PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 467 



liiys about of equal leugtb, except the last, wliicb is somewhat pro- 

 duced, 2} in head; first ray reaching about to base of last ray, when 

 the fin is dei)ressed ; anal spines rather weak, the third rather longest, 

 '3 in head. Ventrals, It, in head. Pectorals somewhat falcate, reach- 

 ing first soft ray of anal, about as long as head. 



Color in life, dusky violet, i)aler below. Mouth within and fins all 

 similar in hue, the anal and ventrals with blackish tii)s; soft dorsal, 

 with some olive shades, the edge grayish. In spirits, nearly uniform 

 dusky gray, paler below. 



This beautifnl little fish is rather common in the markets of Havana, 

 where it is known as arnillo. 



The peculiarly unfortunate name dentatus is set aside by Poey in 

 favor of his later name, arnillo, because the species is a Luljcmiis and 

 not an Apdlus. and all the Luijani are dentate. Such reasons are not 

 sufficient to warrant interference with the law of priority. 



VI.— Genus APEION. 



Apiuon, Cuv. & Val., Hist. Nut. Poiss., vi, 1830, 543 (virescens). 

 ? Apsilus, Cuv. & Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss., vi, 1830, 548 (fusciis). 

 CH.ETOPTERUS, Teuuiiiuck & Schlcgel, Fauna Japonjca, Poiss., 78, 1850 (dtibins). 

 Pristipomoides, BlcL'kcr, Natuurk. Tijdschr. Nederl. lud., 18,52, iii, 574 (ti/pun). 

 Platvinius, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Pliila., 1863, 237 {vorax^macropWutlmKH). 

 Sparopsis, Kuer, Fische Mus. Godeffroy, 1868, 303 (eloiKjatus). 



We accept this genus as defined by Bleeker, who ijives a synonymy 

 similar to that above. The superficial characters separating it from 

 lAitjaniis are not very important, but the structure of the upper part of 

 the cranium (in the only species examined, macrophthalmus) difters most 

 vvidely from that of Lutjanus, Ocyurus, and RJiombopUtes, closely resem- 

 bling that of Etelifi, with which genus Ainion has very near affinities. 



The American species {macrophthalmun) has been made by Professor 

 Gill the type of a genus Platyinius, regarded as distinct from Aprion. 

 The skull of Aprion virescens has never been examined. It may or may 

 not agree with that of Platyinius, but, in our opinion, there is, as yet, 

 no sufficient reason to doubt the close affinity of ^. macrophthalmus with 

 A. virescens. 



ANALYSIS OF SPECIES OK APRION. 



a. Scales large, regularly arranged, those above lateral line in series parallel with the 

 lateral line; gill-rakers numerous, about 17 on lower part of arch; month rather 

 small, the canines feeble; tongue toothless ; vomerine teeth in a A-shaped patch • 

 caudal well forked; dorsal spines ten; body oblong-elliptical, the depth 3 in 

 length; last ray of dorsal and anal produced ; color rose-red, with some pearly 

 markings , Macrophthalmus, 25. 



25. Aprion macrophthalmus. Voraz. 



Ceninqmsth macrophthalmus, Miiller & Troschel, in Schoiub. Hist. Barbadoes, 

 (iUG, 1848 (young). 



Klastoma macrophthalmus, Cope, Trans. Am. Philos. Soc, 468, 1869 (St. Mar- 

 tin's; New Providence; St. Croix). 



^fcsoprlon vorax, Poey, Mcni., ii, 151, 1860 (Cuba). 



riati/iuius vorax. Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1862 (generic diagnosis); 

 Poey, Synopsis, 292, 1868, Poey ; Enumeratio, 31, 1875, 



