62 



considers the Spliyrocna horeaUs of DeKay,* described from specimens 

 eight inches long taken in New York Harbor, to be the same. This might 

 be inferred from the somewhat loose language of the description; but 

 the figure shows it to be closely allied to, if not identical with, Sphyrwna 

 picuda. The origin of the first dorsal is shown by the artist to be situ- 

 ated almost directly above the extremity of the pectorals and far in 

 front of the middle of the fish. The locality, l!:Tew York, given by Dr. 

 Gtinther for his specimen "purchased of Mr. Brandt" must, I fear, be 

 placed in the same category with that of Lake Champlaiu given for 

 specimens of Chilomycterus geometricus and Tetrodon turgidus,i and with 

 some of the cases of reptiles described as North American by Dumeril 

 and Bibron from collections professedly North American. 



SPHYR^NA PICUDA, Schneider. 

 Sennet. 



Barracuda, Sloaxe, Voyage aus lies de Madfere et de la Jamaique, ii, 1727, 185, pi. 



ccxlvii, f. 3. 

 Umhla minor marina maxillis longioribus (Barracuda), Catesby, Hist. Carolina, Florida, 



and the Bahamas, ii, 1743, 1, tab. 1. 

 Picuda, Pahka, Descr. Dif. Piez. Hist. Nat. Cuba, 1787, 90, lam. xxxv, f. 2. 

 Sphyrcena sphyrocna, var. ficuda, Schneider, Bloch, Syst. Ichth. ed. 1801, 110, tab. xxix, 



f. 1. — MtJLLER & Troschel, Schomburgk's Hist. Barbados, 1848, 667.— GUn- 



THER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. ii, 1861, 336. 

 Esox barracuda, Shaw, Gen. Zool. v, 1804, 105. 

 Sphyrmia barracuda, Cuv. «& Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss. iii, 1829, 343, pi. Ixvi. — Storer, Syn. 



Fish. N. A. 1846, 47. — Muller & Troschel, 1. c. — Cope, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. 



Phila. 1870, 472. 



Common; breeding plentifully. The young may be seen basking in 

 the sun in the shallows, where they are seined in large numbers. My 

 largest specimens measured over two feet in length. Both this and the 

 preceding species are eaten with impunity, though the former is regarded 

 with suspicion on the Mediterranean and the latter has to answer for 

 several well-attested cases of ciguatera, though in some of the West 

 India Islands it is eaten freely. 



The popular name is also in use at Barbados, where it is applied to 

 the same or an allied species. Schomburgk spells it Sinnet. 



The species of this genus are not yet very accurately defined. Pro- 

 fessor Cope| takes exception to the supposed identity of 8. picuda and 

 " Zoology of New York, Fishes, 39, pi. Ix, f. 196. 

 t Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. viii, 285. 

 tProc. Amer. Phil. Soc. Phila. 1870, 472. 



