1886.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 471 



Allied to Prionotus sdtulns. Body quite slender, little compressed, 

 narrowed above, the width of the nape between the occipital spines being 

 about one fifth the head. Head quite short, and rather high, the eyes 

 prominent, so that the anterior profile forms a sharp angle at front of 

 eye, and is somewhat concave. Snout rather narrow, 2^^ in head, its tip 

 somewhat emarginate. Edges of snout finely serrulate and without 

 spine. Surface of bones of the head comparatively smooth, the small 

 granulations arranged in distinct, fine, radiating striai. 



Mouth small, the ifiaxillary 3^ in head, the mandible not quite 

 reaching front of orbit. Band of palatine teeth narrow. 



Eye moderate, 5^ in head. (Apparently a slight cirrus above it, on 

 one side, in typical example; possibly a result of mutilation.) Inter- 

 orbital space narrow, deeply concave, its least width 7^ in head. Orbital 

 rim considerably elevated, both in front and behind, its edge granular- 

 serrate. A shallow groove across top of Liead behind orbital rim, which 

 does not end in a distinct spine. Occipital ridges weak, the inner pair 

 without spines, the outer with short ones which reach somewhat beyond 

 front of dorsal. Temporal region with an elevated roughish ridge, imt 

 without distinct spine. Preopercle with a single moderate spine, which 

 has no smaller one at its base, either in front or below. Opercular 

 spines small and sharp. Humeral spine moderate. No trace of spines 

 on suborbital or i)reorbital, the head beiug provided with but five pairs 

 of spines, including the humeral spine. Membranous flap of opercle 

 scaly. Gill-rakers short and thickish, about eight developed, these 

 little longer than the interspaces, and not half length of pupil, and 

 nearly half as broad as high. 



Scales small, those on the breast much reduced in size, about 13 be- 

 tween occiput and dorsal. 



Spinous dorsal high, the first spine serrulate in front, shorter than 

 the second, which is If in hea<l. (Second dorsal and anal mutilated.) 

 Caudal unequally and slightly lunate, the lower lobe the longer, 1^ in 

 head. Pectoral reaching nearly to last rays of dorsal, a little more 

 than half length of body. Ventrals as long as head. 



Coloration in spirits, grayish, unspotted, more dusky above. Dorsal 

 dusky, with no very distinct markings. Caudal fin yellowish, marbled 

 at base with dusky, its tip black. Pectorals mostly black. Lower fins 

 pale. 



In life the specimen was chiefly pinkish red, which color still persists 

 on the inside of the opercles. 



The type of this species was taken from the "spewings"of Red 

 Groupers, off Tampa Bay, by Mr. C. H. Bollman. Mangled remains of 

 others have been received from Mr. Stearns, and have been regarded 

 by us as belonging to P. scitulus, but that species is not yet certainly 

 known to occur in this region. 



