NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 107 



Grammistes Juba Block, Systema Ichthyologiae, Schneid. ed. p. 184. 



Grammistes mauritii Block, Systema Ichthyologia?, Schneid. ed. p. 185. 



Sparus virginicus Block, Systema Ichthyologiae, Schneid. ed. p. 274. 



Juba Sparus Shaw, General Zoology, vol. iv. p. 431, 1803. 



Virginian Sparus Shaw, op. cit. vol. iv. p. 436. 



Vittated Sparus Shaw, op. cit. vol. iv. p. 465. 



Pristipoma rodo Ouv. et Vol., Hist. Nat. des Poissons, torn v. p. 274. Storer, 

 Synopsis of the Fishes of North America, p. 76; ib. in Memoirs of the 

 American Academy of Arts and Sciences, vol. ii. p. 328. Guichenot, in 

 Ramon de la Sagra's Histoire de Cuba, Poissons, p. 70. 



Pristipoma virginicum Giinther, Catalogue of the Acanthopterygian Fishes, 

 &c, p. 288. 



Anisotremus virginicus Gill, Catalogue of the Fishes of the Eastern Coast 

 of North America, p. 32. 



The number and character of the rays is expressed in the following formula : 

 1 1 1 



D. XII. 14 to 16. A. III. 9. C. 4, 1, 8, 7, 1, 3. P. 2, 14. V. I. 5. 

 1 1 1 



The body is of a steel blue color, which merges into a silvery gray on the 

 abdomen. There are darker spots on the central portions of the scales of the 

 dorsal region, which have a tendency to form oblique purplish lines running be- 

 hind and upwards. There are two vertical bands, the anterior of which is 

 oblique, and runs from the nape to the corner of the mouth, but interrupted at 

 the eye. The second is vertical and proceeds from the front of the dorsal fin 

 to the base of the pectoral. Behind the latter bands, there are about seven 

 broad longitudinal bands of a light yellow color, most of which are double or branched 

 anteriorly. The sixth and seventh bands are not usually divided in front. The 

 upper branch of the third band is sometimes again subdivided. The first band 

 terminates under the first five soft-branched rays of the dorsal fin ; the second 

 under first part of the second half of the articulated portion of the dorsal; the 

 third extends on the upper ridge of the caudal peduncle and unites with that of the 

 opposite side behind the dorsal ; the fourth runs on the sides of the tail along the 

 scales of the lateral line ; the fifth runs behind above the inferior ridge of the 

 caudal peduncle; the sixth ends at the terminal portion of the anal fin; the 

 seventh is very indistinct. The fins are yellowish ; the ventral tinged with 

 purplish. 



This species was first very well described by Linnasus, under the name of 

 Sparus virginicus, and the specific portion of his name has been consequently 

 retained. If, however, it should not be hereafter discovered on any part of 

 the coast of the ancient colony of Virginia, it will be requisite to change the 

 name, and as Bloch's name of Sparus viltalus is next in order of time, that may 

 be adopted, notwithstanding his defective figure and description. They are 

 no worse than those of many other species for which his names have been 

 retained. It will therefore be named Anisotremus vitlatus. 



Under the name of Pristipoma virginicum, Dr. Giinther has published a de- 

 scription which is inapplicable to this species. He mentions the presence be- 

 hind the vertical dorso-pectoral band of only " six parallel bluish longitudinal 

 bands." Such a description would be rather more applicable to the Aniso- 

 tremus tozniatus of Panama here described, were the bands margined with pur- 

 plish. But Dr. Giinther has probably had specimens in which the ground 

 color and yellow bands had faded and become merged below, and has mis- 

 taken the ground color on the dorsal and lateral regions for bands. 



Anisotremus t^eniatus Gill. 

 The radial formula is as follows : 

 1 1 



D. XII. 16 . A. III. 9. C. 4, 1, 8, 7, 1, 3. P. 2, 16. V. I. 5 

 1 1 



1861] 



