448 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



2^-ff in head. Teeth as in L. synagris, the canines in upper jaw small, 

 those of lower jaw inconspicuous. Tongue with a single hirge oblong- 

 patch of teeth. Vomer with a ^-shaped patch of teeth, the prolonga- 

 tion on the median line rather short. 



Gill -rakers rather long, about 9 on lower part of arch, with a few rudi- 

 ments in front of them. Posterior limb of preopercle extending down- 

 ward and forward, the emargination broad and rather shallow. Teeth 

 at angle of j^reopercle rather coarse, those above emargination much 

 finer. 



Scales rather large, those below lateral line in series which are almost 

 horizontal, those above in series which are very oblique and for the 

 most part regular and nearly straight. Cheek with six rows of scales, 

 interopercle with one. Temporal region with a series of large scales, 

 before and behind which is a broad band of small ones. Base of soft 

 dorsal and anal scaly. 



Dorsal sjunes rather slender and weak, the outline of the tin gently 

 convex, the longest spine 2| in head. Soft dorsal short and moderately 

 high, its margin angulated, the eighth ray about one-third longer tlian 

 last ray, and 2|- in head. Caudal lunate, the upper lobe 1^ in head . Anal 

 moderate, rounded in outline, its longest ray 2f in head; first soft ray 

 reaching tip of last ray when the fin is depressed. Second anal spine 

 stronger than third and of about equal length, 4^ in head. Ventrals 

 1| in head. Pectorals long, nearly reaching front of anal, 14 in head. 



Color in spirits brown above, the sides bright silvery. A large, round, 

 black lateral blotch, as large as eye, on lateral line below front of soft 

 dorsal. Each scale above lateral line with a faint darker grayish me- 

 dian spot, these forming oblique streaks. Sides of head often with 

 similar spots. Two or three similar streaks often present below lateral 

 line, these straight and horizontal; each series of scales below lateral 

 line with a narrow yellow stripe. Snout and preorbital with dark ver- 

 miculations. Fins all pale. In life the fins are brick red and the body 

 is largely flushed with bright red. 



This species represents Lufjanus synagris on the Pacific coast. It is a 

 common food-fish both at Mazatlau and Panama. 



12. Lutjanus synagris. Lane Snapper ; Biajaiba. 



Salpa purpureacens variegaia (tlie Lauc Snapper), Catesby, Hist. Nut. Carol., 



1743, tab. 17. 

 Sparus synagris, Liuuaius, Syst. Nat., x, 280, 1758 (alter Catesby); Liuuaiiis, 



op. cit., xii, 470 ; Guieliu, Syst. Nat., 1788, l'27r) ; Blocli & Schneider, Syst. 



Iclith., 1801, 274 (copied). 

 Lutjanus synagris, Poey, Emuneratio, 187'), 27 (Cuba); Poey, Bull. U. S. Fish 



Comm., 1882, 118 (Key West) ; Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis Fish. N. A., 



1883, t)22 ; Jordan, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., 1884 (Key West) ; Jordan, 



Proc. U. S. Nat. Mas., 1884, 125 (Key West). 

 Sparus verndcularis, Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 1801, 275 (on a drawing 



by Plumier). 

 Dipierodon plumieri, Lac6pcde, Hist. Nat. Poiss., 1803, iv, 167 (on a drawing 



by Plumier). 



