1884.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 69 



Scales 10-15 to 85-10 (the cross series counted from lateral 

 line to front of dorsal and anal fins respectively). 



Body oblong, slightly compressed, covered with large scales. 

 Head large, maxillary large, nearly ^ length of head, its posterior 

 margin reaching past front of orbit. Lower jaw, with fleshy tip, 

 bluntly conical. Eye rather small, about 6 in head, equals width 

 of interorbital area. Interorbital area concave, with a shallow 

 median groove (as wide a pupil, at posterior edge of orbit), 

 divided by a ridge in front and behind. Supraocular ridge bony 

 and striate. Preocular ridge present. 



Teeth large ; premaxillary teeth small, little compressed, ir- 

 regularly set, nearly uniform in size, somewhat thicker and 

 shorter posteriorly ; premaxillary with two pairs of very large 

 compressed teeth, their length more than half width of pupil; 

 anterior ones directed downwards, posterior ones downwaixls and 

 backwards ; teeth in lateral series of lower jaw small anteriorly, 

 increasing gradually backwards, when they nearly equal those on 

 palatines ; palatine teeth similar to those on lower jaw, arranged 

 in reversed order. 



Distance from tip of snout to front of first dorsal 2f in body ; 

 second dorsal spine longest, H in snout; second dorsal and anal 

 equal ; anal inserted under first third of soft dorsal ; caudal 

 forked, upper lobe the longest ; pectorals reaching beyond front 

 of dorsal, 2j in head ; origin of first dorsal slightl}' behind the 

 ventrals ; cheeks and opercles scaly, about twelve rows of scales 

 on cheeks ; ui)per part of head with small imbedded scales. 



Color silvery, darker above; sides in young with about ten 

 dark blotches, which break up and disappear with age. Some 

 inkj^ spots, usually on posterior part of body, are very conspicuous 

 in both old and young specimens. Soft dorsal, anal and ventral 

 fins black, except on margins. Pectorals plain, exce[)t upper 

 part of its margin, which is black. Fins of very 3'oung specimens 

 nearly plain. 



This description is made from an examination of some forty 

 specimens, varying in length from two and three-fourths inches 

 to twenty-eight inches. Nearly all were collected by Professor 

 Jordan, at Key West, Florida ; a few at Havana, Cuba. 



This appears to be the largest of the Barracudas, reaching a 

 length of at least five or six feet. Its mouth is larger and armed 

 with larger teeth than in any other of our species. 



