PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 363 



nearly straight. Month rather hirge, the maxillary reaching posterior 

 border of eye, 2^ iu head; teeth iu rather narrow bands ; each jaw with 

 two strong canines, rather larger than in any related species, those of 

 the upper jaw directed very strongly forwards and slightly downwards; 

 those of the lower jaw a little smaller, and directed similarly upwards 

 and backwards. Eye larger than in var. phenax^ 5 in head (adult). 

 Interorbital space slightly convex, 5 in head. Nostrils close together, 

 the posterior the larger. Upper limb of preopercle slightly convex, 

 very finely serrate ; a rather sharp notch above the angle, which is 

 salient, and bears a few coarse teeth. Gill-rakers rather few, 19 or 20 

 on lower part of anterior arch. Scales small, mostly cycloid. Dorsal 

 spines rather slender and weak, the outline of the fin gently curved, the 

 second spine about equal to the eighth and higher than the tenth ; the 

 third and fourth spines longest, 2f in head : caudal and anal fins formed 

 as \n\?iv.phenax ; longest ray of anal, 2^ iu head; upper lobe of caudal, . 

 1^. Pectoral reaching tips of ventrals, 14 in head. Pyloric cceca 15 

 (Poey). 



Color iu life brown above ; sides grayish brown, faintly covered with 

 darker spots which disappear in spirits. Eyes and angle of mouth yel- 

 lowish. Vertical fins dusky, the outer portions bluish black ; ventrals 

 and pectorals bluish black, the pectorals with a whitish edge. 



. Var. phenax (var. nov.). 



Specimens from the Florida coast differ somewhat from all those ob- 

 served at Havana, and we have thought best to designate them by a 

 distinct name. The chief difference is in the direction of the canine 

 teeth, which are rather weaker than in xawfalcata, those of the upper 

 jaw scarcely directed forward, those of the lower scarcely backward. 

 The serrae on the preopercle are rather weaker than iu yslt. falcata, and 

 there is some difference iu color, as is shown in the following notes on 

 a specimen from Key West. 



Head 3 (3J) ; depth, 3f (4f ). D, XI, 18 ; A. IH, 11. Scales, 24-135+ 

 X. Length, 13 inches. 



Color in life pinkish gray above, i)aler purplish gray below ; upi)er 

 parts and opercle thickly covered with small, rounded, irregular spots 

 of dark brown. Sides with larger and fainter brown blotches, more or 

 less horizontally oblong, and somewhat recticulate. Spinous dorsal 

 brownish ; soft dorsal darker, faintly spotted, edged with dusky and 

 with a narrow rim of whitish anteriorly. Caudal, brownish, spotted 

 with darker, its outer rays blackish posteriorly ; anal dusky, blackish 

 anteriorly, and edged with whitish. Pectorals plain, dusky toward 

 the tips, edged with whitish. Ventrals pale, tipped with dusky ; mouth 

 pale, scarcely greenish. 



This species reaches a smaller size than most others of this subgenus, 

 the largest seen not weighing more than six or eight pounds. It is one 

 of those most valued as food. The variety /«/ca^a is rather common 



