 line continuous: scales of breast very small. Dorsal fins distinct, the 

 first of S to 10 rather stout spines; anal fin similar to soft dorsal; 

 juvtoral fin with the three lower anterior rays thickened, entirely free 

 from each otlr.-r and from the fin; ventrals I, 5, wide apart, with a Hat 

 space between them, the inner rays longest. Pyloric cceca in moderate 

 number^ air-bladder generally with lateral muscles, and divided into 

 two lateral parts; vertebra} 10 or 11 + 15. Species about 10, repre- 

 senting in America the old world genus Trigla. (-p'.wv, saw; i>d*T<>-, 

 back; three free, saw-like spines being said to intervene between the 

 two dorsals.) 



a. Mouth small, mandible not reaching vertical from front of orbit; prcopercular 

 spine without conspicuous basal cusp; blotches on spinous dorsal well de- 

 lined, ocellatcd; a transverse groove connecting the upper posterior angles of 

 .rbit. (Ortiii-litliyx* Sw.) 

 fc. Body very slender; sides with numerous round brownish spots. 



11 'J3. P. puiictiUus (Bloch) Cuv. & Vol. 



Dark olive brown, back and sides covered with numerous round 

 bron/e spots, larger than the pupil; spinous dorsal dusky, with lighter 

 streaks and two black ocellated spots; second dorsal and upper half of 

 caudal spotted; anal blackish, with a pinkish border; pectorals black- 

 ish, the free rays barred with light and dark; ventrals pale; branehi- 

 o.Megal membrane pinkish. Pectorals short, reaching only to middle of 

 suit dorsal, L'.\ in length to base of caudal; first dorsal high. Body 

 much slenderer than in any of the other species. Band of palatine 

 teeth very slender, shorter than eye; maxillary one-third length of 

 head: preorbital without spines; operele scaleless; gill-rakers shortish; 

 about 10 below angle. Head :!',; depth <>. I). X-1.".; A. ll'; Lat. 1. 

 about 7~>. West Indies, north to North Carolina; not rare southward. 

 1 1 ere described from specimens from North Carolina, perhaps belonging 

 to a species distinct from the true ptincti'fiis, which is described as less 

 slender. 



l',-i : /l,i ),<ni,-1<i1n Bloeh. Ansl. l-'iseh. taf. :'.."..': M'uv. A Val. iv, l>:$; ?(;iinl lier, ii, 

 '.:;; .Jordan A (iill.erl, Proo. U. S. Nat. Mils. 1878, :'.7:5.) 



/>/). Iioil\ rat In r lolnisi : Md-\s of body without conspicuous spots. 

 1 1*JI. I*. |>allllD|M'S ( Mitdi.) Sl..ivr. 



Brownish above, clouded with darker; throat and branchioslegals 

 dark; a distiiujt black blotch above on membrane between fourth and 



9wain8on, Cla->. l-'i.-.li. etc., l-:'.'.i, -Ji'.-J: typ-' Tr>-jl punctilio, Bloch. (opvi?, bird; 

 S, lish.) 



