NO. 1235. ITST OF JAPANESE FISHES— JORDAN AND SNYDER. 745 



Family POLYMIXIID^l^:. 



20. POLYMIXIA JAPONICA Giinther. 



Pi-obably Yokohama. 



It is common at some depth outside the headlands (Awa, Misaki), 

 which bound the Bay of Tokio. 



Family SCOMBRI D.F. 



21. SCOMBER JAPONICUS Houttuyn. 



Scomber japonini ft Houttuyn, 1782. 

 Scomber anrntiin Houttuyn, 1782. 

 Scomber cnlian Gmelin, 1788. 

 Scomber piienmatophornn Delaroche, 1805. 



583. Yokohama. 



The common mackerel of Japan is not visibly different from the 

 smaller mackerel {eoliciK, diego^ and drkai/i) of the rest of the world. 

 The name japonictis g'iven by Houttuyn in 1782 is older than any 

 other. We are indebted to Mr. Barton A. Bean for a copy of the 

 descriptions ^iven by Houttuyn^ of the fishes from Japan placed in 

 his hands by Dr. Carel Thunberg. These descriptions represent the 

 earliest record of Japanese hshes, and the names of Houttuyn must 

 have precedence over all others, if his descriptions can be identified. 



Unfortunately, Houttuyn had little knowledge of fishes. His 

 descriptions are ver}' loosely drawn, and the fin rays in almost all cases 

 are incorrectl}" given. Still, knowing the fauna of Nagasaki, from 

 which region the specimens of Thunberg must have come, it is not 

 very difficult in most cases to indicate the species intended. 



The following identitications seem to us tenable: 



NOTE ON THE SPECIES OF HOUTTUYN, 1782. 



1. Callionymus .taponicus. 



Evidently Callunii/iniift iDiKjiaindatiiti Sehlegel, as recognized by Schlegel himself. 

 It must therefore stand as Callionymus japonicus. D. IV-10; A. 8. C. 9. The tail 4 

 inches long, the body 5|, a black ocellus on front dorsal. 



2. Uranoscopcs .TAPONICrS. 



Doubtless Trnnoscopiia a.'tper Schlegel. It nnist stand as Uranoscopus japonicus 

 Houttuyn. 



D. IV-15; P. 12. First dorsal black; body yellow a])ove, white below. P>ased, 

 like most of Houttuyn's descriptions, f)n a young specimen. 



3. CoRYPHiKNA .TAPONICA. 



Apparently Lntilu-'i niiioisifi = L. arf/oitaliis Cuvier and Valenciennes The species 

 must stand as Latilus japonicus. 



^ Beschry vning van eenige Japansche visschen, en andere zee-schepselen ; door M. 

 Houttuyn, ni Verhandelingen, iutgegeeven door de Hollands(!he Maatsschajipij der 

 Weetenschappen te Haarlem, XX Deels, 2 Stuk, 1782, pp. 311-346. This paper 

 has been kindly translated for us by Mr. Leo G. D. Muller, of Stanford University. 



