414 DE. GUNTHEE ON THE FISHES OF CEXTEAL AMEEICA. 



it would be better not to separate it ; the only difference which I can find is the form 

 of the soft dorsal fin, which is considerably higher than the spinous in the MediteiTanean 

 species. 



22. Pristipoma melanopteeum. 

 Pnstipoma melanopterum, Cuv. & Val. v. 1830, p. 273. 



bUineatum, Cuv. & Val. v. 1830, p. 271, pi. 122. 



Hamulon melanopterum, Ranzani, Comm. Bonon. v. 1842, p. 343, tab. 30. 

 Pristipoma melanopterum, Giintli. Fish. i. 1859, p. 287. 

 Var. Genytremus interruptus, GiU, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. 1862, p. 256. 

 Pristipoma melanopterum, Giinth. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, pp. 23 & 27. 



This species occurs on both sides of Central America, Capt. Dow having collected 

 specimens at Panama and Colon. Mr. Gill has found it also in a collection of fishes 

 from Lower California. He describes his Pacific specimen as a distinct species ; but the 

 distinctive characters are, according to my views, not of specific value. He mentions it 

 in the following terms : — 



" The species is so closely allied to hilineatus, that it might be even considered as a 

 variety, but it appears to differ by the steel-blue colour of the back, and the discon- 

 tinuance of the lateral band a short distance before the spot on the taiP ; at its end the 

 liand is bounded below by the lateral line. In other respects, the two species are so 

 similar, that a detailed description would be only a repetition of that of hilineatus.'' 



23. Pristipoma virginicum. 



We have examined specimens of this species from the West Indies, from the Atlantic 

 coasts of Central America, and from Bahia. Mr. Gill has described an example from 

 Panama under the denomination of Anisotremus tceniafus, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. 1861, 

 p. 107. Although six or seven is the normal number of longitudinal bands, it is some- 

 times increased by a more or less complete division of one or several bands. It appears 

 to be more natural to consider the golden colour the ground-colour than the blue, as 

 after death it fades into the same colour as that of the space between the black vertical 

 bands. In e^Z specimens, I have found the bluish bands edged with purplish. Mr. Gill, 

 in describing his A. tceniatiis, has taken the blue colour as ornamental, whilst in his 

 description of A. virgiiiicus the character assigned to the colours is reversed, and the 

 blue colour regarded as ground-colour. There is no specific difference between these 

 fishes. 



24. Pristipoma dovii. 

 Guuth. Proc. Zool. Soc. 18G4, p. 23, pi. 3. fig. 1. 



D. }=. A. J. L. lat. 48. L. transv. 8/15. 



The height of the body is one-half of the total length (without caudal) ; the length 

 of the head one-third. Snout obtuse, not much longer than the eye ; cleft of the 



' This is also the case in some Atlantic specimens. 



