116 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1883. 



A REVIEW OF THE SPECIES OF GERRES FOUND IN AMERICAN WATERS. 

 BY B. W. EVERMANN AND SETH E. MEEK. 



Upon attempting to identify various specimens of Gerres from 

 different points on our coast, and from Mexico and Central America, 

 we were led to the thought that the species of this genus have been 

 undul3' multiplied. 



Through the kindness of Prof. D. S. Jordan, to whom we here desire 

 to acknowledge our indebtedness for tlie use of specimens and his 

 library, and for many valuable suggestions, we had placed at our 

 disposal his entire collection of specimens of Gerres, thus affording 

 us a considerable amount of material for purposes of comparison. 

 In Jordan and Gilbert's Synopsis of Fishes of North America, 

 six species of Gerres are given as found on the United States 

 Coast ; of these, G. homonymus appears to us to be identical witli 

 G. gula C. and V. ; and G. harengulus Goode and Bean, with 

 Eucinostonius pseudogula of Poey, and with Diapterus gracilis 

 described from Cape San Lucas b^'^ Dr. Gill. 



In the present paper it is desired to set forth the conclusions 

 reached from a study of the material in hand. These conclusions 

 are all to be considered as provisional, perhaps to be modified by 

 the study of a greater number of specimens. 



The synonymy given, however, appears to be fully justified by 

 the evidence before us. 



We have been kindl}^ permitted to copy the synonymy of the 

 Pacific Coast species from Profs. Jordan and Gilbert's MSS. 



The different species of Gerres noticed in this paper may be 

 readily separated b}' the following analysis : — 

 a. Preopercle and preorbital entire ; bod}' elongate, depth 2^ to 4 

 in length. 

 6. Premaxillary groove naked. 



c. Anal rays II-8 ; body very elongate, depth less than one- 

 fourth its length. lefroyi. 1. 

 cc. Anal rays III-Y. 



d. Premaxillary groove linear. 



e. Eye small, about ^^ in head ; depth nearly 3 in 



length. gracilis. 2. 



ee. Eye large, less than 3 in head ; depth about 25 in 



length. dowi. 3. 



