EASTMAN: FISHES FROM UPPER EOCENE OF MONTE BOLCA. 335 



Family Sparid^e. 

 Genus Sparnodus Agassiz. 

 1 1 . Sparnodus vulgaris (Blainville) . 

 The synonj-my of this species is very long, and need not be given here, as no 

 particularly noteworthy example has been added to the collection since the Catalog 

 of Monte Bolca Fishes in the Carnegie Museum was published two years ago. 

 However, among the material recently brought to hght is one very curious specimen 

 which is clearly of composite nature, being made up of portions of various indivi- 

 duals artfully pieced together, though not in accordance with the teachings of 

 comparative anatomy. It is catalogued as No. 5330, and is worthy of preservation 

 in its present state as a curiosity, or monstrosity. 



Family Labrid^ (Wrasses). 



Narial opening double on each side. Marginal teeth prehensile; vomer and 

 palatines toothless; lower pharyngeal bones (rarely also upper pharyngeals) fused 

 together. Spinous portion of dorsal fin at least as much extended as articulated 

 portion; anal fin with two to six spines, nearly equal to, and opposite, the hinder 

 dorsal fin. Scales usually cycloid, rarely feebly ctenoid. 



Existing Wrasses are brilliantly colored marine fishes with thick lips, strong 

 pointed teeth on the jaws, and conical or tubercular teeth on the pharyngeals. An 

 able discussion of the group is that by Dr. D. S. Jordan, entitled " A Review of the 

 Labroid Fishes of America and Europe," to be found in the Report of thelJ. S. Fish 

 Commission for 1887 (1891), pp. 559-699. 



In the paper of Dr. Jordan just referred to the procedure was adopted of uniting 

 the genus Crenilabrus of Cuvier and Valenciennes with the earlier described Sym- 

 phodus of Rafinesque. 



At a later period, however, the distinguished ichthyologist in question found 

 reason for changing his opinion, and for maintaining Crenilabrus and Symphodus 

 as distinct genera. Thus, in a note published in Science for August 19, 1904, 

 (Vol. XX, p. 245), he writes as follows: 



" I should now separate Crenilabrus C. and V. as a valid genus from Symphodus 

 Raf. (= Coricus C. & V.) with which I united it in 1891. Symphodus scina has 

 the general characters of Crenilabrus, the serrated pre-opercle and other features, 

 but it has the snout strongly produced, giving a concave profile, a matter probably 

 worthy of generic distinction. Crenilabrus like Symphodus has thirteen or fifteen 

 dorsal spines, and thirty-one to thirtj^-three vertebrae. I do not see how C. 

 szajnochce can be properly placed in it, as these numbers are fairly constant within 

 the same genus. C. szajnochce should form the type of a new genus." 



