1887.1 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 69 



Sargus ovtcephalus Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 20, 1860 (name only). 

 Gill, Cat. Fish East Coast, 31, 1861 (name only). 



Sargus oris Mitcbill, Trans. Lit. .& Phil. Soc. N. Y.,I, 392, plate 2, fig. 13, 1814 

 (New York). Cuvier »fe Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., VI, 53, 1830 (N. 

 Orleans) ; Dekay, Fishes, New York, 89, plate 8, fig. 23, 1842 (New York) ; 

 Storer, Synopsis Fishes North America, 332, 1846 (copied); Giinther, Cat. 

 Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 447, 1859 (North America) ; Holbrook "Ichth. S. Caro- 

 lina, 54, plate 8, fig. 2," 1860 (South Carolina); Stoier, Fishes Mass., 126, 

 plate 10, fig. 1, 1867 (New Bedford). 



Habitat. — Atlantic and Gnlf coasts of the United States. Cape Cod 

 to Florida Keys and Texas. 



The numerous specimens examined by us are chiefly from Florida. 



The synonymy and characters of this well-known food-fish need no 

 special discussion. 



Sl-eleton. — Vertebrae, 10 + 14. Occipital crest very stout, broadened 

 at its upper edge, which is very finely honeycombed, and appears as if 

 cut with a sharp knife; frontal crest extending to above middle of orbit; 

 from the anterior edge of this crest a ridge extends outward and back- 

 wards to the upper corner of the preopercle. All bones in front of this 

 ridge are swollen and finely honeycombed, the interorbital region being ■ 

 slightly convex ; all the bones behind the crest are smooth. A very 

 high and thin crest extends forward from the insertion of scapula to the 

 transverse crest, a somewhat prominent preorbital process ; interorbital 

 area of same width everywhere. Ko foramen in maxilliary, the bones 

 thick and hard ; teeth long, scarcely narrower at their base than at 

 their cutting edge. 



2 (b) Archosargus probatocephalus aries. 



Sargus aries Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss., vi, 58,1830 (Rio Janeiro Mara- 

 caibo); Giinther, Cat. Fish. Brit, Mus. i, 449, 1859 (copied). Giinther, 

 Fishes Central America, 386. 1864. (Belize.) 



This species is unknown to us except through the published descrip- 

 tions above referred to, and through the manuscript notes of Dr. Jordan 

 on the type of Cuv. & Val. It would appear to be very closely allied to D. 

 probatocephalus, distinguishable only by the slightly narrower teeth and 

 I)ossibly larger scales. It is doubtless to be regarded as a geographical 

 variety or southern representative of the common sheepshead. 



3. Archosargus unimaculatus. SaJema. 



Salema, Marcgrave, Hist. Pise. Brasil, 153, 1648 (Brazil). 



Bream Brown, "Jamaica, 446, No. I," 1756. 



Perca unimaciilata Bloch, Plate 308, 1792 (Brazil). (On a figure by Prince 

 Maurice.) 



Grammistes unimaculatus Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 184, 1801 (after 

 Bloch). 



Sargus unimaculatus Cuvier & Valencienues, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vi, 62. 1830 

 (Rio Janeiro, Martinique); Storer, .Synopsis Fish North America, 334, 

 1845 (copied); Giinther, Cat. Fish Brit. Mus., I, 446, 1859 (Babia; Rio Ja- 

 neiro ; Guatemala, Puerto Cabello ; Jamaica) ; Giinther, Fishes of Central 

 America, 386, 1866 (Belize). 



