CATALOGUE OF VERTEBRATES. 735 



" This small species was first described by Prof. Baird in 1854, 

 he having procured specimens at Beesley's Point. It is an 

 abundant species in the salt rivers on the southern portion of our 

 coast, frequenting the grassy-grown coves, and seldom seen where 

 the water is free of vegetation." 



POiyiADYS, Lac. 



(Pristipoma, Cuv.) 



P. fulvomaculatus, Mitch. {Orthopristis, Lahrus, Hiemulon.) Speckled 

 Red-moutb. Hogfish. Sailor's Choice. 



Vomer, palatines and tongue toothless ; dorsal fin continuous ; 

 body not much elevated ; head long, with conical snout ; mouth 

 low and small, outer teeth slender and short ; dorsal and anal 

 naked to base, where is a sheath of scales; posterior spines 

 lower than soft rays and anterior spines ; caudal forked ; color 

 light brown, silvery below, orange-yellow spots on sides, in rows, 

 oblique above lateral line, horizontal below ; head blue and 

 spotted. Dorsal rays, XII, 16; anal rays, III, 12; lateral- 

 line scales, 57; length, 12 inches. 



"During the summer of 1865, numbers of this fish were 

 ♦ taken off Sandy Hook, and the writer has seen specimens since, 

 caught near the mouth of the Delaware River. It is a visitor 

 to our coast, however." — [C. C. A.] 



P. virginicus, L. [Anisotremus, tssniatus, Sparus.) 



Golden olive above ; a dusky bar from nape through eye, and 

 from dorsal downward, behind which are several light-blue, 

 narrow stripes ; body ovoid, compressed and elevated ; outer 

 teeth strong; eye large; second anal spine longer than third. 

 Dorsal rays, XII, 17; anal rays. III, 9. 



"An occasional specimen of this fish has been taken on our 

 coast, and the writer met with a specimen in the fish-market at 

 Trenton, said to have been received from Barnegat." — [C. C. A.] 



DIABASIS, Desm. 



(Heemulon, Cuv.) 



D. "plnxaieri, Lac. [Perca formosa, H. areuatitm.) Black Grunt. Squir- 

 rel-fish. 



Brownish above, lighter below ; head with twelve or more 

 wavy lines of blue ; fins dusky blue ; body highest at dorsal ; 



