PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 55T 



IVOTE OIV THE POSIATOMII)^. 



BV THEODORE OILE. 



lu 18G2, iu a " Synopsis of the Carangoids of the Eastern Coast of 

 Xorth America" (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila , 1862, pp. 430-443), the 

 family of Carongoids was limited, the chief snbfamilies defined, and one 

 established, for the blue-fish and named " Pomatomina^," but the state- 

 ment was made that "although the genus Pomatomus Lac. [Temnodon 

 Cuv.) is here retained in the family, I am not certain that it truly be- 

 longs to it" (p. 430). Two years later I proposed and defined a peculiar 

 family for the genus. In the catalogue of the fishes of the eastern 

 coast of North America, in 1873, it was intended to have been placed, 

 as were all the families 60-65, among the Acauthopteri " incertre se- 

 dis," but through some inadvertence the word " incerta' sedis " was 

 omitted. In order to determine the affinities of the doubtful form, I 

 have re-examined the fish and its skeleton, and. am now satisfied that 

 the approximation of the type to the CarangidjE was correct, but still 

 believe that it should be regarded as a peculiar family group. Pend- 

 ing a more detailed comparative study of the Scombroids, this may be 

 briefly diagnosed as follows : 



POMATOMID^. 



Synonym an family. 



= Pomatomidaj, Gill, Can. Nat., u. s., v. 2, p. 246 (defined), 249, Aug., 1865. 

 =:Pomatonud;«, Gill, Cat. Fishes E. Coast N. Am., p. 10 (name only), 1873. 



Si/iioiiym as subfamily. 

 = Pomatoinin:e, Gill, Proc. Arad. Nat. Sci. Phil. [v. 14,] pi». 4:U (defined), 443,1862. 



Scombroidea of Caraugoid aspect, with the lateral line nearly i)ar- 

 allel with the back (not angulated toward the middle) and elevated 

 behind, and continuous on the base of the caudal ; soft vertical fins- 

 densely scaly, and anal spines inseparable from the rayed portion. 



IVOTE OIV THE AFf IIVITIE*^ OF THE EPHIPPIID!«I. 



BV THEODORE GIEE. 



The Epliippiids, although presenting a superficial resemblance to the 

 Chfetodontids, otherwise exhibit such peculiarities as to have made me 

 doubtful respecting their affinities, and to consider the family as iucer- 

 ttie sedis. The post-temporal bones were found to be bifurcated and thus 

 failed to fulfill the requisites of Professor Cope's suborder Epilasmia 

 wherein the Chfetodontidse were arranged. To satisfy myself as to 



