354 EEVIEW OF SPECIES OF BELONID^. 



This species has beeu well described, both by Dr. Beau and by Dr. 

 Jordan. It seems to be common through the West Indies, the numer- 

 ous specimens before us, of all sizes, being from Key West and Havana. 



This is certainly the gladius of Bean, and the crassa of Poey. A type 

 of Belone melanocMra of Poey is in the National Museum, and this, 

 Dr. Bean informed us, is identical with young specimens of the present 

 species collected by Dr. Jordan at Key West. 



The Belone gerania of Valenciennes is scantily described, but the 

 probabilities are that this species was intended, although some of the 

 measurements are erroneous, or, at least, ambiguous (son bee * * * 

 "ne depasse la longueur de la joue que d'un ciuquieme"). The eye in 

 JB. gerania would seem to be unusually large, more than half the post- 

 orbital part of the head. We have not seen the original account of 

 Belone raphidoma. The extract given by Dr. Giinther applies best to 

 this species, with which Giinther has identified it. The statement 

 that the origin of the dorsal is opposite that of the anal especially indi- 

 cates this species rather than T. aciis, in which the anal begins farther 

 forward. A tracing of Ranzani's figure of jB. raphidoma has been sent 

 to us by Mr. Garman. It agrees entirelj" with the present species. 

 The type of Belone crassa Poey, now in the museum at Cambridge, has 

 been compared bj' Mr. Garman with Ranzani's description, and no dif- 

 ferences are apparent. There is, therefore, apparently no doubt that 

 tbe name raphidoma should be retained for this species. 



Young specimens of this species have the beak more slender and 

 rather longer proportionally, the last rays of the dorsal more elevated, 

 and the tips of the fins, especially the posterior half of the pectoral, 

 more decidedly black. 



16. Tylosurus galeatus. 



Belone galeata Cuv. & Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss., xviii, 1846, 429 (Cayenne). 



Hahitat. — West Indian Fauna. 



We know this species only from the description given by Yaleu- 

 ciennes. If this be correct, it should be a species distinct from T. 

 raphidoma, from which it seems to differ in the fin-rays (D. 15, A. 17), 

 and in having the caudal little forked, with no keel on its peduncle; 

 from T. notatus it would seem to differ in having the beak rather 

 strong and only If times the length of tlie rest of the head. The scales 

 are said to be small, and the description* of the upper part of the head 

 suggests T. raphidoma. We aie unable to find the type either of B. 

 gerania or B. galeata in the museum nt Paris. 



* "Kemarquable par I'espece de casque osseus que dessiuent sur la tete les os dii 

 cnlue ; toute leur surface est lisse ; la cannelure est tres large et comme ^vas^e dans 

 la r6gion des os Aw nez ; les bords ont des 6cbancrures qui rappellent ^ certains 6gards 

 cenx d'un violon." (Cuv. & Val.). 



