PKOCEEDINGS OF UNITED S'J-.\TES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 435 



scales. A bluish liorizontal streak below eye, most distinct iu young 

 examples. Fins pale ; yellowish in life. 



This species, the Pargo AmariUo of the Mazatlau fishermen, is gen- 

 erally common on the Pacific coast of Mexico and Central America. It 

 bears considerable resemblance to. L caxis,jocu, and griseits, hut is dis- 

 tinct from all of these. 



3. Lutjanus caxis. Schoohnaslcr ; Caji. 



Perca viarina j)innts hranchialibus carcns (the Schoolmaster), Catesby, Hist. 



Carolina, &c., 1743, tab. 4. 

 Caxifi, Parra, Descr. Dif. Piezaw, Hist. Nat., 1787, tab. 8, f. 2 (Havana). 

 ? Perca apoda ("Forster, Catal. of Anim., 21"), Walbaiim, Artcdi Piscivim, 



1792, 351 (based on the Schoolmaster of Catesby). 

 Sparus caxis, Bloch & Schneider, Ichthyol., 1801, 284 (after Parra). 

 Mesoprion caxis, Poey, Eepertorio, ii, 269, 1868. 

 Lutjanus caxis, Poey, Synopsis, 1868, 293 (Cuba) ; Poey, Euumeratio, 1875,25; 



Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mns., 1884, 125 (Key West). (Not of most recent 



American writers.) 

 Bodianus sirialus,* Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 1801, 335, tab. Ixv (West 



Indies). 

 Lntjanus acutirosiris, Desmarest, Prdm. Dec, Ichthyol., 12, tab. .3, 1823 (Cuba). 

 IMesoju'ion cynodoii, Cuv. & Val., ii, 465, 1828 (Martinique; San Domingo); 



Bocourt, Ann. Nat. Hist., Paris, 1868, 224. 

 Mesoprion Unea, Cuv. & Val., ii, 468, 1828 (Cuba; San Domingo). 

 Mesoprion fiavcscens, Cuv. & Val., ii, 472, 1828 (Martinique). 

 Mesoprion albostriatus, Peters, Berliner Monatsberichte, 1865, HI (on the type 



of Bloch & Schneider.) 



Habitat. — West Indies, north to Florida Keys. 



Head, 2i in length (34 with caudal) ; depth, 2^ (34). D. X, 14; A. 

 Ill, 8. Scales (5t) G J-42§ to 45-13 ; 3(>|| pores in lateral line. Length 

 of an example from Ke}^ West, 9 inches. 



Body comparatively deep, moderately compressed, the back consid- 

 erably elevated. Profile almost straight from snout to nape, the nuchal 

 region rather convex. Snout unusually long and pointed, its outline 

 before eye a little depressed, its length 2^ in head. Eye moderate, 4^ 

 in head. Interorbital space flattish or gently convex, 5i in head. Mouth 

 large, maxillary reaching front of orbit, 2f iu head. Upper jaw with a 

 narrow band of villiform teeth, outside of which is a single series of 

 larger teeth; four canines in front of upper jaw; one ot them on each 

 side very large, almost as long as pupil. 



Lower jaw with a narrow villiform baud in front only, and an en- 

 larged series outside, these largest on side of jaw, where some of them 

 are somewhat cauiue-like. Tongue with a single large oval patch of 



* Called Bodianus albostriatus hy a tlip of the pen on page 237; the plate is named 

 Bodian us fascial us. 



t Number of scales iu a vertical line from first dorsal spine to lateral line. 



t Number of scales as above, but iu a series obliquely downward and backward. 



<^ Number of vertical rows of scales above lateral line, from head to base of caudal. 



II Number of pores in lateral line; these usually correspond very closely to the num- 

 ber of oblique series above the lateral line, 



