PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 603 



tinge ; in bright specimens showing ses^en or eight yellow stripes, two of 

 which are forward continuations of the two principal body stripes, the 

 others smaller and not joining body stripes ; head white below ; a dusky 

 bar at base of pectoral ; mouth, within, bright brick-red, becoming yel- 

 lowish red on lining of ojjercles ; fins all plain dusky olive, somewhat 

 darker towards tips ; the lower fins more distinctly yellowish ; a diffuse 

 black blotch at base of caudal. The color is very variable, differing 

 much with the surroundings and condition of the fish. Specimens are 

 frequently seen of a plain silvery cast, the yellowish lines indistinct or 

 wholly wanting, and the caudal blotch obsolete. It is without doubt 

 from such a specimen that Hoi brook drew his description of '■'•Rcemulon 

 chrysopterus,''' while his ^^Rwrnidon quadriUneatum^^ is quite evidently a 

 somewhat careless description of a brightly-colored specimen of the 

 same. The stripes vanish in spirits. 



Head 2-J in length ; depth 2^ to 3,1. D. XIII, 15; A. Ill, 9. Scales 

 tV; '^5 pores or oblique series ; 70 vertical series. 



Body moderately elongate ; snout 2f in head ; maxillary reaching 

 below middle of eye, If in bead : teeth in a villiform patch anteriorly, 

 with an (tuter enlarged series, which is continued singly on sides of jaws. 

 Eye much more than half length of snout, less than greatest width of 

 preorbital, 4~^- in head. Gill-rakers short and weak, W in number. 



Scales above lateral line in oblique, below in horizontal series. None 

 of the scales conspicuously enlarged ; those on middle of sides ante- 

 riorly somewhat wider and less closely imbricated. Head scaled for- 

 wards to front of eyes, the snout above and the upper jaws largely 

 naked; some imbedded scales on preorbital and mandible. Soft parts 

 of vertical fins wholly enveloped in fine, thin scales. Spinous dorsal 

 high, the fourth spine highest, 2 to 2J- in head ; the outline of the fin 

 rather evenly rounded ; last spine the shortest, about four-fifths longest 

 soft ray, and two-fifths longest spine. 



Upper lobe of caudal subfalcate, longer tban the lower. If in head ; 

 the middle rays, -/r t\\id upper. 



Second and third anal spines not very unequal in length, but the sec- 

 ond evidently longer and much stronger, about equal to length of long- 

 est soft ray, and ^J head. 



Ventrals reaching to or slightly beyond vent, If in head; pectorals 

 equaling distance from snout to preopercular margin. 



This species is very abundant on the fishing banks outside the har- 

 bor, where it is taken in much greater quantity than any other species 

 excejit the Blacl-Jish. 



72. Diabasis plumieri (Lac.) J. & G.— Black Grunt. 

 Perca marina capile striafo Catcsby. 

 Haimulon formosum Cnv. & Val.; not Perca formosa Linn. = Setrantis fasoicularis 



C. «Sr V. 

 Hceinulon arcuatum C. & V. 



Frequently taken on the fishing banks, though not. al)undant. Com- 

 pared with a specimen from Aspinwall, the stripes on sides of snout are 



