1886.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 237 



auces on the skin, aiid the pair of fleshy flaj)s behind the nape being 

 conspicuons features of the species." 



In souie regards, this species resembles 8. spengleri, of which it may 

 be regarded as the Pacific Coast representative. 



6. Sphaeroides spengleri. 



Tetrodon spengleri Blocb, Naturgeschi elite der Fische, 1, 135, 1782, taf. 144 (" In- 

 dia"); Gmelin, Systeraa Naturas, 1788, 1446 (copied"); Walbaum, Artedi Pis- 

 cium, 1792, 592 (copied); Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichthyol., 1801, 504, 

 Turton, Syst. Nat., 1806, 890 (copied); Cuvier, Regne Animal, Ed. ii, 1828 

 (name only) ; Gunther, VIII, 285, 1870 (Madeiia, Lanzamte, Cape Verdo 

 Islands, West Africa, Santa Cruz, Cuba); Cope, Trans. Am. Phil. See, 1871, 

 479 (Saint Martins, New Providence, Tortugas) ; Poey, Euumeratio, 1875, 

 173 ; Goode «S: Bean, Proc. U. S, Nat. Mus., 1882, 235 (name only) ; Jordan &, 

 Gilbert, Synopsis Fish N. A., 1882, 861 ; Jordan^ Cat. Fish N. Am., 1885, 141, 



Le Tetrodon spenglerien, L;i,c6pede, Poissons, 1, 501, 1797 (copied). 



Craijracion spengleri Kner, Novara Fische, 410, 1867. (Rio Janeiro.) 



Chilichthtfs spengleri Goode, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., V, 22, 1876. (Bermudas.) 



Cirrisomus spengleri Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1878, 366. 



(JirrMsomus spengleri Swainson, Nat. Hist. Fishes, etc.. Vol. ii, 328. 1839; Gill, 

 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, 421 (name only). 



Le Tetrodon Plumier, LacdpMe, Hist. Nat., Poiss,, 1, 504, 1797. (Martinique; on) 

 a drawing by Plumier. ) 



Teirodoii plnmieri Bloch &c Schneider, Syst. Ichthyol., 1801, 508. (After Lacdpede. 



Le SpMrdideful>ercuUIj&c^\}h(\e, II, 1, 1798. (Martinique; on a drawing (front 

 view) by Plumier.) 



Sphceroides tuherculat us FiWot, Edition of Laccpede, 1831, VI, 279 (copied). 



Tetrodon marmoraius Ranzani, Nov. Comm. Ac. Sci. Inst., Bouon., IV, 72, pi. 10, 

 f. 1,1840 (Brazil); Lowe, "Trans. Zool. Soc, ii, 193" (Madeira); Valenci- 

 ennes " in Webb and Berthelot, Poiss., lies Canaries, pi. 20, f. 2." (Canaries.) 



Tetrodon turgidns Poey, Synojisis, 432, 1868 (Cuba) ; Poey, Enumeratio, 1875, 

 172 (not of Mitchill) ; Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 306. 

 (Pensacola; Galveston.) 



Tetrodon nephelus Goode & Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 235 (Gulf of 

 Mexico) ; Goode & Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mas., 1882, 412 (Indian River, 

 Pensacola); Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, Fish, N. Am., 1883, 966; Bean, Cat. 

 Intern. Fish. Exhib., 1883, 43 (Key West, Fla.); Jordan, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., 

 79 (Key West) ; Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, 146 (Key West) ; Jor- 

 dan &. Swain, Proc, IJ. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, 234 (Cedar Key) ; Jordan, Cat. 

 Fish. N. Am., 41, 1885. 



Habitat. — West Indian Fauna. Coast of Texas and Western Florida 

 to Brazil and West Africa. 



This is the most commoii species of the genus about the Florida 

 Keys aud the Gulf Coast, and probably throughout the West Indies 

 generally. 



The very large series of specimens of this species, obtained by Dr. 

 Jordan at Key West, shows remarkable variations in the development 

 of the prickles on the skin. This indicates that the latter character 

 must be used with great caution in the distinction of species in this 

 group. 



In Dr. Jordan's i)aper on the fishes of Key West (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 



