PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 31S 



Poey rejects tho earlier names capeuna and trivittatus, based on tlio 

 descrii)tion oflMarcgraAe, because from its imperfection tlio latter " does 

 not merit to bo cited." 



Goodo has " made use of tlio speciflc name capcuna because it seems 

 to have priority over tliat usually accepted. Tho name trivittata can 

 scarcely stand, since it is not onl^- ina])plicable but sure to mislead, as 

 is evident from the two other names which have been given the species, 

 viz : quadril'meatum and quinqvclincaiumy 



But this reason for rejecting trivittatHm is insullicient. Tf Marcgrave's 

 cupeuna can bo shown to be this species, we must call it Ilwmulon trivit- 

 tittum. If JNIarcgrave's fish cannot be identified, the species must stand 

 as //. quadriUncatum. ' 



The following is a copy of Marcgrave's description, for which we aro 

 indebted to (lie kindness of Professor Poey: 



Oapeuna Bkasiliensibus Marcgrave (page 155). 



Piscis est corporo oblongo non lato, <pii in sei)tem digitorum longi- 

 tudinem excrescit. Os illi obtuse acuminatum ; habetquo in superioro 

 anpie inferiore mandibula unam seriem minimorum denliculorum : tola 

 cavitas oris cum lingua sanguinci coloris insignis. Oculi illi parvi, 

 stiiferi magnitudine, crystallini, circulo i)artim argenteo colore vaiiegato. 

 Piniias obtinet septem ; in (piolibet latere post branchiain unam ob- 

 longam, tonuem quasi triangularem : duas triangulares in iidimo ven- 

 tre; unam post anum lirma si)inamuuitnm ; unamiier dorsilongitudinem 

 excurrentum,cu jus anterior medietas spinas munita quam recondere jm- 

 test, posterior mollis et sine si)inis : cauda l)icoriiis, molli pinna. Tegitur 

 s(piainulis parvis argenteis, inquibus ali<piid aurei transplendet. In 

 qnolibet latere liabet duas lineas ciassas aurei coU)ris, unam a. summi- 

 tate oris per oculos (^t mediaiii latus ten<lentem ad candam, alteram 

 magis sui)erius ])er dorsi latum i>ergentam. In summitate cai)itis 

 livescit. Pinna3 oiiines sunt cinera^: " venter albus ut et ejus pimnv. 

 Coctus boni est saporis. Capitur in mari inter scopulos." 



This ( escription is accompanied by a rough figure (accidentally inter- 

 changed in tho text with a figure intended to rei)resentiM.'»}w7o«j>///w/'- 

 eri, the (iuaibi Coara Jintsiliensibus of Marcgrave). This ligu^(^ shows 

 an elongate body, tln^ dejith less than one-third the length, and a rather 

 large mouth the maxillary about L*;\ in head, but still not reaching tho 

 front of the small eye. It must ap]>arently be one of these three species, 

 quadriUneatum, ronco, anrolincntum, but even this is not certain. On 

 the whole, it most resembles quadriUncatum, with which it has been 

 usually identitied, but there is not much ground for this opinion, and 

 on the whole we must agree with Poey, that it "scarcely merits cita- 

 tion," although it very likely belongs here. 



