PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 261 



A STrWY OF THE TRnVK-FISHES (OSTRACIOlVTIDyE), IVITII NOTES 

 UPON THE AIYIERICAN SPECIES OF THE FAIUI1.V. 



By G. ISnOWX OOODS. 



The fishes of the order PlectognatJd have afforded a knotty problem 

 to writers on systematic ichthyology. Many genera have been estab- 

 lished, and, between them, the several species have been buffeted to and 

 fro until their synonymy is tangled like a spider's web. The following 

 historical sketch of the progress of opinion in the classification of the 

 Ostracionts was drawn up as an aid in determining what generic names 

 should be used for the common West Indian forms. 



Artedi and Linnteus were acquainted only with those which have the 

 carapace closed behind the anal fin, now included by Giinther in the 

 subgeiuis Ostracion. The first of the other type, with carapace open 

 behind the aual fin, was described by Houttuyn in 1782,* and again by 

 Thunberg, under another name, eight years subsequently .t Schneider, 

 Shaw^, Lacepede, and their contemporaries recognized only the old genus, 

 and it was not until 1838 that Dr. Gray separated certain species under 

 the name Aracana.\ 



Lacepede was the first to propose a division of the genus Ostracion, 

 though he did not advocate the use of names for his subgenera, nor 

 indeed propose any. His divisions were based upon the arrangement 

 of the spiues on the carapace, as given below. He knew no representa- 

 tives of the Aracana type. 



FIRST SUBGENUS. 



No spines before the eyes nor under the tail. 



1. L'osTRACiOX TRiANGULAiRE ( =. 0. triqueter). 



2. L'osTRACiON MAILL15 (= 0. triqueter). 



3. L'OSTRACION PoiNTiLLli; (= 0. punctatus). 



4. L'osTRACiON QUATRE-TUBERCULES (affinities uuknown). 



5. L'OSTRACION MUSEAU-ALLOXGE (= 0. CUUCUS). 



6. L'OSTRACION DEUx-TUiiERCULES (= 0. cuhicus). 



7. L'OSTRACION MOUCHETE {= CUMCUS). 



8. L'OSTRACION BOSSU (= 0. ncisus). 



SECOND SUBGENUS. 



Spines in front of the eyes but none under the tail. 



9. L'OSTRACION TROIS-AIGUILLONS (mythical ?). 



*17C2. Houttuyn, M. Besckrijving van Eeuige Japansche Vissclien eu andere 

 Zeeschepseleu. < Verliaiul. d. Holland. Maatscb, Weteuschappeu, Haarlem, xx, 2, 

 1782, pp. 311-350. Ostracion acuUutus, p. 346. 



1 1790. TiiUNBERG, C. p. Beskrifuiug pii tvanne fiskar iufriin Japan <. Veten- 

 skaps Acad. Nya. Handl. xi, 1790, p. 100 +. Ostracion hexagonus, p. 107. 



X 1838. Gray, J. E. < Ann. Nat. Hist. 1, p. 110. 



