194 PERCIDiE. 



Sir John Richardson mentions a dried specimen of this fish, in the 

 Collection of the British Museum, procured by Mr. Gilbert at Port 

 Essingtou (No. 21), and he describes it under the name of M. yapiUi, 

 in the Ann. SfMag. Nat. Hist. 18-42, p. 26. I am not able to find 

 this fish in the Collection. 



14. Mesoprion cynodon. 



Caballerote, Jocu, Parra, pi. 25. f. 1, 2. 

 Anthias caballerote, Bl. Scltn. p. 310. 



jocu, Bl. Schn. p. 310. 



Mesoprion cj-nodou, Cui\ 4" I '«/■ ii- p- 465. 



analis, Cuv. fy Val. ii. p. 452 (not Castclnmi, Anim. notiv. ou 



rares cle PAnier. du Sud, Poiss. p. 4). 

 litura, Cta\ ^- Val. ii. p. 467. 



D. i^. A. |. L. lat. 43-46. L. transv. 9/16. 



The height of the body is 3 to 3^ in the total length, the length 

 of the head 3f ; the diameter of the eye is 41 in the latter, and If in 

 the length of the snout ; jaws equal in front. Prieoperculum with 

 a distinct notch, but the knob of the intcroperculum veiy inconspi- 

 cuous ; suprascapula serrated. Caudalis slightly emarginate ; pec- 

 torals scarcely reaching to the origin of the anal ; the fourth dorsal 

 spine longest. Olive (in spirits), each scale with a darker base ; a 

 bluish-white, darker-edged streak from the prasorbital below the eye 

 across the opercles. Canines large. 



Atlantic Coasts of Tropical America. 



n. Adult. South America. Presented by Sir R. Schombiu'gk. 

 b, c. Adult : not good state. South America. Purchased of Mr. 

 Brandt. 



d. Half-grown : verj' bad state. West Indies. 



e. Adult : skin. Jamaica. Prom Dr. Parnell's Collection. 

 /. Adult. From the Haslar Collection. 



g. Young. St. Domingo. Purchased of Mr. Cuming. 



This species may bo readUy distinguished from the following by 

 its smaller scales ; there are nine or even ten longitudinal series of 

 scales between the lateral line and the dorsal fin, whilst M. griseus 

 has six or seven only. The other characters are less conspicuous in 

 yoimg and half- grown individuals, — viz., the greater height of the 

 body in M. c>/nodon, and the greater length of the snout in M. griseus. 

 From Ciivier's description alone it would be impossible to determine 

 the species, as the greater part of the species of Mesoprion, as in 

 many other genera, are either insufficiently described, or form no- 

 minal species only, founded on the most trivial characters. 



15. Mesoprion griseus. 



Mesoprion griseus. Cur. S)- Val. ii. p. 469 ; ? Guichen. in Ramon de la 



Sagra, Hist. Cuba, Poiss. p. 26. 

 flavpscens, Cuv. Sf Vnl. ii. p. 472. 



