188 VERCID.!!;. 



tending into the notch, which is scarcely conspicuous. The inferior 

 limb is entire. Suprascapiila scarcely denticulated. The glossohyal 

 is oblong, of nearly equal width posteriorly and anteriorly, and 

 covered wath exceedingly fine villiform teeth ; the urohyal terminates 

 posteriorly in two points, the lower of which is elongate ; there is a 

 semicirciilar notch between. The basal portion of the skull is slightly 

 swollen, and there is a deep and broad longitudinal groove behind 

 the condyle of the basioccipital. 



There are ten abdominal and fourteen caudal vertebrae, the length 

 of the former portion of the column being to that of the caudal as 

 1 : 1*55. The first interhaemal spine is not strong, and equal to the 

 length of the first six vertebra; together : it is attached to the haemal 

 spines of the eleventh and twelfth vertebrae. 



/3. Caudal fin truncated, or slightly notched. 

 aa. Ground-colour olive, with a yellow, green, or brown shade. 



3. Mesoprion spams. 

 Diacope sparus, Temm. i$- Schleg. Faun, Japan. Poiss. p. 14. 



10 8 



Physiognomy sparoid. The upper maxillary bone reaching to 

 below the middle of the eye. Praeoperculum with exceedingly fine 

 deiiticulations, and a slight notch behind ; suprascapula denticulated. 

 CaudaUs notched ; the second anal spine shortei-, but stronger, than 

 the third. Uniform brownish. (Schleg.) 



Sea of Japan. 



4. Mesoprion dentatus. 



Apsilus dentatus, Guichen. in Ramon de la Sagra^ Hist. Cuba, Poiss. 

 p. 29. pi. 1. f. 2. 



D. J5. A.f. L. lat. 60. L. transv. 10/18 



The upper maxiUary reaches scarcely beyond the anterior margin 

 of the eye. Praeoperculum with a very slight notch, with the posterior 

 Limb exceedingly finely serrated, and with conspicuous denticulations 

 beneath. Dorsalis nearly even, caudaUs forked ; the second anal 

 spine shorter, but not stronger, than the third. Coloration uniform. 



Jamaica. 



a, h. Adult : skins. Jamaica. From Dr. Pamell's Collection. 

 c. Half-grown: skin. Jamaica. From Dr. ParneU's Collection. 



Description. — This species is very remarkable for its being an in- 

 termediate form between species of Centropristis, Anthias, and MesO" 

 prion. I place it in the latter genus on account of the pneoperciUar 

 notch, which, slight as it is, nevertheless is present, and followed by 

 more conspicuous denticulations of the angle. Otherwise this species 

 has much similarity to Centropristis atrarius, Anthias macrophtlialmns, 

 and Mesoprion aurorubens in general habit, and in the small number 



