THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ELACATIDS. 

 By TIIEOOORE CilLL. 



[With Plate XXXIX.] 



The geuus Elacate had been considered to be an undoubted member of 

 the Scombrid or Caraugid families till its title to separation therefrom as 

 the type of a distinct family was suggested by the present writer in ISGU. 

 There were, however, no good reasons for such intimate union with the 

 Scombrids, the rather slender caudal peduncle, procurreut rays of the 

 caudal fin and free spines of the back being the only external charac- 

 teristics. The retention of the genus in the family of Scombrids limited 

 by the exclusion of the Carangids was one of those intellectual (or 

 rather mental) freaks difficult to account for, as the only reason that 

 could be assigned was that it had twenty-five vertebrfe, while the term 

 Carangida' was limited nominally to species that had twenty-four, 

 although really man^' siDCcies rightly referred to it had twenty-five or 

 other than tweut^^-four. There can, however, be no reasonable doubt 

 that Elacate should be isolated in a family distinct from either the Scorn- 

 hridic or Carangida', and not closely related to any other. The supposed 

 afiinity of the Eclieneidids to it is purely imaginary, although it has been 

 believed in by so many naturalists who should have known better. Even 

 Professor Jordan, in his latest works, has continued to keep them as 

 neighbors. But although the family of Elacatidw has been long named 

 and a formal description of it has been iiublished by Professors Jordan 

 and Gilbert, the distinctive characteristics have never yet been given. 

 To this long-delayed duty the following is a contribution. 



ELACATIDS, 



Synonyms as family names. 



=Elacatoidce Gill, MSS., 18G2.* 



=Elacaiidi POEY, Kepert. Fis.-Xat. do Cuba, p. 376, 1868. (Not defined.) 



::=Elacatidcc Gill, Rep. Com. Flsli and Fislieries^ iit 1, p. 80~ ; Cat. Fislics E. Coast N. 



A., p. '29, 187;j. (Not defined.) 

 —Elacatidca Poky, Anal. Soo. Esp. do Hist. Nat^ t. 4, p. 161, 1875. (Not defined.) 

 ^Ehicatidce J oiiV\:< Ac- Gilbert, Syn. Fislics N. A., iip. o97, 418, 1882. 

 Scomhridcb gen. GuNTiiKU ct al. 



* The advisability of tlio separation oi Elacate from the Carangids was first indicated 

 by Gill (Proc, Acad. Nat. So., Pliila., 1862, p. 239) in the remark that it " probably rep- 

 resents another family," and soon afterwards (oj). cit., p. 430) the genus was actually 

 excluded. In a " review of Ilolbrook's Ichthyology of South Carolina " (Am. Journ. 

 So. and Arts (2), v. 36, p. 91, Jan., 1864), tbo genus was also indicated as the type of 

 a distinct family in the statement tbat "all the Scoml)rid.i^ of Holbrook are Caran- 

 goids, except Cyhium, Elacate, Echcneis, and perhaps Tem»odo», members of as many 

 different families." 

 612 



