1884.] NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 91 



NOTES ON SPECIES OF FISHES IMPROPERLY ASCRIBED TO THE FAUNA 

 OF NORTH AMERICA. 



BY DAVID S. JORDAN. 



The study of the geographical description of species is impos- 

 sible without a correct knowledge of the species themselves and 

 of the localities whence specimens have been obtained. Every 

 attempt at generalization in this field has been more or less 

 vitiated by errors of identification or errors as to locality. No 

 accident, unfortunately, is more common in museums, or in private 

 collections,' than the mixing of specimens from difierent localities, 

 and the false records arising from such confusion have a wonder- 

 ful vitality. The early writers in S3'stematic zoology had no con- 

 ception of the problems of geographical distribution, and many 

 modern writers have a very low estimate of the importance of 

 accuracy in that regard. 



It is certain that numerous species of fishes have been ascribed 

 on erroneous information to the waters of the United States, by 

 writers of authority. Such species should of course be dropped 

 from the lists. Nor should any species be retained in regard to 

 which any serious doubt exists. It is manifestly better that a 

 chance visitor to our shores should be erroneously omitted, than 

 that a species which has never been taken should be improperly 

 inserted. 



I give here the names of 35 species which should, in my opinion, 

 be dropped from our lists of species inhabiting the waters of 

 North America, north of the Tropic of Cancer. Most of these 

 are admitted in Jordan and Gilbert's Sjmopsis of the Fishes of 

 North America, but many of them are repudiated in the addenda 

 to this work. I omit sevei'al species already expunged by earlier 

 writei'S, and include only those which have lately had some degree 

 6f currency. I divide these into two series, as to whether the 

 error is one as to locality or as to identification. 



a. Species erroneously recorded as to locality. 



1. Carcliaiias isodon Mtiller and Henle. 



Originally described from a specimen from unknown localitj' 

 collected by Milbert. As Milbertmade some collections in New 

 York, it has been assumed that this specimen came from New 

 York, and that Mitchill's Squalus punctatus is the same species. 



