270 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



These large exami^les were light brown above, silvery below, the 

 jjectoral creamy with a diffuse black blotch below ; aual lobe and under 

 side of tail deep yellow. Opercular spot jet black, sharply defined. 



Head 3f ; depth 3i; D. VI-I, 20; A. II-I, 16. 



A portion of the true synonymy of this species has been detached 

 to form a mythical " Garangm chrysos,''^ by recent American authors. 

 There is no doubt in our mind that the species called carangus Auct., 

 esculentus Grd., and defensor Holbr. are identical with each other and 

 with the original Scomber kqypos of Linnaeus. The original Scomber chry- 

 sos of ]Mitchill was probably the young of the same species. 



Dr. Glinther has identified the Scomber Miipos of Linnteus with Caranx 

 fallax C. & Y. This must be erroneous, as Caranx fallax is rare at 

 Charleston, whence Linntieus received his specimens, while the present 

 species is very common. The two chief distinctive characters given by 

 Linnaeus "operculis postice macula nigra," and "dentium unica series, 

 anterioribus duobus majoribus" apply, as Dr. Gill has shown, to the 

 present specie.? and not to i\iQ fallax. 



55. Trachynotus carolinus (L.) Gill. — Pompano. P. 



Generally abundant in summer; the most valuable food-fish of the 

 Gulf coast. It reaches the weight of 10 or 12 pounds. 



56. Trachynotus glaucus C. »fc V.— Gaff-top-sail Pompano. P. 



iSJ^ot rare; reaches a weight of two pounds; a food-fish of mediocre 

 quality. 



57. Oligoplites occidentalis (L.) Gill.— Fp??ojr-/fli7. P. 



58. Seriola stearnsi Goode & Beau. — Amber-fish. P. 



Not uncommon on the " Snapper Banks" about Peusacola ; reaching 

 a weight of about 10 pounds. One specimen was obtained and others 

 were seen. 



This species much resembles the "yellow-tail" of the Cahfornian 

 coast, Seriola dorsalis (Gill), which we have identified, with considerable 

 doubt, with Seriola lalandi C. & V., a species originally described from 

 Brazil. 



S. stearnsi is, however, readily distinguished from the " yellow-tail " 

 by its larger mouth, the maxillary reaching to the middle of the eye, 

 about 2^ in head (in S. dorsalis barely to front of pupil, 2| in head). 

 Seriola stearnsi may be known from all the other Atlantic species, ex- 

 cept S. zo7iata, by the greater number of rays in the soft dorsal. S. 

 zonata has the occipital region carinated, while in ;8'. stearnsi., as in S. 

 dorsalis, this region is broadly rounded. Seriola dubia Poey seems to 

 resemble S. stearnsi, and may be identical with it. In any event the 

 name '■'■duhia'''' could not be retained, as there is an earlier Seriola dubia 

 Lowe. The description of Seriola gigas Poey does not indicate any 

 character by which it may be separated from the true Seriola lalandi. 

 The latter species has 2d D. I, 32 or 33 ; the Californian dorsalis I, 35. 



