PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSKTM. \U 



Yog. Vfl, "So. 7. \¥a!iiliiii§^toii, D. C. July 7, IS84. 



This species is rather common at Havana, where three specimens were 

 obtained. In color it is one of the most strongly marked and handsomest 

 species. The name uurofrenutum is rather unfortunate, as the stripe on 

 the head is bright ^■e^nilion in life. This, however, does not justify us 

 in the substitution for aurofrenatum of the nsiine miniofrenatus of Poey. 



11. Sparisoma abildgaardi. 



Fieja Parra, Descr. Dif. Piezas Hist. Nat., 1787, 58, pi. 28, f. 2 (Cuba). 

 Sparus abildgaardi BlocL, Ichthyol., taf. 259, about 1790 ("America," from a 



specimen sent by Professor Abiklgaurd) ; Lac^pede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., 



iv, 55, 163, 1802 (copied), 

 Scariix abildgaardi Cuv. »& Vai., xiv, 175, 1839 (St. Thomas; Bahia); Giinther, 



iv, 209 (Puerto Cabello) ; Guicheuot, Scaridi^s, Mus. Paris, 10 (Babia ; 

 ^ Sau Domingo); Poey, Eepertorio I, 371, 1867, II. 160; Poey, Synopsis, 



•337; Poey, Ennnieratio, 111; Cope, Trans. Am. Pbilos. Soc, 1871, 4G1 



(St. Croix; St. Martins). 

 Sparisoma abildgaardi Swainson, Nat. Hist. Class'n, Fishes, &c., II, 1839, 227. 

 Scarus coceitieus Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichthyol., 1801, 289 (after Parra); 



Cnvier, Regue Animal, 1829, ed. II. *y 



Sparus anrtoruber Lac6pfede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 55, 163, 1803 (on a drawing 



by Plumier). 

 Scarus amjflus Ranzani, "Nov. Comm. Acad. Sclent. Inst. Bonon., t. 5, p. 324, 



pi. xsv, 1842 " (fide Gnichenot). 

 Scarus eriifhrinoides Gnichenot, Scarid^s, Mus. Paris, 10, 1865 (San Domingo). 

 Scarus oxybrachius Poey, Synopsis, 18«J8, 342 (Cuba); Poey, Enumeratio, 115, 



lam. 14, f. 2. 



Head, 31 (3|) ; depth, 2^ (3^) ; length of example described (Havana), 

 8 inches. 



Body rather deep. Jaws pale; a small, bluntish canine on each side 

 of upper jaw in front of angle of mouth ; upper lip covering most of 

 upper jaw. 



Eye rather large, 4^ in head; snout rather acute, 2§ ; cheeks with 

 a single row of large scales ; each pore of lateral line with 5 to 8 

 branches covering most of the scale; four scales on median line before 

 dorsal. 



('audal fin slightly lunate ; the middle a little convex when spread 

 o[)eii ; the outer rays slightly produced ; the upper rays 1^ in head in 

 the largest specimens examined. 



Color in spirits almost jdain dark brown, somewhat mottled with 

 paler; a few dark dots on opercle, the edge of the opercle being more or 

 less blackish; pale gray below, i'roiii tip of lower jaw to caudal; teeth 

 pale, tinged with reddish ; all the tins pale, the dorsal narrowly edged 

 with dusky, the fin somewhat mottled with darker; axil of pectoral pale, 

 the base dusky above. 



In life the dorsal, caudal, lower fins, and belly are bright cherry-red; 

 re.st of body brown, tinged with red; pale dots and mottlings on sides 

 of head and on body. 



Proc. Xat. Mus. 84 7 



