SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 355 



i. Lower jaw included; cranial spines and ridges more prominent; a deep pit under anterior 

 margin of orbit; axil jet black, with large white spots; general body color pale, often 



scarlet, the fins with much red plumieri. 



ii. Jaws equal; cranial spines and ridges le^s prominent; no pit under anterior edge of orbit; 

 axil pale, with a few black spots; general color greenish or brownish, the body and fins 

 never red brasiliensis. 



{Scorpcena, a scorpion, in allusion to the sting-like wound inflicted by the spines.) 



306. SCORP^NA PLUMIERI Bloch. 

 Scorpion-fish. 



Scorpcena plumieri Bloch, Kongliga svenska vetenskaps akademien, nya handlingar, Stockholm, x, 234, 1789; 

 Martinique. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1848. 



Diagnosis. — Body short, the depth contained 3 times in total length; head .4 total length, 

 the surface very irregular, with strong spines and many grooves and pits; a conspicuous pit 

 below eye; lower jaw included; maxillary extending beyond eye, .5 length of head; eye .2 

 head; gill-rakers very short and broad; scales in lateral line about 40, a few scales on opercle 

 and preopercle but none on other parts of head ; numerous fleshy flaps on body and head, a 

 large one over eye and on other parts of head; dorsal rays xii,10, the longest spine but little 

 more than ..33 head; anal rays iii,5, the second spine very robust and longer than third; pec- 

 torals broad, procurrent, reaching as far as anal origin, the lower 10 or 11 rays simple and 

 exserted. Color: variable; usually sand color or bright red above, purplish below; the body 

 and head marked by several broad black bands; back covered with light specks and white 

 filaments; axil jet black, with large round, white spots; lower part of head finely spotted with 

 blue; angles of nn uth yellow; radiating dark spots about eye; fins variegated like body; the 

 dorsal with white spots, the anal and ventrals white with red and black shades, the caudal 

 with 3 black and 3 light vertical bars, the pectorals with tip scarlet and inner surface yellow, 

 black, and red. (Named for Plumier, a priest who collected fishes in Martinique.) 



A common species from Florida to Brazil, straggling as far north as Massa- 

 chusetts, where it has been found by the writer. Six specimens, all about 2 

 inches long, in the collection of the Beaufort laboratory, were obtained in July 

 and August, 1903, on Bird Shoal and Uncle Israel Shoal. 



307. SCORP^NA BRASILIENSIS Cuvier & Valenciennes. 

 Scorpion-fish. 



Scorp(ma brasiliensis Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iv, 305, 1829: Brazil. Jordan 

 & Evermann, 1898, 1842, pi. cclxxvii, fig. 670. 



Diagnosis. — Body short, the depth .4 length; head compressed, its length equal to 

 greatest depth of body; jaws equal; maxillary extending opposite posterior edge of eye, 

 rather less than .5 head; eye large, equal to snout and more than .25 in head; interorbital 

 space deep, .5 diameter of eye; 2 sharp spines on preorbital, 2 or 3 on suborbital stay, upper 

 preopercular spine long, opercular spines small; scales in lateral line about 55, a few scales on 

 opercles, preopercles, and cheeks; small dermal flaps present on many scales of body, on 

 cheeks, before eyes, at bases of cranial spines, on membrane of spinous dorsal, etc.; a long 

 and slender flap above eye; dorsal rays xii,10, a deep notch between the two parts; anal rays 

 111,6; caudal rounded; pectorals long, about length of head, extending beyond first anal spine; 

 ventrals .5 length of head, reaching to vent, the last ray attached to abdomen by a membrane. 

 Color: grayish brown, with regular and obscure blackish blotches, one across base of peduncle; 

 white below, axil of pectorals pale, with a few round black spots, similar spots also on sides 



