PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 93 



red towards their bases, giving a decidedly reddish cast ; dorsal mot- 

 tled with different shades of olive; caudal creamy, mottled and barred 

 A\ ith darker orange, the markings more distinct on the outer edge ; ven- 

 trals and anal rich cherry red, mottled or barred with brown ; pectorals 

 light orange-red, the color formed by narrow orange cross-streaks on a 

 paler ground; a light band across lower jaw, which is otherwise brown ; 

 teeth white ; a dusky or black bloch at base of pectoral. Sometimes 

 blackish spots on the scales at the base of soft dorsal. In sjiirits the 

 red of bodj' and tins and yellow on scales become pale. 



Young specimens have small, bright, rosy spots on sides of back; two 

 taint darker longitudinal shades along sides. 



This species is excessively common at Key West, swarming every- 

 where about the island. In the eel-grass. It rarely exceeds a foot in 

 length. At Havana it is apparently equally common, the numbers seen 

 in the market exceeding that of all the other species combined. It is 

 the least brightly colored of the species mentioned in this paper. As a 

 food fish this, like the others, is held in low esteem. The flesh, although 

 not unpleasant in flavor, is soft and rather poor. In the Havana mar- 

 ket it is usually called Vieja colorada, but the species of this group 

 are seldom distinguished by fishermen. 



We follow Poey in identifying with this species the Vieja of Parra, 

 which is made the type of Scarus JJavescens of Schneider. Valenciennes 

 has made of this " Vieja," a Calliodon^ and Bleeker a Callyodontichthys. 

 Parra's figure seems not unlike this species, but we should not have ven- 

 tured so to consider it except for the authority of Poey. There seems 

 to be little doubt that this species is the original Scarus rubripinnis as 

 well as the Scarus squalkhis of Poey. The Scams virens C. & V., and 

 Scarus truncatus of Poey either belong to this species or to some one 

 very closely related to it, perhaps distinguished by a truncate caudal. 



If the name jiavescens is considered too uncertain for adoption, the 

 much more api^ropriate Sparisoma rid)ripinne comes next in order of 

 time. 



There is considerable variation in the amount of redness in this spe- 

 cies, large ones being usually more rosy than the young. 



7. Sparisoma frondosum. 



Scarus frondosus Cuv. & Val. xiv, 204, 1839 (Brazil) ; Guicbeuot, Scaridds, 



Mus. Paris, 1865, 15 (Baliia) (uot of Giinther = Scarus distinctus Poey). 

 Scarus brachiaiis (misprinted hratjniahs) Poey, Memorias, II, 345, 1801 (Cuba); 



Poey, Synopsis; 337, Poey, Ennmeratio, 113. 



Head, 3^ (4); depth, 2^ (3^); length of example described (Havana), 



7^ inches. 



Body moderately deep. 



Jaws pale. ]Xo canine teeth. Upper lip covering most of upper jaw. 



Eye rather large, 4i in head; snout rather acute, 3; cheeks with a 



single row of about four large scales. Each pore of lateral line with 



