Jordan and hvermanii. — Fishes of North America. 1649 



nearly \ the head ; eye situated rather less than 1 of its diameters from 

 the upper profile of the head and nearly 3 of its diameters from the lower 

 profile ; 4 rows of scales on the cheek, besides a row of scales upon the 

 suboperculum and interoperculum ; lower series on cheek containing 5 

 scales and the other series from 6 to 7; 7 series of scales on the median 

 line of the back before the dorsal. Height of body not equal to length 

 of head. Least height of tail equals length of j)ostorbital part of head 

 and not (juite \ the greatest height of l)ody; origin of dorsal about over 

 that of the pectoral; base of dorsal exactly twice as long as that of anal; 

 dorsal spines about equal in size, the fourth spine equals \ the greatest 

 height of body, and is contained 3 times in the distance from the tip of 

 the upper lip to the origin of the dorsal; length of pectoral about \ of 

 total length to end of the middle caudal rays ; ventral a little more than 

 \ a.s long as head. Lateral line interrupted under end of soft dorsal, 18 

 scales being pierced before the interruption. Colors of the alcohol speci- 

 men: Spinous dorsal with a narrow, dark margin; soft dorsal with a 

 broad, dusky margin, the rest of the fin lighter; anal light at base, a faint, 

 dusky band covering about the outer f of the fin ; pectoral and ventral 

 pale; caudal light at base, and with several broad, light areas extending 

 out on the rays; the major portion of the fin, however, is very dark; gen- 

 eral color dusky olivaceous, many of the scales having a rosy blotch at 

 the base; operculum with a few irregular blotches of blue; iris yellowish. 

 Length 330 mm. Cozumel Island, Yucatan. (Bean.) (''In allusion of 

 the ancient name of the island " of Cozumel.) 



Searus cuzamilce, Bean, Bull. U. S. Fish Conira. 1888, 196, Cozumel (Type, Xo. 37128. Coll. 

 Bean); Jordan, Review Labroid Fishes, 684, 1890. 



2063. SCARUS VKTIILA (Blocli A- Schueider). 

 (MUDFISH; ViEJA; OLD AVlFK.) 



Cheek with 4 rows of scales ; angles of caudal more or less salient ; teeth 

 quite small; snout moderate; 2 (rarely 3) lateral canines in upper jaw. 

 General color dark sky bine; sea les brown-edged ; eye with blue spots above 

 and behind; a green ]>and from the angle of the mouth, bordered above 

 and below by red; no pale lateral band; fins chietly l)lue, darker on pec- 

 toral and front of caudal ; uuddle of dorsal reddish, with blue spots ; a red 

 band near the edge of the caudal, 1 on the base of the anal, and 1 near 

 the upper edge of the pectoral ; ventrals mostly red, their external border 

 blue; nipper jaw with red and blue edgings. West Indies; generally com- 

 mon. One of the most gorgeous of the parrot-fishes, reaching a length of 

 nearly 2 feet. The specimens here desc-ribed were sent by Professor Poey 

 to the nuiseam at Cambridge, (retula, old woman, given in allusion to the 

 Spanish name Viija; English name, Old Wife.) 



Yieja, Pahra, Dif. Piezas, etc., 58, pi. 28, f. 1, 1787, Havana. 



Searus vetwia. Block & Schneider, Syst. Ichthyol., 289, 1801, Cuba, after ParrA; Cuvier 

 & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poisa., xiv, 193, 1839; Guichenot, Scarides, 25, 1865 (note 

 on type); Jordan & Swain, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mu.s. 1884, 90 ; Jordan, Keview Labroid 

 Fi.shes, 684, 1890. 



