PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 271 



Carapace tetragonal. 

 (Carapace witli ventral and. frontal spines O. arcus, L. ) 



NOTES ON AMERICAN SPECIES. 

 OSTRACION TRIQUETER, Linn. 



Ostradon triqueter, LiNNiEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. x, 1758, 1, p. 330, No. 1, ed. xii, 1766, 1, p. 

 407.— Block, Ichtliyologie, iv, 1787, p. 106, taf. cxxx.— Gmelix, Linn. Syst. 

 Nat. i, 1788, p. 1441.— Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss. etc., i, 1798, p. 444 ; ed. ii, 1819, 

 11, p. 331, pi. xlv, iig. 1.— Schneider, Bloch, Syst. Ichth. 1801, p. 498.— Shaw, 

 Gen. Zool. v, 1804, p. 420.— Cuvier, R^gne Animal, ed. 1, 1817, p. 154 ; ed. li, 

 1829, ii, p. 376, note. — Muller & Groschel In Sclioniburgk's Hist. Karbados, 

 1848, p. 677.— Kaup, Arch, fiir Naturg. 1855, p. 217.— Hollard, Ann. Sci. Nat. 

 Til, 1858, p. 154.— Bleeker, Atl. Icbtli. v, 1865, p. 26.— Guxther, Cat. Fish 

 Brit. Mus. vlil, 1870, p. 256. 



Ostradon iriqustrum, Poey, Mem. Sob. Hist. Nat. Cuba, li, 1861, p. 361 ; Rep. Fis. Nat. 

 Cuba, 11, 186S, p. 442; Ennm. Pise. Cubens. 1876, p. 176. 



Osiradum triquetrum, Cope, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. 1870, p. 475.— Goode, Cat. Fish Ber- 

 mudas, 1876, p. 23 ; Amer. Journ. Sci. and Arts, 1877 (Oct.), p. 290. 



BMnesomus triqueter, Swainson, Nat. Hist. Fish. Rept. and Amphib. 1839, 11, p. 323. 



Pisds triangularis ex toto cornihus earens, Lister in App. Willughby Hist. Pise. 1686, p. 

 20.— Rat, Syn. Method. Pise. p. 45, No. 9. 



Ostradon triangulus, tuberculis exigids innumeris, aculeis earens, Artedi, Gen. Pise. 1738, 

 p. 57, No. 10 ; Syn. Plsc. 1738, p. 85, No. 14. 



Ostradon polyodoninermis triqueter, LiNNiEUS, Mus. Adolphl Frederlcl, 1, 1754, p. 60. 



L'Oslracion maille, Lac6pJ;de, 1. c. 



Cuckold, Bermudas. 



Chapin, Cuba. 



Brunken-fisli, Trunk fish, Plate-fish, or Fair Maid, Barbados. 



distribution. 



Bermudas (Goode). 



Jamaica (Giiuther). 



Cayenne (Giinther). 



Cuba (Poey). 



Gulf of Mexico (Hollard). 



Bahia (Castelnau). 



St. Martins (Cope). 



Tortugas (National Museum). 

 Trinidad (Giinther). 

 Barbados (Schomburgk). 

 St. Croix (Cope). 

 Mexico (Hollard). 

 Brazil (Cope). 

 Vera Cruz (Cope). 



Ostracious with triagoiial carapace, without spines. Height slightly- 

 greater than half the length of the body without the caudal, breadth 

 equal to half the length of the body in adults, greater in young. Ven- 

 tral surface of carapace convex anteriorly, concave posteriorly. Back 

 elevated compressed, sides joining at an angle of about thirty degrees.^ 

 Carapace continuous behind dorsal fin. Head contained three times in 

 length of body. Interorbital space concave. Upper surface of snout 

 concave. Diameter of eye contained eight to nine times in total length, 

 four to four and one-half in height of side. 



Teeth long, spike-like, eight to ten in upper jaw -, eight to ten in lower 

 jaw. 



Scales of the sides hexagonal, in young with striae radiating from 



