600 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Perca formosa LiiiDoeus, consists of the fiii-formulie and a description 

 of the color of a ''iSquirrcl-Jish''^ received from Dr. Garden. The fin-rays 

 C'D. X, 13; A. Ill, 7") are sufficient to show that Linnieus's specimen 

 was not sb Diahasis (D. XII, 17; A. Ill, 6), as has been generally sup- 

 posed, while the color and the common name given leave no doubt as 

 to the species in his possession. Catesby's Perca marina capite siriato 

 {= Diahasis lAumieri Lac.) was wrongly identified by Linnaeus with his 

 formosa^ apparently on the ground that it also had the head striped. 



68. Serranus atraiius (Linn.) J. &G. — Black-fish. 



The most abundant food-fish at Charleston, forming probably more 

 than nine-tenths of all the fish caught on the banks by the smack-men. 

 It is not considered a choice fish, and is bought mostly by the poorer 

 people. It is cai^ht on the bottom with hook and line, and is found 

 abundantly at all seasons, though in much greater numbers in winter. 



69. Serranus philadelphicus (Linn.) J. & G.— Rock-fish. 



Ferca philadcJphica Liun., Syst. Nat., Ed. x & xii. 

 Perca Irifurca Linn., Sj'st. Nat. Ed. xii. 



Not rare in Charleston Harbor, though never abundantly taken. Five 

 specimens were obtained during the summer. The fish is usually caught 

 with hand-lines among the rocks. Better specimens than those noted 

 by us (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1882, 273) must be examined from the 

 Gulf of Mexico before the range of this species can be confidently ex- 

 tended to those waters, as the Gulf specimens are peculiar in several 

 respects. Specimens from Charleston show the following traits: 



Color in life, olivaceous above, whitish below ; seven broad brown bars 

 from back obliquely forwards to level of middleof pectorals, these almost 

 obsolete along lateral line; the color of the bars is not intense, and is 

 formed by shadings along the base and margins of the scales ; the an- 

 terior bar crosses the nape, and is very indistinct. Snout and upper 

 part of head with numerous brownish red spots and lines, three or four 

 of these parallel and running from eye to snout, the interspace usually 

 light blue ; upper lip reddish brown ; tip of lower jaw broadly purplish ; 

 a dark blotch on opercle anteriorly, and sometimes a small dark spot 

 behind eye ; lining of opercle and throat lemon yellow ; a large jet black 

 blotch behind pseudobranchia?. Spinous dorsal translucent, with in- 

 distinct whitish and dusky longitudinal streaks ; a large blackish blotch 

 on membrane of last spines, immediately above fourth vertical bar of 

 sides ; some dark spots on the spines form two irregular lengthwise 

 series ; dorsal filaments bi-ight scarlet ; the fin usually with light bluish 

 shading. Soft dorsal, with a series of bluish white spots near margin 

 (one between each two rays); one or more incomplete series above and 

 below this; the fin is margined with reddish brown, and has usually sev- 

 eral series of reddish-brown spots, these most numerous posteriorly ; some 

 irregular olive-brown spots towards base ; a small black spot on base 

 of moml^rano between Stli and 9th and (me between 10th and 11th rays, 



