5. ACARA. 283 



length (without caudal). A large portion of the soft dorsal is scaly. 

 Brownish, -with series of brown spots. 



Cuba. 

 rt. Six inches long. From the Collection of the Zoological Society. 



Description of the specimen. — The height of the body is two-fifths 

 of the total length (the caudal not included), the length of the head 

 one-third. Head as long as high, with the upper profile concave 

 above the eyes. Snout of moderate extent, its length being one-third 

 of that of the head. Cleft of the mouth very oblique, not extending 

 to below the anterior margin of the eye ; lower jaw prominent. Prae- 

 orbital rather narrower than the orbit, the diameter of which is two- 

 ninths of the length of the head. The interorbital space is wider 

 than the orbit, and its naked portion is flat. Eye situated imme- 

 diately below the upper profile, nearer to the extremity of the snout 

 than to that of the operculum. Scales ctenoid ; those on the cheek 

 small, in seven horizontal and ten vertical series. 



Basal portion of the vertical fins scaly. Dorsal spines rather 

 feeble, the length of the twelfth being nearly one-third of that of the 

 head. The soft dorsal and anal are somewhat elevated in the middle, 

 extending slightly beyond the base of the caudal. Anal spines of 

 moderate length and strength. Caudal rounded. Pectoral roimded, 

 equal in length to the distance of the snout from tlie posterior margin 

 of the pra;opcrculura. Ventral pointed, not extending on to the vent. 



The teeth in the jaws form a band, those in the outer series being 

 enlarged. The lower pharyngeal somewhat longer than broad, with 

 short eardiform teeth, those in the middle of its posterior half being 

 obtusely conical or molar-like. 



Brownish : each scale with a dark-brown spot at the base, the 

 spots forming longitudinal series ; margins of the prajoperculum with 

 several similar spots ; a pair of dark-brown spots in the axil of the 

 pectoral, one superiorly, the other inferiorly. Dorsal fin with obso- 

 lete brown spots, the other fins immaeidate. 



Poey has shown that Centrarchiis tctracanthus, Cuv. & Yal.*, esta- 

 blished from a di-awing, is identical with Guichenot's fish. This is 

 another instance of the difficulty of well establishing a species from a 

 drawing. It could easily be shown that at least one-half of such spe- 

 cies have turned out to be either identical -with others, or have not 

 been recognized by other writers. Science itself has never derived 

 any advantage from such a practice, but has l)ccn encumbered by it 

 with a number of doubtful species and useless synonyms. 



17. Acara unipunctata. 



Chromys unipimctata, Casteln. Anim. notiv. ou rares Amir. Siid, Poiss. 



p. 13. pi. 8. fig. 2. -n .3 A 3 



n. -. A. J. 



Scales on the cheek small, in more than five series. Yellowish, 

 with a black lateral spot. Caudal spotted. (Cast.) 

 Uio Paraguassu (Bahia). 



* This species, Centrarchus no. 1(\ of the first volume of this work. p. 258. must 

 bo erased. 



