Jordafi and Evcrmann. — Fishes of N'orth America. 1255 



witli a A-shaped patch of teeth, usually without backward prolongation 

 on median line, hut sometimes with a short median prolongation (^'\- 

 shaped), its length always less than the width of the patch in front; 

 pterygoid and hyoid boues without teeth. Gill rakers rather short and 

 thick, about \ length of diameter of eye, about 8 ou lower arch; no rudi- 

 ments. Preopercle with posterior margin nearly vertical, the emargiua- 

 tion broad and sballow; preopercle finely serrate above the teeth, coarser 

 just above the angle; lower limb almost entire. Scales rather large, 

 loosely attached; cheeks with about 8 rows, 1 row on interopercle, 1 row 

 on subopercle, and about 7 ou opercle ; temporal region with about two 

 rows of large scales; tubes of lateral line simple; base of soft dorsal 

 and aual scaly. Dorsal spines rather strong, the outline of the fin geutly 

 convex, the fourth spine longest, 3^ in head; the tenth spine, 6 in head; 

 anal spines strong, the second spine strouger, slightly shorter than third, 

 which is -5 in head; caudal little forked; pectorals about If in head. Color 

 dusky-gray, paler below, the belly sometimes tinged with reddish; mem- 

 branes of dorsal, anal, and caudal grayish-black, the anal and soft dorsal 

 especially blacki.sh ; ventrals blackish at tip ; pectorals jilain olivaceous, 

 the base and inner margin dusky; head dusky above, without markings. 

 Length 2 to 4 feet; length of specimen described (from Cuba) 17^ inches. 

 West Indies to Brazil, rather common; a large coarse fish regarded as 

 unwholesome by fishermen. (?cu«F£of, blue; ^rrepoF, fin.) 



Mesoprion cyanopterus, CuviER & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., ii, 472, 1828, Brazil. 



?Mesoprion pargus, Cuviee & Talenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., n, 473, 1828, Puerto Rico. 



Lutjanus cubera,FoEY, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y. 1871, 75, Cuba; Poey, Enumeratio, 27, 

 1875; Jordan & Swain, I. c.,U2. 



Lutjanus dentatus, A. DUMiiEiL in Vaillant & BocouRT, Miss. Sci. au Mex., 125, 1881, 

 Brazil. 



Lutjanus cynodon, Poet, Synopsis, 294, 1868. 



Mesopnon cynodon, Poey, Repertorio, ii, 268, 1868 ; not of Cuvier & Valenciennes. 



Lutjanus cyanopterus, Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1886, 534 (examination of tjpe) ; Jor- 

 dan & Fesler, I. c, 440. 



1633. XEOM.EXIS GUISEUS (Linnjeus). 



(Gray Snapper; Mangrove Snapper; Cabelleeote; Lawyer.) 



Head 2f ; depth 2^ to SJ. D. X, 14; A. Ill, 8; scales (6) 7-50-12; 47 

 pores. Body comparatively elongate, the back not strongly compressed, 

 little elevated; profile almost straight from suout to nape, thence gently 

 convex. Suout rather pointed, 3 in head. Eye rather small, 4| in head. 

 Interorbital space geutly convex, 6 in head; occipital keel little promi- 

 nent; preorbital rather broad, 5| to 6^ in head. Mouth large; jaws sub- 

 equal; maxillary reaching front of pupil, 2? in head; upper jaw with a 

 narrow band of villiform teeth, outside of Avhioh is a siugle series of 

 enlarged teeth; 4 canines in front of upjier jaw, 2 of them quite large — | 

 diameter of eye; lower jaw with a very narrow band of villiform teeth in 

 front of jaw only; outside of these a single row of teeth larger than outer 

 teeth of upper jaw, becoming caniuelike in adult; tongue with an oval 

 patch of teeth, its width about | its length; vomer with an arrow-shaped 



