1885.] NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 149 



A REVIEW OF THE AMERICAN GENERA AND SPECIES OF MULLIDiE. 

 BY EDWARD A. HALL AND J. Z. A. McCAUGHAN. 



In the present paper we have attempted to collect the synonym}' 

 of all the American genera and species of the family of Mullidae. 

 All the specimens examined by us belong to the Museum of the 

 Indiana University. 



Analysis of American Genera of Mullidse. 



a. Teeth on lower jaw, vomer and palatines ; upper jaw toothless; 

 caudal lobes equal. Vertebrae 9 + 14 ; the nasal bone, which 

 forms a downward hook over maxillary, strongly developed ; 

 interorbital space flat and wide; opercle without spine. 

 D. VII-I, 8 ; A. II, 6. Mullus. 1. 



aa. Teeth on both jaws ; vomer and palatines toothless. Verte- 

 brae 9 + 14 ; the nasal bone, which forms a downward hook 

 over the maxillary, moderately developed ; interorbital 

 space concave and narrow; opercle ending in a single 

 spine. Upeneus. 2. 



1. MULLUS. 



Mullus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., 1758, ed. 10, 299 {barbatus ; surmuletus). 



The species of this genus, two or three in number, are very 

 closely related. They are chiefly confined to the waters of 

 Europe. 



Analysis of Species of Mullus. 



a. Depth less than 4 in length ; maxillary scarcely reaching front 

 of orbit ; eye much larger than in M. surmuletus, less than 

 5 in head ; barbels scarcely reaching to lower angle of pre- 

 opercle, more than 1^ in head. Scales more deciduous than 

 in M. surmuletus. ( Vinciguerra.) barbatus. 1 



1 For purposes of comparison we insert the characters of this European 

 species as given by Vinciguerra. We have examined no specimens of it. 

 The descriptions given by Guuther and others, of M. surmuletus and M. 

 barbatus, are said to show a confusion of the two forms. 



