CATALOGUE OF VERTEBRATES. 719 



forming a keel on tail ; scales on sides of head ; first dorsal with 

 seven low, connected spines; much like Naucrates ; bluish 

 above ; a greenish-yellow band along side ; white below ; fins 

 greenish ; body spindle shaped ; one median and two lateral 

 series of teeth on tongue ; head naked ; cheeks with small scales ; 

 soft rays of dorsal, 36 ; of anal, 1 9 ; no sharp keel at occiput. 

 Gulf of Mexico. Rare northward. The following note prob- 

 ably refers to aged specimens of following species, or possibly to 

 8. fasciata : 



'' Halatrachis carolineiisis. 



" Specimens of this species are occasionally met with associated 

 with the following." 



S. zonata, Mitch. [Zonichthys, carolinensis, without vertical bands, due, 

 perhaps, to increased age.) Banded Leriole. Rudder-fish. 



Differs from preceding in having six broad, black bars (darker 

 in young than in previous cases) ; body deeper, with occipital 

 keel ; spinous dorsal and ventrals black. Rays, dorsal, 38 ; 

 anal, 21 ; length, 30 inches. 



" This species is quite abundant along our coast. Specimens 

 have been met with by the author at each of the principal points 

 along our coast." — [C. C. A.] 



S. fasciata, Bloch. {Zonichthys.) Amber-fish. 



Greenish above, with sixteen brown, narrow cross bands, 

 arranged in pairs, and running into the dorsal and anal ; head 

 deeper than long. Dorsal rays, 30 ; anal rays, 20. Coast of 

 South Carolina. Extra- limital to New Jersey. 



OLIGOPLITES, Gill. 



(Scombroides, Lac.) 



O. saurus, Bl. & Schn. {Scomber, occidentalis.) Leather-jacket. 



Body compressed, nearly lanceolate ; tail slender, not keeled ; 

 head short, acute ; occipital keel sharp ; mouth with sharp teeth 

 on jaws, tongue, &c. ; upper jaw not protractile ; maxillary narrow, 

 without a distinct supplementary bone ; scales small and very 

 narrow ; dorsal spines 5 -f 1 > strong ; second dorsal mostly 

 broken up into finlets ; anal longer, also with finlets posteriorly ; 

 pterygoids toothless; bluish above, bright silvery below; fins 

 yellow ; caudal deeply forked ; twenty soft rays in dorsal and 

 anal. Tropics to New York. Not rare southward. 



