296 PAPERS FROM TORTUGAS LABORATORY vol. xxxiv 



Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser., vol. 15, pt. 3, 1928, p. 798) gave dorsal and anal rays 

 each 27 to 29, and in a sample of 6 of their fish I found 1 with 27, 4 with 28, and 

 1 with 29 in each fin. The elongate spots streaking the sides of their fish are so 

 much finer pencilings than those on Tortugas specimens that they give them a 

 distinctive appearance. 



It is interesting that Poey did not recognize M. hispidus in his collections. 

 Meek and Hildebrand (see reference above) reported only oppositus from 

 Panama; Beebe and Tee-Van (Zoologica, vol. 10, 1928, p. 258) only oppositus 

 from Haiti; Fowler (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 83, 1931, p. 405) only 

 oppositus from Trinidad; Jordan and Rutter (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 

 vol. 49, 1897, p. 127) hispidus only, from Jamaica; Evermann and Marsh (Bull. 

 U. S. Fish Comm., vol. 20, pt. 1, 1900 (1902), p. 259) hispidus only, from Puerto 

 Rico; Metzelaar (Trop. atl. Vissch., 1919, p. 164) setifer only, from Curacao. 

 The inference may be incorrect, but the records suggest that hispidus is replaced 

 south of the Florida Strait by oppositus, the southern references to hispidus lack- 

 ing details for identification. 



The two actually are much alike in general appearance. In both, the ordinary 

 scale bears a pedicel, expanded distally to form a leaflike blade, inclined back- 

 ward, and spinose at the margin, the median tip being strongest. The males of 

 both species have on the sides of the caudal peduncle scales armed with a simple 

 spine inclined slightly toward the tail. The rays of the dorsal and anal fins in 

 each seem thinned in the same way at their bases, from the absence there of the 

 considerable mass of spinules which they bear just above the bases. 



Dry morsels as these fish would seem to be, they fall a prey to the terns of the 

 Bird Key colony in great numbers. They may be picked up from the ground 

 by hundreds at intervals of a few days during the period while the young are 

 still taking food from the parents most ineptly. 



Fish seined in turtle grass are commonly in a mottled green phase, and those 

 dipped up with Sargassum in patterns of brown. Over bare sandy bottom they 

 may be almost uniform pale gray, and in dark slate-bottomed aquaria may even 

 approach black in color. The induced changes, however, are not permanent or 

 even semipermanent, for even the black is replaced promptly by light shades if 

 the fish are transferred to lighter-colored surroundings. 



Cape Cod to the Florida Keys, sometimes straying northward, and possibly 

 ranging southward. W. H. L. 



Monacanthus tuckeri Bean 



Monacanthus tuc\eri Bean, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 19, 1906, p. 33 — Bermuda; 

 Field Columbian Mus., Zool. Ser., vol. 7, 1906, p. 78, fig. ri. 



The collection contains 3 specimens, 43, 50, and 72 mm. long. The smallest 

 and largest specimens are without a definite locality label. The other one was 

 taken in the channel west of White Shoal. Nothing was found among Dr. 

 Longley's notes indicating that he recognized this species, which probably is 

 rare locally. 



This species approaches Alutera in shape, differing, however, in having a free 



