I.—A REVIEW OF THE FLOUNDERS AND SOLES (PLEURONKC- 
TIDE) OF AMERICA AND EUROPE. 

By Davin STARR JORDAN AND Davip Kop Goss. 
In this paper we have tried to give the synonymy of all the genera 
and species of flounders and soles (Plewronectide) found in the waters 
of America and Europe, together with analytical keys by which the 
groups may be distinguished. 
The material we have examined includes (1) all the flounders in the 
museum of the Indiana University, which contains a large representa- - 
tion of the species found on our Pacific ccast, in the Gulf of Mexico, 
and in the Mediterranean; (2) much, but not all, of the material con- 
tained in the United States National Museum, more especially the speci- 
mens collected by Dr. Jordan and by Dr. Gilbert; and (3) all the floun- 
ders contained in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, at Cambridge, 
Mass. This museum is rich in South American forms, the collections 
made by Professor Agassiz, Dr. Steindachner, and others for this mu- 
seum being very extensive. Only the collections in the Indiana Uni- 
versity have been studied by the junior author; for all statements re- 
garding other specimens, and, in general, for everything said regarding 
the South American species, the senior author is responsible. We are 
under special obligations to Prof. Alexander Agassiz, director of the 
Museum of Comparative Zoology, and to Mr. Samuel Garman, curator 
of the fishes, for many courtesies in connection with our studies in that 
museum. ; 
We regard the order of Heterosomata (‘‘flat-fishes,” with both eyes 
on the same side of the head) as constituting a single family, Plewro- 
nectide. ®We find ourselves unable to separate the soles as a distinct 
family from the flounders. The characters which mark them asa group 
stem no more important than those which set off one subfamily of 
flounders from another. 
The group of “ Bibroniide” recently recognized by some of the Ital- 
ian ichthyologists as a separate family (‘‘ Bibronidi”) is composed en- 
tirely of larval forms in the early stages of their development. In this 
condition the eyes are symmetrical and the body translucent. Several 
generic names have been given to these peculiar forms (Peloria, Bibronia, 
Coccolus, Charybdia, Bascanius, Delothyris), but, of course, these genera 
can have no permanent place in the system. Peloria has been shown 
by Dr. Emery to be the young of Platophrys (Rhomboidichthys). The 
others seem to belong to the Cynoglossine or to some allied group, but 
we are not yet certain as to the correct identification of any of them. 
[1] s 225 
S. Mis. 90 15 

