PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 139 



This common West ludiau species has not been previously noticed 

 on our coasts. 



The four species of Scorpama found on the Florida coast are readily- 

 distinguished bj' the colors of the pectoral axil, as follows : 



Plumieri: Axil jet black, with a few large white spots. 



Grandicornis: Axil dusky gray, with numerous white stellate spots. 



Stearnsi : Axil pale, with several round blackish spots. 



Galcarata : Axil pale, with dark specks and a black spot above. 



URANOSCOPIDiE. 



143. Astroscopus aiioplus (Cuv. & Val.). 



Two young specimens, each rather less than 2 inches in length, taken 

 with the seine in eel-grass. 



Color very dark olive, becoming jet black in spirits on upper part of 

 body, lower jaw, and spinous dorsal. Belly and fins otherwise abruptly 

 whitish ; no pale spots anywhere. 



Head very large, about as broad as deep ; its upper surface rugose 

 and entirely bony, except a small area along base of iiremaxillary in 

 front. No naked areas behind or between the eyes. A transverse de- 

 pression behind the eyes and before the occipital ridges ; these ridges 

 rather prominent, obtuse ; a similar ridge (turbinal) above opercle, end- 

 ing in a short, bluntish spine, which does not project beyond the opercle. 



Humeral spine scarcely developed. Preopercle with two large blunt- 

 ish spinous projections, the posterior largest, directed downwards and 

 backwards, the other downwards and forwards. Ko spine on subopercle. 

 No distinct spine on pelvis before ventrals. Cheeks covered bj^ smooth 

 skin, the preorbital forming a narrow bony ridge parallel with the max- 

 illary. Suborbital very narrow ; teetli rather strong ; lij^s fringed. No 

 intralabial filament. Maxillary reaching to below posterior part of eye. 

 Scales very minute, scarcely appreciable even with the lens ; traces of 

 scales appearing only on the upper part of the sides. Caudal nearly as 

 long as pectoral, 1| in head ; head 2| in length ; depth, 3^. D. IV, 14; 

 A. 13. 



It is evident that these specimens belong to the species originally 

 caWedUranoi^copus anoj^lus, by Cuv. & Val., and that it is specifically, if 

 not generically, different from the fish which has been called Astroscopus 

 anoplus by recent American writers. 



In the complete armature of the top of the head this species agrees 

 with Uranoscopus, while in most respects it approaches more nearly to 

 the type of y-grwcum, the genus or subgenus Upsilonphorus. 



I have not the materials at hand for a general revision of the synonymy 

 of these fishes. 



At i^resent, it would appear that three species are represented on our 

 Atlantic coast, viz : 



1. Astroscopus anoplus (Cuv. & Val.). 

 Charleston ; Key West. 



