1298 Bulletin 47, United States National Mnseuvt. 



rior profile rather steep and convex, steep and nearly straight from tip of 

 snout to opposite front of eye; here an obtuse angle is formed, and to the 

 base of dorsal there is a rather even curve. In other specimens there is 

 little or no prominence before eye. Snout comparatively high and obtuse, 

 its length in specimens of moderate size 3 in head ; snout shorter in young 

 specimens than in the adult, the maxillary in the young extending farther 

 back although proportionately shorter; mouth rather small for the genus, 

 the maxillary usually extending a little beyond vertical from front of eye, 

 in young nearly to middle of eye, its length 23 in head ; maxillary in adult 

 barely reaching front of eye; jaws subequal, the lower slightly included. 

 Teeth rather strong, in moderate bands, the outer large, the autrorse teeth 

 of the posterior part of lower jaw well developed. Interorbital space 

 convex, its width H in head; preorbital rather deep, its least breadth 5| 

 in head; preopercle finely, but sharply serrate, the teeth near the angle 

 farther apart than the others but scarcely larger. In regard to the serra- 

 tion of the preopercle we find much variation among our specimens, some of 

 those from Cuba, corresponding more or less perfectlj^ to H. serrattim, Poey, 

 have the preopercle always strongly serrate, while others, certainly cor- 

 responding to H. acntum, Poey, have the serrations very inconspicuous. 

 The Key West specimens are in this respect mostly intermediate, and none 

 of them show any other distinctive character correlated with the difter- 

 ences in the preopercle. Gill rakers small, about 15 on lower part of arch. 

 Scales rather large, those al)Ove lateral line not especially enlarged, ar- 

 ranged in very oblique series; those below more nearly horizontal; soft 

 fins well scaled ; series of scales from scapular scale reaching fourth to 

 sixth dorsal spine. Dorsal spines stout, the fourth highest, 2i in head ; 

 longest soft rays 3| in head; upper caudal lobe rather longer. If in head; 

 longest anal rays 2J in head, reaching when depressed beyond the tips of 

 the last rays; second anal spine stronger and longer than third, 2| in 

 head, reaching when depressed nearly to the tip of the last ray; ventrals 

 If in head; pectorals short. If. Color in life, dull pearly-grayish; belly 

 plain grayish, each scale on body above with a conspicuous spot of dull 

 olive-brown, these forming interrupted, oblique, and wavy streaks; head 

 not spotted; mouth not much red, usually faintly orange near the angle 

 in Young specimens, a black spot on opercle under angle of preopercle; 

 iris gilt; fins all dull, blackish-gray, the ventrals more or less tipped with 

 blackish. Younger specimens have dark lateral stripes arranged pre- 

 cisely as in H. macrostomum and H. rhnator, and also a dark blotch at base 

 of caudal. In the very young the spots on the scales are indistinct. Cuban 

 specimens are mostly more dusky in color, the vertical fins mostly black, 

 and the spots on the scales larger and almost black. In sonu; these spots 

 coalesce into stripes, but more usually they remain distinct. Other Cuban 

 specimens (albidinn) are very pale, the dark spots light brown, and speci- 

 mens of every intermediate shade are in the collection. There are never 

 any shades of blue or yellow on body or fins. Here described from Key 

 West specimens lOi inches in length. West Indies; .southern Florida to 

 Brazil; very common at Key West and Havana. (Named for Don Antonio 

 Parra, who first wrote, in 1780, on tiie natural history of Cuba.) 



