PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 99 



This little fish is rery abundant about Key West, where many speci- 

 mens were taken with the seine in the kelp. None of these were more 

 than G inches in length, and as they were sexually mature at that size it 

 is not likely that they grow much larger. 



The species does not appear to have been previously described. The 

 prevalence of blue around the base of the pectoral is a striking color 

 mark and has suggested the specific name. This blue does not disap- 

 pear in alcohol. 



This species was not obtained at Havjana. 



13. Sparisoma xystrodon, sp. nov. 



Head, 3(3|) ; depth, 3f ; length of an example from Key West, 4f 

 inches. 



Body oblong. 



Jaws pale; upper jaw with three or four exserted canines on 

 each side above the cutting edge, the largest in front of the angle of 

 the mouth, curved outward and somewhat backward ; the others farther 

 forward, one of them being near the median suture ; upper lip covering 

 most of upper jaw. 



Eye moderate, 4^ in head; snout bluntlsh, 2f ; cheek with one 

 row of 4 or 5 scales ; pores of lateral line, each with 3 to 6 branches, 

 covering most of the scale ; four scales before dorsal. 



Caudal fin slightly convex when spread open ; its outer rays scarcely 

 as long as middle ones, 1^ in head. 



Color in life bright olive-green above, paler below ; the upper parts 

 very much mottled, speckled with white and marbled with coppery-red 

 on various scales. Head similarly green, dotted with whitish above, a 

 narrow ring of bright blue above eye, interrupted above ; a blue stripe 

 from it straight to angle of mouth; blue and coppery markings on 

 opercle; lower parts of head light yellow ; a blue band around lower jaw; 

 axil and a spot at base of pectoral in front above deep blue-black ; dor- 

 sal orange flesh-color, its tip paler ; caudal yellow at base, paler be- 

 yond, its posterior portion more or less jet black; the fin with a few 

 whitish dots toward the base ; anal light bluish and reddish, its tip 

 dusky; ventrals pale; pectorals light yellowish; liningof opercle black- 

 ish. 



Other specimens having the same markings were pearly-bluish rather 

 than green above, livid below ; the blue on head j^aler, the red of a light 

 yellowisli-carmine. Some highly-colored si)ecimens are greener, with 

 belly bright yellow, brightest at throat ; anal and caudal chiefly jet 

 black. 



In spirits this species is dark olive-green above, paler below; caudal 

 and anal very broadly margined with black. Black bar across base of 

 pectoral very distinct. The amount of black on caudal and anal seems 

 to de])eud on age, the very young showing scarcely any. 



This species is found in the eel-grass and Fucus about Key West, in 



