[89] REVIEW OF THE SCLENIDA. 431 
This species has generally received the specific name of alburnus 
given to it by Linnzus in the twelfth edition of the Systema Nature. 
In the tenth edition of the Systema, Linnzus had already given the 
specific name of americanus to the Whiting of Catesby. There is no 
doubt that Catesby had this common species in mind, although his 
rude figure resembles the Surf Whiting (littoralis) fully as much as it 
does the common Whiting. 
101. MENTICIRRHUS SAXATILIS. 
(THE KING-FISH; SEA MINK.) 
[Plate IX.] 
Johnius saxatilis Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 75, 1801 (New York). 
Menticirrhus saxatilis Jordan, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 288, 1883 (note on type of 
Bloch & Schneider). Jordan, Proc. U. 8. Nat. Mus., 1884, 129 (Key West). 
Jordan, Cat. Fish. North America, 94, 1885 (name only). 
Umbrina alburnus DeKay, New York Fauna, Fishes, 78, plate 7, fig. 20, 1842 (New 
York). Storer, Syn. Fish. North Am., 323, 1846 (Massachusetts) (not Perca 
alburnus L.). 
Sciena nebulosa Mitchill, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. New York, 406, plate 3, fig. 5, 
1815 (New York) (not of Gmelin). 
Umbrina nebulosa Storer, Fishes Massachusetts, 35, 1839 (near Boston light house). 
Ayres, Fishes of Brookhaven, L. I., 259, 1842. Storer, Hist. Fish. Mass., 124, 
plate ix, fig. 4, 1867 (Boston light-house; Lynn; Provincetown). Giinther, 
Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., ii, 275, 1860 (New York). 
Menticirrhus nebulosus Goode & Bean, Fish. Essex Co. and Mass. Bay, 17, 1879 (Dan- 
vers ; Spite Bridge; Marblehead light-house). Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 
1880, 93 (Wood’s Holl, Mass; Noank, Conn.; Cohasset Narrows, Mass). Goode, 
Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1881, 113 (St. John’s River, Florida). Jordan & Gil- 
bert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 282 (Pensacola). Jordan & Gilbert, Syn. 
Fish. North America, 577, 1883. Goode, Hist. Aquat. Anim., 375, plate 127a, 
1884. 
Habitat Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, Boston to 
Key West and Pensacola, most common northward. 
This species is generally common along the coasts of our Northern 
States, its greatest abundance being north of the limit of M. americanus, 
a species which it very closely resembles, the differences being of com- 
paratively little importance. Southward its distribution seems to be 
pecuiiar. A large specimen was obtained by Dr. Jordan at Pensacola 
‘and several small ones at Key West. All these are very dark in color, 
but not otherwise evidently different from the common northern form. 
The name savatilis should be used for this species. The original type 
of Johnius saxatilis, sent by Schépf (?) to Bloch, is still in the museum‘at 
Berlin, where it has been examined by us. The name savatilis for the 
Whiting, like that of regalis for the Weak-fish, came about through a 
confusion of the vernacular names, the supposed ‘ King-fish” being 
named ‘‘Johnius regalis” by Bloch, and the supposed “ Rock-fish,” 
“ Johnius saxatilis,” 
