204 PAPERS FROM TORTUGAS LABORATORY vol. xxxiv 



Between 9 others from Martinique, and a specimen 116 mm. long from Cuba, 

 I find no difference. 



The types of X. martinicensis , as well as some of the other specimens, are 

 females, and none are demonstrably males. The ventrals reach only to the anus. 

 In one specimen, standard length 116 mm., the head is 33 mm. long, the depth 

 31 mm. 



What Jordan and Evermann called Novaculichthys infirm us (Bull. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus., No. 47, pt. 2, 1898, p. 1616), and believed distinguishable from X. martini- 

 censis by the dusky axil and scales on the cheeks, cannot be distinguished by 

 either. The West Indian specimens mentioned all have dusky axils, and the few 

 reduced scales on the cheek are as well developed as in in firm us. I think, there- 

 fore, that the specimens from Martinique must be accepted as types of the species, 

 which is now known not only from Martinique, but from Bermuda, the 

 Bahamas, Florida, Cuba, Yucatan, and the Dutch West Indies. 



In the Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum (vol. 9, 1886, p. 541) there is 

 a note by Jordan on Cuvier and Valenciennes' type of X. vitta; since that time 

 it has generally been rated a synonym of X. martinicensis. In the register of the 

 Musee d'Histoire Naturelle this type is now entered as Novacula cultrata, which 

 records a judgment tending to remove the name vitta to the synonymy of an- 

 other species. I have made no adequate effort to determine the correctness of this 

 assignment of this specimen of unknown origin. It is, however, clearly not X. 

 martinicensis, and it may not be distinct from X. psittacus. 



The types of X. rosipes Jordan and Gilbert are even smaller than the original 

 description indicated, the larger one, an alleged male, being 43 mm. long, and a 

 putative female 32 mm. long. That the sex of either was determined, or even 

 determinable, is not evident. 



The following notes (condensed) appear in Dr. Longley's papers under 

 Novaculichthys rosipes, a name transferred to the synonymy of this species: 

 Young fish whether swimming or at rest erect the dorsal fin with its 2 anterior 

 elongated spines, whereas adults carry it depressed. Both young and adults bury 

 themselves in the sand when closely pursued. One, when followed, twice re- 

 turned and buried itself in the same place, indicating that they may have par- 

 ticular places for hiding. 



Adults generally are common on sandy bottom of gravelly texture. The young 

 were seen on the sandy bottoms of some of the larger holes in the reef and some- 

 times in sandy holes in turtle grass or about coral heads. 



Ventrals in a large specimen reaching base of 3d anal spine, rosy in color; 

 pectorals rosy at tip; scales with anterior half blue, posterior green; an inky black 

 blotch with a very narrow pale blue margin on side covering posterior half of 

 10th scale in third row below lateral line, and situated in posterior third of a 

 large rosy patch, 5 scales long and 3 deep; five vertical brassy bars on the blue 

 snout and cheek (middle one branching ventrally), and three on opercle; dorsal 

 reddish toward margin, marbled with blue toward base, the lines of blue being 

 more oblique and regular posteriorly; caudal broadly margined with red or rose, 

 the remainder being crossed by four broad brassy yellow bands separated by pale 



