256 GERRID-S!. 



black spot at the top of the dorsal fin ; the upper part of the snout 

 blackish-bro wn. 



Atlantic coasts of tropical America. 



Nineteen specimens, from St. Domingo, Jamaica, and Bahia. 

 10. Gerres argenteus. 



Eucinostomus argenteus, BairdSf Girard in Ninth Stnithson. Sep. 1854, 

 p. 335*, and in 3Iex. Bound. Surv. p. 17. pi. 9. figs. 9-12. 



D. ^. A. y. L. lat. 47. L. transv. 5/10. 



The height of the body is nearly one-third of the total length 

 (without caudal). Prteorbital and prajoperculiun entire ; the groove 

 for the processes of the intermaxillaries extends nearly to the vertical 

 from the centre of the eye, is elongate, and entirely free of scales. 

 The snout is rather longer than the eye, the diameter of which is 

 two-sevenths of the length of the head, and rather more than the 

 width of the interorbital space. The spines of the fins are of mode- 

 rate length and strength : the third of the dorsal is rather longer 

 than the second, and more than half as long as the head ; the second 

 of the anal fin is stronger but rather shorter than the third, its 

 length being nearly three-fourths of that of the third dorsal spine. 

 Shining greenish, with a broad silvery band along the middle of the 

 side ; a deep-black spot at the top of the dorsal fin. 



Atlantic coasts of North America. 



a-c. From 2-2^ inches long. Presented by the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion as Eucinostomus argenteus. 



The first description was drawn up by Messrs. Baird and Girard 

 from specimens from the New Jersey coast, the second by the same 

 authors from specimens from the coast of Texas ; the figure, again, 

 does not agree with the accompanying description ; therefore it is 

 not improbable that those learned naturalists have confoiuided two 

 species. The specimens mentioned above have the black dorsal spot, 

 and appear to belong to the Collection sent to the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution from Texas. 



11. Gerres poeti. 



Cuv. 6f Val. vi. p. 468 ; Bleek. Verh. Bat. Gen. xxiii. Mmiid. p. 11. 



D. ^. A. y. L. lat. 35. L. transv. 5/10. 



The height of the body is two-fifths of the total length (without 

 caudal) ; the diameter of the eye is one-third of the length of the 

 head. The groove for the processes of the intermaxillaries extends 

 beyond the vertical from the front margin of the eye, is iiTcgularly 

 ovate, and entirely free of scales. Snout shorter than the eye, the 

 diameter of which equals the width of the interorbital space. Spines 

 of the fins very strong and broad : the third dorsal spine is rather 



* Misprinted 34.'i. 



