112 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



This species is rarely used as food, from its small size. 

 Three specimeus from Key West are numbered 341198. 



31. Tylosurus sagitta Jor. & Gilb. 



Not common. Three specimens taken with the seine at the same 

 time. 



32. Tylosurus crassus (Poey). Hound-fish. 



(? Bdone raphidoma Kauzani, Nov. Comm. Act. lust., Boiion., v, 184'2, 359; 

 Belone craasa Poey, Mem. Cuba, ii., 1860, 291 ; Bdone joneii Goode, 

 Amer. Jouiu. Sci. Arts, 1877, 295; Beloiie jontsi Giiutber, Auu. Mag. 

 Nat. Hist, iii, 1879, 150; Tylosurus gladins Beau, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 1882, 430). 



Common in schools about Key West; the young very abundant. It 

 reaches a length of 4 feet, and the large specimens are occasionally 

 brought to market. The variations in age witli this species are consid- 

 erable, the adults having the beak considerably more robust and i>ro- 

 portionately shorter than the young. We have comj^ared our Florida 

 specimens with numerous others, young and old, from Cuba, and can 

 find no difference. One of the larger ones corresponds exactly to the 

 type of Tylosurus gladius as described by Dr. Bean. 



Body robust, especially in the adult, somewhat deeper than broad ; 

 the tail rather depressed, broader than deep ; beak rather short and 

 stout, becoming proportionately shorter with age, and its length 1| to 

 1-| that of rest of head ; teeth strong, green ; eye large, about 2i times 

 in postorbital part of head; maxillary covered by preorbital ; toj) of head 

 with a very broad and shallow median groove ; the middle and posterior 

 parts of the head covered with smooth transparent skin ; supraorbital 

 bones broad, prominent, finely striated ; two folds of translucent skin 

 crossing i)reopercle above, and one near its angle ; pectorals rather 

 longer than postorbital part of head, their upper ray broad ; anal and 

 dorsal falcate, subequal, oi)posite, their posterior rays elevated in the 

 young, but becoming very short in the adult ; ventrals well developed ; 

 caudal large, the lower lobe much the longer, 2f in head. Head 3i in 

 length ; depth 13 to 15 ; D. 1,21 to 1,24 ; A. 22 to 24 ; scales minute, but || 

 evident. 



Color in life deep, clear green above, white below ; no lateral stripe; 

 sides with a row of large, round, dusky blotches, distinct only in the 

 young, and fading in spirits ; jaws with blue shades ; axil dark ; a dark 

 bar behind cheek ; jiectoral broadly blackish at tip ; more or less of 

 dusky shading on dorsal, caudal, and ventrals ; no red anywhere ; lat- 

 eral line forming a low black keel on caudal peduncle ; bones green. 



Three specimens from Key West are numbered 35030. 



33. Hemirhamphus unifasciatus Ranzaui. Balao ("Dally-hoo".) 

 {Heinirhamj)lnis richardi aud .^ II. picarti Cnv. &. Val. ) 

 {Hemirhamphus fasclaius Poey ; Hemirhamphus poeiji GiUither.) 



Extremely abundant about Key West, in large schools in quiet water; 

 taken in large numbers with the seine. Specimens entirely similar also 

 obtained at Havana. 



