920 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxvi. 



of a special group or 8ii])order; at an}' rate, it i« at least entitled to 

 distinction as a special superl'aniily (Lampuidoidea). This super- 

 family may be briefly detiiicd in the following- terms: 



LAMPRIDOIDEA. 



Acanthopterj^gian fishes with the foremost ra3\s only spiniform, the 

 myodome completely shut ofl' from the cerebral chamber, ribs sessile 

 on the centra of the vertebra", suprascapulars connected by S(]uamous 

 suture and ligaments with the cranium, ccenosteons postcurved toward 

 each other, hypocoracoids much enlarged and extended upward and 

 backward, actinosts diverted to a nearly horizontal row, pelvic bones 

 enlarged and connected by cartilage with the co?nosteons as well as the 

 hypocoracoids, ventrals subabdominal and with numerous rays, and 

 caudal ra3\s clasping epurals and hypurals. 



The famil}' was first named in 1S62, and has been adopted ])y the 

 authors named in the S3'nonymy herewith given and in a few other 

 places. Many naturalists still prefer to leave it in the incongruous 

 famil}'^ of Scomhndse. 



The family name was originall}" written Laiiiprldidm^ and in this 

 form it w^as adopted ])v Jordan and Gilbert and by others, but Jordan 

 and Evermann have changed it to Laiitpridcv. The reason for the 

 change is not evident and has not been given. It is possible that it 

 may have been from confusion with XafXTtpog (radiant), but the gen- 

 eric name is not derived directly from the Greek but modified from 

 it, and agrees with such well-known fish names as Chalcis, Etelis, 

 Jidh, Pelamis, IVii/cis, Sm<r/v'.s, Si/na<j?'/'s, and TeatMs^ which have 

 -id in the oblique cases {e. (/., -idos in the genetive, etc.). The original 

 form of the name is consequently justified by analogy and should be 

 retained. 



The history of the nomenclature may be gleaned from the following 

 partial synonymy: 



LAMPRIDID^. 



FAMILY NAMES. 



Lampridoidx Gii.1., Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., 1862, p. [127,] 241. (Named only.) 



Lamprididx Gill, Arr. Fam. Fishes, 1872, p. 7. (Name only.) 



Lamprididi FoEY, Enum. Pise. Cub., p. 93, 1876. 



LamprkUdx JoRDATSi and Gilbert, Syn. Fishes N. Am., 1882, p. 453. 



Lamprididse Gill, Johnson's Univ. Diet., II, 1885, p. 1621 (defined). 



Lamprididx Smitt, Hist. Scand. Fishes, I, 1892, p. 121. 



Lampridida; Goode and Bean, Oceanie Ich., 1895, p. 222. 



Lampridie Jordan and Evermann, Syn. Fishes N. M. Am., I, 1896, p. 953. 



iamprididce BouLENGER, An. Mag. Nat. Hist. (7), 1902, p. 151. 



subf.\milv name. 



LamprmiM.ouv.\.v, H. N. Poiss., France, II, p. 483. 



