94 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



tent and character of the squamation, it was impossible to arrive at a certain 

 conclusion without further evidence. 



The specimens preserved in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution 

 were afterwards searched for and found, and it was then discovered that they 

 certainly belonged to the genus Mesoprion, as defined by Cuvier. 



None of the descriptions of the various species of that genus, and especially 

 of those found in the West Indies, were found to apply to the species in ques- 

 tion, and it appears quite distinct. The specific names, although applicable 

 to all the typical representatives of the genus, must be then retained, and 

 after reference to its pi - oper genus, it will assume the name of Lutjanus emar- 

 ginatus. The genus Lutjanus having been founded on allied species, and its 

 first representative being a true Mesoprion of Cuvier, the former name takes 

 precedence of the latter. 



In the " Catalogue of the Fishes of the Eastern Coast of North America," 

 the Neomcenis emarginatus has been adopted with that name, and referred to 

 the subfamily of Lobotince, and the family of Pristipomatoids. Neither the 

 specimens on which the species was founded, nor the Report of Dr. Girard 

 were at hand when the list of the Pristipomatoids was compiled, and the 

 author relied on the original description, where only the form and coloration 

 were mentioned. A simple note had been made in the margin that the genus ' 

 Neomcenis had been established by Girard for it, and as it evidently did not 

 belong to Lobotes, that name was adopted. As it had been referred to 

 Lobotes, it was presumed that there was a strong likeness to the species 

 of that genus, and it was consequently referred to the subfamily of 

 Lobotinse; as, however, the form was described as " elongated subfusiform." 

 and the caudal as " emarginated posteriorly," and as the color resembled 

 that of some of the species of Hcemulon, the genus Neomcenis was supposed 

 to form a passage from the Lobotinse to the Pristipomatinse. 



It is worthy of note that Dr. Bleeker has also made a mistake similar to 

 that committed by the North American naturalists. In the Natuurkundig 

 Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsch Indie, he has first described a fish as Dentex 

 pristipoma, for which he afterwards formed a new genus, and called the spe- 

 cies Pristipomoide.s typus, and which he subsequently referred to the genus 

 Mesoprion, to which it appears to truly belong. Dr. Giinther has retained the 

 genus Pristipomoides in his Catalogue of the Acanthopterygian Fish, having 

 probably overlooked the correction by Dr. Bleeker of his error. 



The history of those fishes is interesting, as it is evident that when such 

 excellent and celebrated naturalists have referred representatives of the Percoid 

 Lvtjani to different genera of Pristipomatoids, the distinction between the 

 family of Percoids and Pristipomatoids must be very slight. 



There is indeed the strongest resemblance between the Lutjani, Pristi- 

 pomatinse and Sparoids ; and the typical Percoids, Pristipomatoids, Sparoids 

 and Pimelepteroids will perhaps be found to belong to one true family. 



At the time of the compilation of the Catalogue of the Fishes of the Eastern 

 Coast, we were aware of the affinity of those families, but adopted some of 

 them in deference to other authors, and others to make of more nearly equal 

 value the different groups. It was intended to restrict the name of Percoids to 

 those fishes which have the aspect of Perca and Serranus, whose vomerine and 

 palatine bones are provided with acute teeth, and whose jaws have acumi- 

 nate ones ; the palatine teeth are rarely absent. 



The Pristipomatoids included those fishes whose jaws are moderately pro- 

 tractile, and furnished with acute teeth ; the palatine arch is edentulous. 

 The form is exemplified in Hcemulon. The Sparoids have a dentition which is 

 well described by Giinther " Either trenchant teeth in front of the jaws, or 

 lateral series of molar teeth." The Pimelepteroids, included by Giinther among 

 the Sparoids, were regarded as forming a distinct family, characterized by the 

 trenchant teeth in front of the jaws, the presence of palatine teeth, and the 

 dense squamation of the vertical fins. The Sparoids consequently embraced 

 only those whose palatine arch was unarmed. There is between many of the 



[April, 



